New presidents, principals named for 2021-22 year

High schools
 

The Board of Trustees of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans has appointed Dr. Karen G. Jakuback as president of the academy. She succeeds interim president Dr. Margarita O’Byrne Curtis ’69.

Jakuback is a veteran Catholic school educator from Baton Rouge with more than two decades of Catholic school leadership experience.

The board conducted a national search and an extensive interview process and received feedback from a broad range of Ursuline community stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff and alumnae.

“Dr. Jakuback is a recognized leader in education and nonprofit management with a passion for Catholic education and its power to develop leaders who will impact the world for good,” the board said. “She brings a wealth of experience, energy and commitment to collaboration to this position. She has received awards and accolades for her commitment to Catholic service and mission, and we’re proud to have her lead our school.”

With its special place in the history of New Orleans, Ursuline Academy “continues to be a beacon of opportunity for girls,” Jakuback said.

“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve, and the trust and confidence of the Board of Trustees,” she said. “Our motto, ‘Serviam,’ inspired by our foundress St. Angela, is a call to Catholic educators and resonates deeply in me. Our vision of a school community where girls can grow in faith and build lives of service and leadership is highly regarded in Louisiana. It has been the work of many generations, and I am honored to continue the Ursuline sisters’ call to serve.”

Jakuback most recently served on the leadership team of Teach For America, South Louisiana, as the director of development for the region. She founded a consulting firm partnering with Catholic schools and parishes on strategic planning, professional development, budgeting and enrollment analysis.

After beginning her career as a classroom teacher, she served as principal of St. Jude School in the Diocese of Baton Rouge for nearly 20 years, received the Diocese of Baton Rouge Distinguished Principal Award, and earned the NCCJ Brotherhood Sisterhood citation for her role in building community.

She joins Ursuline at a pivotal time in the school’s nearly 300-year history, touched by the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the launch of Lily House (the new nursery program on Ursuline's historic campus) and a strategic focus on academic excellence and innovation.

She holds a doctor of education degree in educational leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, a master of education in educational administration from Louisiana State University and a bachelor of arts in elementary education from the University of Dallas. She holds lifetime certifications in teaching and school administration and religious education.

Jakuback and her husband John, a local attorney, have three children, all educated in Catholic schools.

Salesian Father Steve Ryan, 57, is succeeding Salesian Father Louis Molinelli as head of school at Archbishop Shaw High School. Father Molinelli served at Shaw for 10 years.

Father Ryan, who taught at Shaw from 1986-88, has been a professed member of the Salesians of Don Bosco for 36 years. He was ordained a priest on May 31, 1992, at St. Anthony Parish in Nanuet, New York.

Since his ordination, Father Ryan has served at Don Bosco Tech and Don Bosco Prep, both in New Jersey. He has ministered with college students and high schoolers and also served as the province delegate for youth ministry.

From 2012-18 at Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, Florida, he founded Cristo Rey Tampa High School. For the past three years, he served as the Salesians’ vice provincial for the Eastern U.S. Province and Canada.

Father Ryan said he looks forward to continuing the legacy of evangelization and education that is the Salesian tradition at Archbishop Shaw.

“I hope to lead the community with great enthusiasm and joy,” he said. “I want to be available to everyone at the school. I’d like to work at building in the Shaw students, faculty and parents a love for Jesus Christ, a desire for virtue and a readiness to step up to the demands of life.”

Aulston Taylor, who served previously as the chief development officer of St. Augustine High School, was named president and CEO by the school’s board of directors. Taylor succeeds Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, the new vice president for philanthropy of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

“I am delighted and honored to accept my new role at such a pivotal and challenging time in the history of the nation and our great city of New Orleans,” Taylor said.

“There couldn’t be a better choice than Aulston Taylor,” said Darren Diamond, board chairman. “Mr. Taylor is a true Purple Knight – exceptionally capable and unwaveringly committed to his alma mater. As one of the senior managers at the school, he is well-known and highly thought of. His deep knowledge of our operations ensures that St. Augustine will sustain and increase the momentum built over the last several years. Most significantly, Mr. Taylor understands the mission, theology and objectives of the school.”

As chief development officer, Taylor served as principal advisor to the CEO on advancement and fundraising matters and managed all alumni relations efforts. Taylor also has had significant exposure to the full range of administrative operations of the school.

