March 26, 2019 — Saint Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City, New Jersey, has named Dr. Michael A. Gomez (’91) as its 28th president. Concurrently, Fr. John Cecero, SJ, provincial of the Jesuits’ USA Northeast Province, named Dr. Gomez Director of the Work, responsible for the school’s Ignatian mission. Both appointments are effective July 1, 2019.
Dr. Gomez, who describes Prep as “the house that built me,” will become the fifth alumnus to serve as Prep’s president and will be its first lay president. He succeeds Fr. Kenneth J. Boller, SJ, who has served as president for the past six years.
Dr. Gomez has been engaged in Jesuit education since 1997, when he returned to Saint Peter’s Prep. Over the next several years, he served as an English faculty member, baseball coach, club moderator and retreat director. This was followed by a three-year stint at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska, as the assistant principal for student affairs, where among other academic initiatives, he established a summer program focusing on the recruitment and retention of minority students.
Following Creighton Prep, Dr. Gomez spent six years as principal at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia. His most recent assignment was as founding principal of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School.
Dr. Gomez earned a bachelor’s degree from Providence College; master’s degrees from SUNY Binghamton and Teachers College, Columbia University; and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.
He served on the Saint Peter’s Prep Board of Trustees from 2011-2016. Dr. Gomez has been a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association National Board of Directors and served as National Chair of the United States Jesuit High School Principals. He is also a leadership coach at the University of Notre Dame’s Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program.
“I am delighted to endorse the election of Dr. Michael Gomez as the next president of Saint Peter’s Prep,” wrote Fr. Cecero. “An experienced leader in Catholic and Jesuit education, Dr. Gomez’ values are deeply aligned with the Jesuit identity of Prep, and I am confident that he will skillfully partner with the Society of Jesus and the entire Prep community to advance its cherished mission.” [Source: Saint Peter’s Prep]