President Grady addresses the student body for the first time at the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Like us, his life journey included four years as a student at a Jesuit high school that emphasized faith and service. Mr. Tim Grady, a 1995 graduate of Saint Ignatius High School, was named the 13th President of Walsh Jesuit this past June.

In only a few months, his interactions with the students, faculty, staff, and alumni have left him with a great first impression. “I love Walsh Jesuit! It is a very special place. People are loyal to Walsh Jesuit and are truly proud of the maroon and gold, and I want to be a part of it,” said President Grady.

After graduating from St. Ignatius, Mr. Grady attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

Shortly after earning his degree, he experienced his “cannonball moment” when he broke his leg. This moment led to a conversation with a former teacher at St. Ignatius that ultimately resulted in his return to his alma mater as an algebra and computer teacher.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Grady was inspired by his late friend and colleague, Jim Skerl, to serve others. Mr. Grady stated, “We both believed in serving the Lord by looking for opportunities to live to be a Christ-like model for people on the margins. Jim was a very good example of being Christ-like.”

In 2002, Mr. Grady became Executive Director of the Arrupe Neighborhood Partnership. Along with Mr. Skerl, he co-founded the Christian Action Team and developed several service programs, including the Labre and the Arimathea Pallbearer Ministries, at St. Ignatius. Mr. Grady is proud that the latter two programs are still in place today and allow students to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy.

In 2009, Mr. Grady joined Boys Hope Girls Hope (BHGH) of Northeastern Ohio, where he served as Program Director for three years and Executive Director for eleven years. He set a vision for the organization and its future and was responsible for resource allocation and fundraising for buildings and programs. These duties mirror his current role at WJ.

In July 2023, Mr. Grady became the Director of Strategic Growth for BHGH and was responsible for a $9 million campaign that expanded and improved the organization’s facilities. To this day, “Garfield Heights…uses [the Boys Hope Girls Hope’s] fields, gyms, and classrooms for activities for their children,” Mr. Grady noted.

President Grady elaborated on how his faith inspired him to become a leader. He stated, “Faith is a journey… My faith has been strong and tested because it is central to me when I experience difficulties. I keep an open relationship with God by doing what the Lord wants me to do and always doing my best at it. My leadership comes from my faith because I was given this opportunity by the Lord to use my gifts to help others.”

Seeking a new leadership opportunity, Mr. Grady decided to apply for the role of president at Walsh Jesuit because he believed that he could truly make a difference and continue to follow what God asked of him.

When discussing a typical day as WJ President, Mr. Grady stated, “No one day is the same, which I enjoy. I interact with students and spend time with teachers who are willing to share their experiences and suggestions for improvement. I meet with many different people throughout the day and learn where I can contribute.”

He attends various events for the school and sits in on numerous classes. This claim was verified by a pencil with the message “I love Ms. Osborne!” that sits on his desk, which students in Honors Advanced Geometry and AP Calculus AB courses will quickly recognize. He added that he would like to moderate a club and possibly teach a class in the future.

President Grady’s vision for WJ is still being developed. He stated, “Once created, the vision will be understood and agreed upon by all the WJ community, including parents, alumni, and teachers. It is my responsibility to ensure that the vision and purpose are realized and maintained.”

Meanwhile, during his first year, he plans to listen to students, faculty, and staff to learn about what the school is today, which he will then use to help him create a clear strategy for the future. He contends that WJ must be thinking about affordable tuition, along with creating and maintaining the best possible teaching and educational environment.

Additionally, in terms of his role as president, Mr. Grady stated that he plans on “being intentional in the process” of improving WJ. He plans to evaluate all aspects of the campus to determine his top priorities for upgrading facilities. Mr. Grady also plans to develop spiritual programs that allow students to explore their faith, prayer, and service to others.

Mrs. Corena Mitchell, the Administrative Assistant for Mr. Grady, shared a positive outlook on the contributions that he will bring to Walsh Jesuit. She stated, “Mr. Grady is a people-person and a problem solver. He is a spiritual man who genuinely cares about all individuals. I know he will dip his foot into every aspect of WJ and use his business knowledge and unique perspective to change the landscape for the better.”

Mrs. Mitchell also described how the President’s office is often like a traffic jam because so many students stop in to say hello. “Mr. Grady truly gets the biggest kick out of interacting with the students. He will stop whatever he is doing to have a conversation with them and always gives them candy,” said Mrs. Mitchell.

Mrs. Mitchell noted that Mr. Grady has a quirky sense of humor and is funnier than he thinks. She jokingly added that she has a screaming goat in her office that she plays when she gets “fed up” with him. She also has observed that Mr. Grady is quite fond of dark chocolate candy bars.

On a personal note, Mr. Grady and his wife, Keri, the Director of Faculty Development at St. Joseph Academy, have four children: Clare, a junior attending St. Joseph Academy; David, a sophomore at St. Ignatius; Peter, a seventh grader, and Annie, a third grader, both attending St. Raphael School.

In his spare time, Mr. Grady enjoys golfing and remains hopeful that one day he will realize his dream of hitting a hole-in-one. He laughingly mentioned that he once golfed in a storm with Fr. White, SJ, a beloved former WJ teacher, who told him that he would be protected under a tree because he was “with the Jesuits.”

Also, in his spare time President Grady enjoys watching baseball, basketball, and football games. He roots for the Cleveland Browns and Guardians along with the Villanova Wildcats. He and his family like playing games and watching movies together while munching on a big bowl of buttered popcorn.

Mr. Grady loves the outdoors, especially mowing his lawn and cooking on the grill. He proudly added that his family loves his signature dishes: grilled chicken with his secret marinade, flank steak coated in honey balsamic dressing, and smash burgers with grilled onions and cheddar and American cheeses.

A personal fun fact Mr. Grady shared was that he once worked as an English teacher in Bangkok, Thailand for a year. One of his favorite memories is traveling around town. He remembers sleeping in a bit longer before going to work because he would always take a motorcycle taxi (a moped) which easily avoided the stopped traffic on the busy streets. He particularly enjoyed the leisurely rides on his way home because he could stop at food carts and sample fresh pineapple and sticky rice with mangoes.

President Grady wants students to know that he has an “open door” policy and invites them to stop by his office to speak with him. He wants to remind the students that he is honored to be a part of the WJ community because of them. Ultimately, President Grady wants to be viewed as “someone who is fit to wear the maroon and gold.”