Taylor upgraded the management of the school’s fundraising pipeline, built strategic engagement with the school’s stakeholders and instituted creative best practices. He recently secured a $1.5 million donation from the Start Small initiative funded by Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, the largest one-time gift in St. Augustine’s history. The gift is being used as a catalyst for a substantial upgrading of the school’s facilities.

“Over the past two years, I have had the good fortune to work closely with Dr. Kenneth St. Charles to build on the foundation of our institution in several new and exciting ways. Dr. St. Charles has been an inspirational leader for us all and a mentor to me. Working with him and all of my colleagues at St. Augustine has prepared me for the responsibilities and exciting challenges of this position. I am also deeply grateful to Father Joseph Doyle, Arthur and Ruby Age, and my mother Avery Taylor-Hunter for their extraordinary sacrifices to ensure I became a graduate of this wonderful school 23 years ago.”

Prior to joining St. Augustine, Taylor spent nearly 16 years as a corporate sales and marketing and business development executive with ESPN and Black Entertainment Television (BET).

During his tenure with BET Networks, Taylor generated and managed nearly $500 million in revenue. He left the company in 2019 as “New Business Sales Executive of the Year” for 2018.

Taylor serves on the executive board of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, is vice chair of the New Orleans African American Museum, is a board member of Associated Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Dream A Dream Foundation (DAD) based in Chicago.

The 1998 graduate of St. Augustine earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Texas Southern University and a master’s in integrated marketing with a concentration in brand management from New York University (NYU).

Dr. Judy Hickman Armstrong began her new ministry as principal of the high school division of Ursuline Academy in May. She joins Ursuline Academy after serving as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Environmental Education Agency.

Her leadership positions include supervisor of secondary education, program manager for research and regional service director for 12 parishes in Louisiana with a primary focus on school improvement opportunities for teachers and school board members with the Louisiana Department of Education. She also served as a consultant for school improvement to support schools in the analysis and alignment of mission effectiveness, student performance measures and academic programs.

“Dr. Armstrong is a visionary, a leader and someone committed to Catholic education,” said Dr. Karen G. Jakuback, president of Ursuline Academy. “Under Dr. Armstrong’s leadership, we believe that Ursuline will continue to grow in academic excellence while advancing our mission of developing leaders of confidence and compassion with a lifelong commitment to ‘Serviam’ (I will serve).”

Beginning her career teaching high school and college biology and math, Armstrong has extensive experience in K-12 school and district administration. She has served in Baton Rouge as academic associate principal at St. Joseph Academy, principal of St. Thomas More School, and as assistant superintendent for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

“Ursuline Academy is an inspirational school steeped in great reputation and tradition,” Armstrong said. “I’m very excited about the new journey ahead. Dr. Jakuback and the board of directors are charting ambitious strategic goals that will make a visible impact on our students and faculty. In partnership with a fantastic team, it is a privilege to work with the Ursuline community of students, parents, alumnae, community partners and friends.”

Armstrong holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and math from Louisiana College, a master’s of education degree in supervision and administration from Louisiana State University, a doctorate in educational administration and business from LSU and a master’s in religious education from Loyola University New Orleans. Her recent honors include the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding Leadership from the United States Office of Education and the National Catholic Educational Association Presidential Award.

Armstrong is married to Thomas “Tim” Armstrong, a veterinarian in Baton Rouge, and is the mother of four children, all of whom attended Catholic schools. She has one grandchild.

“My Catholic faith permeates everything I do as an educator in teaching students, collaborating with faculty and staff and supporting parents in the faith lives of their children,” she said. “As the principal of Ursuline Academy, it is my honor to continue the traditions and mission of St. Angela and the Ursuline Sisters.”

 

Kimberlie Haik Kilroy, who was raised in Slidell, has been named the new head of school  of Pope John Paul II High School in Slidell, succeeding Doug Triche. Kilroy had served most recently as Pope John Paul II’s assistant principal of operations and personnel.

Kilroy graduated from Northshore High School in Slidell in 2003. Upon completion, she attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she obtained a bachelor of music education and K-12 teaching certification in 2008.

