New Archdiocese schools superintendent is from Cincinnati

Archbishop Blase Cupich announced Thursday the appointment of Jim Rigg as superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools, effective Oct. 5.

Rigg is currently director of education services and superintendent for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Catholic schools.

“We are blessed to have Dr. Jim Rigg join us as Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools,” Cupich said in a written statement. “Dr. Rigg comes to us with the proven experience of managing a diverse school system and a deep commitment to Catholic education.

“He has demonstrated the ability to collaborate effectively in a professional way and we are confident he will build on the exceptional foundation and history of our system to shape its future.”

As superintendent, Rigg will oversee the 230 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago, which serves nearly 83,000 students and is the largest private school system in the U.S.

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools have received the greatest number of U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards of any school system in the nation.

In Cincinnati, Rigg created task forces to cover the different elements of a Catholic school operation, including academic excellence, Catholic identity, governance, leadership, finance, marketing and enrollment.

From the task force's findings, Rigg and his team developed a five-year strategic plan called “Lighting the Way.” The plan became a fundamental element of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's $130 million capital campaign, of which half is devoted to education, including tuition assistance and support for quality teachers and administrators.

Prior to his work in Cincinnati, Rigg worked in Catholic school systems in Colorado Springs and Memphis. He has received several awards for his work in education, including the Nancy A. Hemminger “Hope” Award for Inclusive Education in Cincinnati and the Lighthouse Award for Exceptional Leadership in Colorado Springs.

A native of Denver, Rigg has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and a Masters of Eduction from the University of Notre Dame. His doctorate in Educational Administration is from Capella University in Minneapolis.

Rigg is married and has four children.