New president Ned Hughes ’70 shares vision for MC’s future

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Mount Carmel’s new President, Ned Hughes meets with a few students after the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

No matter where in the world new Mount Carmel president Ned Hughes travelled, he carried memories of his days with the Caravan with him.  “I always had it in the back of my mind that it would be neat to come back to MC to teach a class in business.”  What he did not expect during those years of travelling to “nearly every place in the world” was that his return would involve much more than just teaching a class.

Nevertheless, on July 1, the graduate of the Class of 1970 stepped into the top leadership role at his alma mater, becoming the first lay president in the school’s 116 year history. In doing so, he completes a transition from Carmelite leadership that began with the appointment of John Stimler as the school’s first lay president in 2010.

Hughes has embraced the historic transition with enthusiasm.  “This is a great opportunity to return (to MC) and give back to the community.”

Hughes worked for Motorola for 38 years, rising through the ranks to eventually become Vice President of Finance.  It wasn’t long after his early retirement that he received a call from Fr. Tony Mazurkiewicz – then MC’s president – asking if Hughes would serve on the school’s finance committee.  After serving in that capacity for about a year, he found himself facing a more challenging invitation.

When the president’s position opened upon the conclusion of Fr. Tony’s term, Hughes was encouraged by many to consider the job.  He took some time to consult with his wife, and to consider the challenge of committing to another full time role so soon after retirement, but eventually made the decision to apply.  In the end, he realized that “if I had any chance to return (to MC), I would,”

The new leader of the school is focused on insuring that Mount Carmel will continue to thrive in the years to come. Hughes recognizes that by drawing from his extensive experience in the corporate world, he can “improve a lot of the processes here at the school.”

He expresses his vision for Mount Carmel through the metaphor of a “three-legged stool” of strengths, which include building upon the school’s excellent academic programs, the Caravan’s reputation as a top athletic program, and the uniquely diverse makeup of the student body.

Throughout his years of corporate travel, Hughes came to appreciate the life lessons that could be learned from the various cultures he encountered.  With a student body drawn from over 110 zip codes, he firmly believes that Mount Carmel students have a similar opportunity.  However, he wants the school to go beyond simple diversity in numbers to become a community that genuinely embraces that cultural diversity, an opportunity that he knows “prepares you for life.”

In the short time since becoming president on July 1, Hughes has enjoyed witnessing the same pride he remembers from his own days as a student-athlete.

“There’s pride in the students, pride in the teachers, pride in the coaches, pride in the parents, and that carries through everything we do to build character in our students.”

To Mrs. Denise Carey, the new president’s administrative assistant, it’s evident that Hughes is poised to make his own contribution to that pride.  Like Fr. Carl Markelz and Fr. Tony Mazurkiewicz, with whom she worked in previous administrations, she has found Hughes to be “passionate about the spirit of MC.”

Other administrators and faculty are equally impressed. John Stimler, the school’s principal, appreciates the “wealth of experience outside of education” that Hughes can bring to bear on the various financial and business aspects of the institution.  Stimler also noted that Hughes’ many personal relationships with the civic and business community are likely to strengthen the institution’s partnerships and “position MC for a great future.”

Ms. Huda Hamdan, one of the school’s counselors, noted that Hughes already has shown his commitment “to all aspects of Mount Carmel,” interacting with faculty and staff at opening meeting, welcoming new students and parents at orientation, and communicating an openness to one and all.

Making the decision to take on this new challenge involves considerable sacrifice for Hughes.  Residing in the northwest suburbs, Hughes will have a long commute to and from Mount Carmel, totaling several hours each day.  Nevertheless, he embraces the sacrifice.  “I love being back here working with students.  High school is an exciting time in a person’s life.”

With a wealth of business and life experience from which to draw, Hughes is ready to dig into the challenge of sustaining the values, character, traditions, and pride of 6410 for years to come.

“Mount Carmel helps reinforce values in life.  You live with them.”