The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama announced today two changes in its senior leadership team at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham. Father Robert J. Sullivan, president of the school since 2016, has left that position to take on the new role of director of the John Carroll Catholic Educational Foundation. The role of president has been filled by Father Jon Chalmers, currently executive vice president of the school. Both roles became effective Nov. 9.

Bishop Raica said of the moves, “John Carroll Catholic is experiencing such positive momentum, from strong performance throughout the pandemic to successive years of enrollment growth, and now, in celebrating the school’s 75th anniversary. Father Sullivan and Father Chalmers are seasoned and well-respected leaders with the experience and skills to build on this era of growth and lead increasing numbers of young men and women toward faith-filled lives of service and contribution to our local communities, throughout our country, and around the world.”

In his new role, Father Sullivan will serve as external ambassador for the school, sharing its mission, philosophy, and values with key stakeholder groups including donors, school alumni, and civic and community leaders. He will build relationships and support for the John Carroll Catholic Educational Foundation and serve as the school’s primary fundraiser, leading, for example, the 75th Anniversary Celebration and Capital Campaign that kicked off this fall.

Father Sullivan is a native of Birmingham and a 1982 graduate of John Carroll Catholic High School. He has served in parishes and schools throughout the Diocese of Birmingham and currently is pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Birmingham.

In June of 2021, he also was appointed Vicar General of the diocese by Bishop Raica. Father Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Auburn University and master’s degrees in divinity and theology from Mount Saint Mary’s University. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1993 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Birmingham.

Father Chalmers steps into the role of president as the primary leader of the school community and is responsible for the implementation of its mission and for advancing its Catholic identity. He will work closely with the school principal and leadership team on day-to-day operations and the teaching-learning environment. He is also the canonical administrator of the school.

Father Chalmers’ early years were spent in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois before arriving at the University of Alabama some thirty years ago. Following a variety of roles in research, service, and higher learning, including work in Catholic healthcare, he joined the Diocese of Birmingham where he has served as pastor of Holy Rosary parish in Gate City and president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham. Currently, he is pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover. In addition to his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, Father Chalmers holds a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

“So many lives are changed every day in the Catholic schools of our diocese,” said Margaret Dubose, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Birmingham. “The lives of our students are changed, of course, but also the lives of their families, our teachers, and staff members,” she continued. “Then think of all the people affected by the good works of those associated with John Carroll Catholic High School over the past 75 years. The timing for these changes, and the strengths Father Sullivan and Father Chalmers bring to their new roles, couldn’t be better as we look to the future of John Carroll Catholic.”