Denver Catholic

17 DENVER CATHOLIC | AUGUST 24-SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 leaders rise to the challenge GRETCHEN DEWOLFE ST. THOMAS MORE Gretchen DeWolfe has taught 5th grade at St. Thomas More Cath- olic School for the last five years and will now be entering her sixth year as the school's new principal. "In my new role as principal, it is my duty to support parents, the primary educators, in forming their children through encounters with Christ, which will in turn deepen that beautiful and essential relationship," DeWolfe said. Being in Catholic education is more than simply a job for DeWolfe — it is a call- ing. "My heart has always been in Catholic schools … It is an amazing gift to be able to teach and live the Catholic faith on a daily basis," she said. "[This] is what I have chosen to dedicate my life to — teaching and living the truths that Jesus taught us." DANA ELLIS ST. LOUIS (LOUISVILLE) Dana Ellis worked in Je¨erson County Public Schools for over 30 years, 18 of which were as a principal, and then went on to work in Boulder Valley Public Schools for several more years until she retired. After "walk- ing around in the desert" for a couple of years, Ellis now finds herself as the new principal of St. Louis Catholic School in Lou- isville. As she embarks on this new foray into Catholic education, Ellis is confident that God will continue to lead St. Louis down the path it needs to go in order to continue forming authentic disci- ples of Jesus Christ. "I do know that God will lead the way, but I don't know what that way is going to be yet," Ellis said. ERIC HOFFER CHRIST THE KING Before starting his career in Catholic edu- cation, Eric Ho¨er had plans to complete a degree in political sci- ence and attend law school. "However, God had other plans in place for me," Ho¨er said. He converted to Catholicism while in college, and after graduation, volunteered with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, where he "fell in love with educa- tion and my faith." He's had a 16-year career in various roles in edu- cation thus far, and recently completed his graduate degree in Edu- cational Leadership at the University of Notre Dame. He feels fortu- nate to lead Christ the King Catholic School as principal. "If I am able to help each of our students understand that they are beloved children of God and that he has a beau- tiful plan for their lives, then I will have made a valuable contribution to our archdiocese," Ho¨er said. STEVE VAUGHN ST. THERESE Steve Vaughn began his career as a teacher teaching 4th, 5th and 6th grade at a few di¨erent Catholic schools in Wis- consin and Nebraska. Over the last 10 years, he's been a teacher and assistant principal at a Denver charter school, but he's now answering a call from the Lord to return to Catholic educa- tion. "Having worked in both Catholic and public schools, I can say that Catholic schools truly provide an education for the whole child," Vaughn said. Speaking for his new role as principal at St. Therese, Vaughn shared, "Our goal at St. Therese is to create saints! It's an honor and blessing to be tasked with fulfilling this mission at my school. This is exciting, challeng- ing work, but there's no other work I'd rather be doing." TAMARA WHITEHOUSE OUR LADY OF LOURDES (NORTH CAMPUS) Tamara Whitehouse has worked in both public and Catholic schools for over 20 years. More recently, she has also served as an instructor for the Denver Catho- lic Biblical School. Her transition from public schools to Catholic schools came after taking time to stay at home with her children when they were young. " We dis- cerned God's call to send our children to Catholic schools, and then my own deepening faith and desire to instill a love for God in young people led me to follow after them when I returned to work," Whitehouse said. As she begins her new role as the Head of School for Lourdes' North Campus, White- house hopes to "support families in the formation of their children to know, love and serve God, and this contribute to the renewal of Catholic cul- ture that is so desperately needed today. ANN ZECHES ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA For Ann Zeches, edu- cation is a second career. Prior to becoming a mom, Zeches was the assistant general manager of a resort. It was when her children were in school that the seed for Zeches' career in Catholic educa- tion was planted. "What I thought teaching entailed, and the reality are two di¨erent things," Zeches said. "Education is the toughest job I have ever experienced, but the one with incredible rewards. Education has become my passion." In her new role as princi- pal at St. Catherine of Siena, her goal is simple: "I am forming students to know the 'truth' of our faith and how to infuse it into their lives. Ulti- mately, then, they will be well-educated disci- ples of Christ longing to meet our Lord in heaven while making their com- munity a place filled with the Spirit." educational models to choose from, Catholic schools are a great option for parents seeking more for their chil- dren's education. Even more exciting are the vari- ous education professionals who are stepping into leadership roles begin- ning this new school year. These are individuals are who are passionate about Catholic education and even more passionate about partnering with parents, the primary educators of their children, to help lead their kids to an encounter with Jesus Christ. The nine new leaders featured below bring a wealth of experience to their new roles, and they are each excited to rise to the challenge of making Denver's Catholic schools the absolute best they can be at helping to form students into authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

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