Shortly after completing her undergraduate work, she relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she worked for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle while pursuing graduate studies at Seattle University. In 2012, she earned a master of educational administration and principal certification. In 2013, she was selected as the principal of Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Everett, Washington, where she secured a large endowment for tuition assistance, established the first STEM lab within the deanery and increased enrollment by 10%.

After three years as principal, she and her family moved back to Slidell, and she served as principal of St. Catherine of Siena School in Metairie from 2016-20. She helped enrollment grow by opening two additional sections in the early childhood program, improved retention in the middle-school program, implemented professional learning communities, advanced all learning environments by bringing in differentiated learning practices and further developed computer instruction and computer literacy by implementing a coding program for students in grades K-4.

She joined Pope John Paul II High School on July 1, 2020, as assistant principal of operations and personnel. She was chosen by the faculty and staff as employee of the year.

Mrs. Kilroy is honored to accept this opportunity to serve as head of school and has been hard at work this summer to prepare the school for the 2021-22 school year.

Since the beginning of her professional career in Catholic education, Kilroy said she has felt a strong calling from the Holy Spirit, which has been her guide as an educational leader, and she also feels a strong connection to the school’s patron saint, Pope John Paul II.

She has cherished the following quote from Pope John Paul II : “It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” (World Youth Day, 2000)

“I am eager to continue to grow as a servant leader at PJPII High School,” she said. “I plan to continue to work with the faculty to exceed academic expectations within the local community, to advance career and collegiate opportunities for PJPII students and continue to cultivate a school climate that is deeply rooted in God’s love, grace and mercy. With these efforts, my prayer is that the young men and women of PJPII High School will go out into the world and achieve something ‘great with their lives’ and never be satisfied with ‘mediocrity.’”

Nicholas N. Marchese, LPC, graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School in 2005 and earned a degree in psychology from Louisiana State University in 2009. He received a master’s degree in both clinical mental health counseling and school counseling from the University of Holy Cross in 2016.

Marchese began working at Archbishop Shaw in 2015 as the counselor for students in the eighth through 10th grades and was named assistant principal of student formation in 2017.

Along with Salesian Father Steve Ryan, who is serving as the new director and head of school, Marchese will be charged with continuing the storied tradition at Archbishop Shaw of shaping the minds, hearts, bodies and souls of students into “the respectful, determined and impressive young adult men that our community needs and our alumni welcomes.”

The three main characteristics of St. John Bosco’s Salesian Preventive System are reason, religion and loving-kindness, Marchese said, which is “our primary teaching and learning method at Archbishop Shaw. Our motto of ‘Excelsior’ (Ever Striving, Ever Achieving) remains as true today as when the school opened in 1962.

“My personal motto of ‘Accountability, Respect and Pride in all things’ is one I want to continue to instill in our young men. They will ask themselves daily, ‘How am I better today than I was yesterday?’ Apathy and complacency will not get in the way of my goals.”

 

Elementary Schools

Brian Moscona joins the Stuart Hall School for Boys as its third head of school in the institution’s 38-year history. Moscona most recently served as the principal of St. Thomas More School in Baton Rouge, following his service as president of the Cristo Rey Franciscan High School and principal of Our Lady of Mercy School, both in Baton Rouge.

Moscona, a native of New Orleans, attended St. Pius X School before his family moved to Baton Rouge, where he graduated from Catholic High School. He studied business administration at the University of Notre Dame and then earned a master’s degree in education through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) teaching program.

After spending a year in the seminary discerning a vocation to the priesthood, Moscona moved to Atlanta, where he served as a teacher, coach, campus minister and assistant principal at Holy Spirit Preparatory School. While in Atlanta, Brian met his wife Kayla, who is also a Catholic school educator.

“I am the product of Catholic schools from kindergarten through graduate school, and I’ve dedicated my professional life to the mission of Catholic education,” Moscona said. “As our bishops have made clear, this is a supernatural vocation, in which we partner with parents to help our children fulfill their destiny as saints.”

Moscona and his wife have four children, Anthony, 7; Maria, 5; Dominic, 2; and Gianna, 9 months. His two sons will attend Stuart Hall in the fall.

