While Dr. Mike Riley steps up to role of superintendent of Catholic schools, his previous post as associate superintendent of operations for the Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) has been filled by Jim Grillo, who started at the beginning of the month.
A Catholic educator from Rockville Centre, New York, Grillo was a high school teacher, department chairman, and athletic director at various schools in his native Diocese of Brooklyn for 15 years. Since 2020, he has served as the principal of Holy Trinity Diocesan High School on Long Island.
“I’ve been in Catholic schools all my life, from kindergarten through grad school,” said Grillo. “Faith is a huge part of my life.”
“Both of my parents were educators,” Grillo continued. “Not only did they instill in me the importance of education, but the value of a Catholic education, which teaches us who we are as people, and what we can do to advance the Gospel.”
Grillo said that his main duties as associate superintendent are operational: day-to-day tasks, policies and procedures, and supporting pastors and principals.
“A lot of the issues come to me first,” said Grillo. “Dr. Riley’s role is really the big picture: he’s the visionary, making sure the mission of our schools is in line with the bishop’s vision.”
“At the next level, Dr. Laura Clift [associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction] and I are the ones, with the rest of the OCS team, making sure that teachers have what they need,” he continued.
Grillo said that the move from New York City to our diocese brings with it a new set of challenges.
“I need to get to know the principals, the school communities, the way the state education department works differently,” he said. “There’s a lot of overlap, though, because good Catholic education is good Catholic education.”
He echoed Riley’s comments about the prospect of reviewing teachers’ salaries in response to the nationwide teacher shortage.
“Pay for educators in Catholic schools is a major issue across the country,” he said. “If we want to provide a strong education, that only happens with strong teachers. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen for free.”
A longtime sports official and former athletic director, Grillo umpired professional baseball for years and still works in Division 1 college baseball.
“It’s taught me a lot about who I am as a person, how I interact with others. I believe it impacts my leadership and managerial style,” said Grillo.
“When you look at the intensity that comes with a high-level sport, it’s a great opportunity for crisis management, conflict resolution, and communication,” all of which are required of a great school administrator, he said.
Read about new Catholic schools superintendent Dr. Michael Riley.
Read about new Catholic High School principal Tal Covington.
Read about new Roanoke Catholic principal Megan Potter.