Join Catholic Virtual president Rob Birdsell for a conversation with two visionary leaders who have changed Catholic education: Father John Foley, SJ, founder of the Cristo Rey Network, and Kelby Woodard, the current CEO of Cristo Rey Network.

We will take you behind the scenes of one of the most well-known Catholic school networks. Discover how a bold vision continues to transform urban Catholic education and creates unprecedented opportunities for under-served students.

Key Takeaways

• Discover the original vision and entrepreneurial spirit that launched Cristo Rey from Father Foley.
• Leave with insights into the network's future innovations and strategic directions from Kelby Woodard.
• Reflect on how Catholic School leaders incorporate innovative thinking and reshape educational opportunities.

Rob Birdsell is a veteran Catholic school educator, having started his career teaching in Jesuit High Schools. He led the Cristo Rey Network’s national expansion as CEO and was a founder and director of the Drexel Fund, a venture philanthropy fund focused on making grants to expand school choice. Rob also brings international Catholic education experience to the organization, having been one of the founders and executive vice presidents of Amerigo Education. He continues to support Amerigo as Senior Advisor.

Rob is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a Fellow of the Aspen Institute. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and received his MBA is from the Lubar School at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Rob has taught courses at DePaul University and Loyola University Chicago. In addition to his serving on the Board of the Drexel Fund, he currently serves on the Board of Loyola Press and has been a Board Member at Alain Locke Charter School, the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy, and was a Commissioner for the American Center for School Choice’s Commission on Faith-based Schools.

Father John P. Foley is Chair Emeritus and former Chief Mission Officer of the Cristo Rey Network. In January of 2005, he became President of the Cristo Rey Network. Prior to that he was a member of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (Chicago) founding team and named the first President of the school in 1996. Father Foley promotes mission effectiveness across all network schools and facilitates faith formation. He is instrumental in the Network’s school growth efforts and serves as a key ambassador for the Cristo Rey movement at national and international events. During his tenure with the Network he has received eight honorary degrees.

Kelby Woodard is President and CEO of the Cristo Rey Network. Prior to his return to Cristo Rey in 2023, Kelby served for three years as the Headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy, a Catholic, all-male, military high school in Minnesota. He is the founding President at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep. While establishing Cristo Rey Dallas as a high-performing school, he completed a $25 million capital campaign that built a state-of-the-art campus. In 2018, he was elected to the Cristo Rey Network Board, serving two terms in that role.

As a former Minnesota House Representative, Woodward was inspired by students from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School - Twin Cities as they testified for an education bill he sponsored. He was an advocate for school choice and the Minority Lead for Education Finance & Vice-Chairman of the Public Safety Committee.