“My goal at Stuart Hall is to partner with families in the education of their boys so that we can help our students grow into the men that God calls them to be,” Moscona said. “I am passionate about Catholic identity and creating opportunities for virtue development for all members of the school community. I hope that together, with an amazing faculty and staff, we can build on the incredibly strong tradition at Stuart Hall and position the school to provide an outstanding formation for boys in an environment of excellence and faith for many years to come.”

 

Newly appointed associate head of school Laurel Alonzo has served at St. Michael Special School since 2012 as teaching assistant, lead teacher, department head and, most recently, director of adult programs. In that role since 2016, she oversaw daily operations and planning for the Joy Activity Center.

The Joy Center helps St. Michael graduates engage in meaningful activities, many school fundraising endeavors (including the Mardi Gras bead-recycling program) and remain a part of the school community after they graduate. Alonzo also created St. Michael’s newest program, Exploration Academy, which focuses on bridging job development skills after graduation so that young adults with disabilities can be placed and be successful in community based employment.

She has worked closely with technology and curriculum acquisition teams throughout her career at St. Michael. Her favorite activity every year, however, is directing the annual Christmas play.

Prior joining St. Michael, Alonzo directed afterschool programming for at-risk K-8 students in West Baton Rouge Parish for three years.

Alonzo holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Louisiana State University, a master of arts degree in teaching-special education and mathematics, as well as a master’s of educational leadership from the University of Holy Cross. She graduated from St. Francis Xavier Elementary School and Ursuline Academy in New Orleans.

“As followers of Christ, we are brought together to live as he did,” Alonzo said. “His leadership as a teacher guides our daily work in Catholic education. Even though the community we serve at St. Michael is unique to many of the schools in the archdiocese, our faith brings many people together, no matter their background. We aim to do the same at St. Michael and are thankful for the schools and volunteers who partner with us to do so.

“St. Michael has become my home and favorite place in the world the past nine years. The faith-filled students and faculty here are unmatched; when you walk through the halls, you are continually greeted with the face of Christ in each member of the community.

“I hope to continue many of the beloved traditions Sister Lillian (McCormack) and leaders before me began while continuing her vision guiding the school into the future as the leader in special education. I look forward to learning and growing through collaboration with Dr. Cissy Laforge and the many experienced special education professionals at St. Michael, while keeping advocacy for people with disabilities at the forefront of my work.”

Lise Brémond, who served for the last 17 years at Pope John Paul II High School in Slidell, has been named principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Belle Chasse.

“I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead this new endeavor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” Brémond said. “A micro-school is an exciting proposal, and I am looking forward to this new adventure.”

Brémond was born in France to a mother from New Orleans and a French father. They soon moved back to the New Orleans area, eventually settling in Slidell, where Brémond grew up. She graduated from Pope John Paul II and, after studying at Louisiana State University, earned a bachelor’s degree in French and history from the University of New Orleans (UNO.)

After first working in several family businesses and in finance, Brémond continued her studies at UNO. She completed the post-baccalaureate program, becoming certified to teach French, English and social studies, and eventually earned a master’s degree in education administration.

Brémond began her career at Pope John Paul II High School as a teacher, teaching French, English and social studies. After a few years she was named dean of academics, and since 2011 she served as assistant principal.

Brémond has been married for 14 years to Darren Kling, a pipe designer for Engineering Inspection Services, which is currently contracted to work at the Meraux Valero plant. Their 10-year-old son Dillon will be a fifth grader this fall.

Kellie Maurin, who has served for the last five years as head of preschool and lower school at Stuart Hall, has been named assistant head of school.

Maurin joined the Stuart Hall team in 2011 as a kindergarten teacher before becoming the school’s student life and activities coordinator in 2014, leading programs for all divisions.

Prior to her arrival at Stuart Hall, she taught second grade at St. Matthew the Apostle School in River Ridge and at Luling Elementary.

Maurin brings a strong academic background to her new role, including a bachelor of science in early childhood education from Southeastern Louisiana University and a master of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans.

Maurin said she values Catholic education as a catalyst for the mission of Stuart Hall, which is the education and formation of young boys as they grow into godly men.

“In my new role as assistant head of school, I hope to continue the great work of balancing academic excellence and intellectual growth while emphasizing the spiritual development and character formation of our boys,” Maurin said.

Rachel Trahan, who came to St. Christopher the Martyr School as a 4-year-old and later served as a classroom teacher and lead administrator, has been named principal of her alma mater, succeeding longtime principal Ruth Meche.

