Dear parish and school leaders,

We hope you are experiencing a blessed Lenten journey.

As you know, our beloved Superintendent for Catholic Schools, Kristin Dixon, announced her plans to retire at the end of this school year. Upon receiving this news, we immediately began our search for her replacement.

After a rigorous process, we are pleased to share that we have selected an excellent educator and administrator for this role. Nicholas Ford, the current principal of St. Patrick School in Tacoma, will begin as the new Superintendent for Catholic Schools on June 20, 2022. He will report directly to Chief Operations Officer Caitlin Moulding.

Nicholas has been working in the Archdiocese of Seattle since 2012 when he began teaching at Our Lady of Fatima School in Seattle, where he became principal in 2016. Previously he was the Dean of Studies for Gonzaga Primary School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He attended Boston College for both his undergraduate and master’s studies and received a Post–Master Certificate in Educational Administration from Seattle University. He was member of the Archdiocesan Task Force to Review the Ministerial Covenant, a WCEA Accreditation Visiting Team member, and a board member of the CLA Service Board at Seattle University.

On a personal note, Nicholas grew up in Canada and served as a Jesuit Volunteer, which led him to Tanzania. He has coached CYO volleyball and currently lives in Tacoma with his wife, Rachel, and their three children, Calogero, Aloysius and Filomena.

Kristin Dixon has graciously offered to onboard Nicholas and act as his mentor during his first months in the role. We are so grateful for her dedication and commitment to this ministry. She has worked for the Archdiocese of Seattle for more than 40 years and
selflessly served as superintendent for more than five years, supporting principals, advancing school ministry, extinguishing fires, and much more.

We ask the Lord to bless Kristin as she prepares for her well-deserved retirement and to bless Nicholas as he steps into this new role serving our Catholic schools. We ask the Holy Spirit to bless our Catholic school communities, that they may continue to thrive and share the joy and blessings of our Lord with our students and their families.