Christian Cashman was announced Tuesday as the president of Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford.
Submitted
Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dr. Michael Griffin announced May 23 at a meeting with the school’s board members, search committee members, and faculty that Christian Cashman has been named the new president of Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford.
Cashman will assume his new position on July 1, 2017.
According to Griffin, Cashman will serve as the head of the school, overseeing all aspects of the institution ranging from interactions with students, faculty and parents, to finances, advancement, alumni relations, strategic planning, board initiatives, and marketing. Griffin said, “Mr. Cashman’s background and experience make him an ideal choice to lead Northwest Catholic into the future. His academic background, teaching and administrative experience, commitment to Catholic identity, and excellent communication skills will serve the school well as he joins with faculty, board members, alumni, and parents in shaping a strong and bright future for the Northwest Catholic High School.”
Cashman’s experience in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford includes four years as principal/chief administrator at East Catholic High School (2006-2010), and two years as principal of St. Timothy Middle School (2004-2006). Since 2010, Cashman has served as a teacher of theology at Fairfield College Preparatory School in Fairfield, CT, where he has been an active participant in faculty professional formation and mentorship, campus ministry, international service outreach, and the school’s music program.
Addressing Northwest Catholic faculty and board members when his appointment was announced, Cashman stated, “I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected as the next president and chief administrator of Northwest Catholic High School. I am keenly aware of the giant shoulders I stand upon in the leadership story of Northwest Catholic, and I pray that I will be able to make a lasting contribution to its vibrant legacy. As a Catholic parent and educator, I believe wholly in Northwest Catholic’s vital mission to serve a diverse student population and to educate the whole person. I am eager to begin serving the excellent, faith-filled students of Northwest Catholic. I truly look forward to collaborating with the committed and generous faculty, staff, parents and graduates of Northwest Catholic High School. In this moment of great transition in our Church and in our region, I am confident that God will bless our work abundantly.”
Cashman grew up in Indiana and attended college in Ohio where he received his B.A. (cum laude) in philosophy and his M.Ed. in secondary education and English from Xavier University in Cincinnati. He did post graduate course work in Catholic educational leadership at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. He is a graduate of the Seminars in Ignatian Leadership sponsored by the U.S. Jesuit Secondary School Network.
His leadership experiences include participation in four NEASC accreditation visits, twice as a visiting committee member and twice as the head of school during reaccreditation self-study. He has guided schools through strategic and capital planning that has focused on spiritual renewal, faculty professional development, and upgrades to both technology and facility infrastructure. In collaboration with board members and graduates of his school communities, Cashman developed comprehensive master plans of facilities and solicited significant capital gifts. He successfully increased annual fund and endowment giving in his role as a chief administrator.
His background also includes experience in the business field, serving for five years as a Field Vice President of Marketing and Regional Wholesaler with Manhattan National Life and Great American Financial. He was a teacher of theology and English as well as the director of Campus Ministry at both Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio and at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT, as well as an associate retreat director with the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford.
Cashman and his wife, Janet, live in West Hartford, CT, where Janet, a Connecticut native and graduate of Fairfield University, B.S. and Xavier University, M.Ed., is also employed as a Catholic educator at St. Thomas the Apostle School. Their four sons Paul, Matthew, John, and Joseph range in age from 20 to 12, and have all attended Catholic schools and colleges.
From his earliest days as a young musician at the American Boys Choir School in Princeton, NJ, Cashman has found great joy in his avocations of singing, conducting, and playing classical keyboard. Cashman is a life-long student of the spiritual, intellectual, and artistic world of the humanities. He and his wife enjoy cooking, hiking, reading, music, trave,l and watching their boys play music and sports.
“As a family, we believe in the core values and global vision of Catholic education for the 21st century, and we look forward to living out that vision as a part of the Northwest Catholic High School Community,” Cashman said.
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