Trahan has served for 24 years in education, most of them at St. Christopher, where she taught second, third and fourth grades. Since 2010, she has been engaged in coordinating activities to reinforce student participation and hands-on learning and partnered with administrators and department team members on curriculum planning and assessment methods.

She also served as reading curriculum chairperson, implementing research-based best practices and leading monthly curriculum meetings. She managed service projects with students and served on numerous internal review committees and interview teams for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Trahan also directed annual summer camp learning programs in English and math and instituted a holiday incentive program that motivated students to complete online learning programs.

   “I have been at St. Christopher School since I was 4 years old,” Trahan said. “I have walked the halls as a student, camp counselor, aftercare worker, educator and parent. I now have the opportunity to walk the halls as the spiritual leader of the school.

“As Catholic school educators, we have the responsibility of educating the whole child – mind, body and spirit. My faith was fostered at St. Christopher, and now I have the opportunity to continue fostering the faith of the children who walk the halls. I anxiously await the unique opportunity to serve my alma mater as the spiritual and academic leader.

“St. Christopher has been my home away from home, and now I have the opportunity to work hand in hand with our dedicated faculty, staff and pastor to help foster our students’ needs. I am blessed to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me.”

Trahan received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award in October 2020 from the Archdiocese of New Orleans Catholic Committee on Scouting for contributions made serving the spiritual needs of Catholic girls in scouting.

She taught at St. Christopher from 1994-2007 and returned to the faculty in 2010. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Holy Cross and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of New Orleans.

 

Douglas Triche, who served for the last three years as president-principal of Pope John Paul II High School in Slidell, has been named the new principal of Ascension of Our Lord School in LaPlace.

Triche shook the hand of St. John Paul II on Sept. 12, 1987, in the Louisiana Superdome. The Holy Father instructed the audience of Catholic educational leaders to call young people to be saints in the world.

Triche has made it his mission to fulfill this vision as a Catholic educator. He takes to heart our Catholic teaching that reason serves the gift of faith so that it will be “on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10).

“I am coming to Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Elementary School to evangelize the young and provide the best Catholic school education to our community,” Triche said.

Before his tenure at Pope John Paul II, Triche had served for 20 years at St. Charles Catholic High School in LaPlace,  for eight years as director of campus ministry and then for 12 years as assistant principal of academics.

Triche is especially known for his work in developing Christian religious education across the curriculum at the schools he has served and as a national speaker and presenter.

Triche has a master’s degree in religious education from Loyola University New Orleans. He credits Loyola for giving him a solid background in Catholic theology and educational philosophy and theory. He believes it has served him well as a Catholic educator and administrator.

He received a bachelor’s degree in religion from St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington. It was there he formed a deep sacramental spirituality from his Benedictine spiritual fathers of St. Joseph Abbey. Triche is married to his bride of 39 years and has three children.

 

Toni Vezinat, the new principal of St. Rita School in Harahan, has more than two decades of experience in the field of education. She is a certified elementary teacher and holds a master’s degree in counselor education.

Vezinat has served at St. Rita for 14 years as a third-grade teacher, and, most recently, as the assistant principal.

“I became an administrator because of my desire to positively impact the entire school community,” Vezinat said. “I am a parent, and my son attends a local Catholic high school. Therefore, I fully understand the challenges and sacrifices required to commit to Catholic education.”

Vezinat said students are the priority in Catholic education.

“My administrative philosophy is rooted in the belief that every action of the school should be in the best interest of our students,” Vezinat said. “I am determined to support each child, and every day I will bring the energy and thoughtfulness needed to make St. Rita the best it can be.

“It is a privilege to be a leader of a Catholic school. This leadership role will afford me the opportunity to teach students that they are created in God’s image. I will be able to help them understand that their dignity and self-respect are all rooted in being a child of God. My job is to teach them respect for Catholic values and, by example, show them how to integrate those values into their daily lives.”

Vezinat said she aims to ensure that all students achieve their highest potential.

“A partnership of committed administrators, teachers, parents, support staff and students must exist to reach this goal,” she said. “My experience at St. Rita has shown me that we share this belief, and I am so proud to be the new principal of St. Rita School.”