Cristo Rey Jesuit High School today announced that President Dr. William “Bill” Heiser will leave the school in July to accept the position of chief operating officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Heiser’s last day at Cristo Rey Jesuit is July 7.
A national search for the next president of Cristo Rey Jesuit has begun. An interim president will be appointed in the near future.
“During his eight years leading the Cristo Rey Jesuit Baltimore community, Bill has been an exceptional leader. His tireless work in leading and navigating the nuances of operating a work-study high school in today’s environment was on display every day,” said Robert T. Cawley, chair of the Cristo Rey Jesuit board of trustees. “While Bill was successful in every aspect of the school’s performance, his real legacy is the impact that both he and our amazing faculty and administrators have had on the 100 percent of our students who passed through our doors as freshman and have left with multiple college acceptances. We are incredibly proud of Bill and look forward to following him in his future endeavors.”
Heiser has served as president of Cristo Rey Jesuit since 2015. Among his achievements are surpassing annual revenue goals with record-breaking fundraising of more than $4 million annually and increasing Corporate Internship Program revenue to over $2 million for the first time in the history of the school; establishing a dual enrollment program with Community College of Baltimore County to offer a cutting-edge Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program for graduating seniors, the first school in the 37-strong Cristo Rey Network across the country to deliver this career certification program; and developing and delivering the school’s first ever five-year strategic plan with pivotal priorities, goals, initiatives and key performance indicators.
In addition, during the eight years of Heiser’s presidency, 100 percent of the students in each senior class were accepted to college.
Heiser arrived at Cristo Rey Jesuit in 2015 after serving as principal of Catonsville High School. In his new role, Heiser returns to Anne Arundel County Public Schools, where he served as principal of North County High School and assistant principal at Annapolis High School. While at North County High School, he was named Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals.
As chief operating officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Heiser will be responsible for the oversight and integrated management of facilities, operations, maintenance, planning, design and construction, transportation, food and nutrition services, and the Central Office facility. He will collaborate with system leaders to provide accountability, organizational direction and long-term planning activities in these areas.
The Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ Board of Education approved Heiser’s appointment at a meeting on May 24. He begins his new role on July 10.
“It has been an honor to serve the Cristo Rey Jesuit community for the past eight years,” Heiser said. “Our students are an inspiration, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside our amazing leadership team, faculty, staff and trustees. Cristo Rey Jesuit is a transformational school.”
Heiser holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education-Community College Leadership from Morgan State University and two degrees from Loyola University Maryland–a Master of Education in School Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s LEADERship Program and holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Organizational Change from Towson University.
About Cristo Rey Jesuit High School:
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School empowers Baltimore youth to succeed in college, career and life. The school provides access and opportunity for students of religious, racial and ethnic diversity to excel through rigorous academics, a corporate internship program, extracurricular activities and faith formation. Cristo Rey Jesuit transforms lives in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition of faith, justice and reconciliation. For more information, visit cristoreybalt.org.
