Catholic Schools Superintendent Faber to retire at end of next school year

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The superintendent of the Catholic Schools in the Grand Rapids Diocese will be retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.

David Faber has been at the helm since 2010. During his leadership, two new Catholic schools have been created in the diocese and three others reimagined with a new name and mission focus.

"As I've said to many people, I hope to serve the church until the day I die. However, not necessarily in this position," Faber said in a telephone interview with WOOD Radio.

Faber said he is looking forward to contributing in another capacity in the future, perhaps in a consulting role. He added that he is excited about more Catholic schools opening in the area. A new one will be opening in the fall.

The Diocese provided more details in a news release:

“With each passing year, I see the depth of talent and passion growing around me. I have discerned that June 2025 is the right time for me to pass the baton to the next leader allowing us to maintain our positive momentum,” announced Faber.

During his leadership, two new Catholic schools have been created in the diocese and three others reimagined with a new name and mission focus. Enrollment has grown diocesan-wide in six of the last nine years.

"I'm very excited about that, and feel we have re-engineered the enrollment process in such a way that those enrollment growths should continue into the future," Faber said.

This growth can be attributed in part to the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative, which Faber designed and launched alongside Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, bishop of Grand Rapids, in 2014. The three-year, three-part initiative was designed to increase affordability by tripling the Bishop’s Scholarships available to Catholic school families; growing the professional capacity of the Office of Catholic Schools by hiring a marketing communications coordinator, an admissions enrollment field consultant, and admissions advocates to transform outreach efforts to the community; along with developing a five-year strategic plan for the future vitality of Catholic schools. Building on the success of the first strategic plan, a second plan, Bridging Faith and Future 2023-2028 is now being implemented.

“A majority of my tenure as superintendent has been under the leadership of Bishop Walkowiak,” stated Faber. “I am indebted to him for his unwavering support of Catholic school education and for launching the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative as one of his first episcopal priorities.”

David is especially proud of three unique practices to the Diocese of Grand Rapids that have been developed under his leadership. The first is the implementation of what has become known as the TIP Strategy. TIP is an acronym for Timely Invitations and a Phone call. Through a partnership with 52 Catholic churches in West Michigan, more than 6,000 households receive regular and timely personal outreach to consider enrolling in their parish’s Catholic school or faith formation program. The second is the bi-annual school board summits which routinely gather 100+ local Catholic school leaders (board members, principals, pastors, etc.) for training and best practice sharing. The third is the Catholic school faculty formation program which includes weekly lessons and transformational faith sharing on the topics of the Theology of the Body and the holy Eucharist.

“From the beginning I envisioned an alliance of Catholic schools all working together through systems of shared services and formal collaborations that would lead to expanding outstanding educational ministry throughout the diocese,” Faber said. “Today, we have developed and incorporated systems and structures that assist our alliance of Catholic schools in living out their missions boldly.” 

In addition to his diocesan responsibilities, Faber serves as the chair of the Michigan Catholic Conference’s education committee. He is a member of the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools Board, the Grand Rapids Promise Zone Authority Board, and the Harmel Academy of the Trades Board.

Before being named superintendent, he was a teacher for four years at Lincoln Elementary School in Zeeland, and principal at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, Grand Rapids, for 17 years. David and his wife, Sarah, have five daughters who all attended and graduated from Catholic schools in the diocese.

“David has been a tireless champion for Catholic education both in West Michigan and across the country,” said Bishop Walkowiak. “His relationship with Christ and regular prayer life drive his positive and enthusiastic outlook and approach to the ministry of superintendent. I am grateful for his career of dedicated service to the children and young people in our care and for his vision in building an alliance that has brought vibrancy to our Catholic schools.”

Bishop Walkowiak is in the process of choosing a search firm and forming a search committee to find the diocese’s next superintendent. A national search will begin in late summer/early fall 2024 with the intent to identify the next superintendent by winter 2025. 

Key Accomplishments:

• Two schools opened
  • St. Robert Catholic School, Ada (2018)
  • Bishop Baraga Academy, Fremont (Coming fall 2024)
• Three schools reimagined with a new name and mission
  • San Juan Diego Academy, Wyoming (2011)
  • Divine Providence Academy, St. Joseph campus, Conklin, and St. Catherine campus, Ravenna (2011)
  • Sacred Heart Academy, Grand Rapids (grades PK-8 in 2013, high school program (grades 9-12), adding one grade per year from 2015-2018)
• Designed and launched the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative (2014)
• Enrollment growth diocesan-wide recorded in six of the last nine years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• TIP (Timely invitations and a phone call) marketing strategy implemented (2016)
• Bi-annual School Board Summits established (2017)
• Led and implemented the Catholic Schools: Bridging Faith and Future strategic plans (2018, 2023)
• Weekly faith formation for teachers and leaders instituted (2019)