Conroy to succeed Hughes on July 1

Mr. Brendan Conroy will succeed Ned Hughes as president of Mount Carmel High School on July 1.

Ellie Menke

Mr. Brendan Conroy will succeed Ned Hughes as president of Mount Carmel High School on July 1.

The next president of Mount Carmel High School will be Mr. Brendan Conroy.  He will step into the position and succeed Hughes on July 1.

Principal Scott Tabernacki introduced the new president to students on Friday, April 16 at the end of an assembly recognizing the upcoming retirements of current president Ned Hughes and former principal John Haggerty.

In brief comments to mccaravan.org following the assembly, Conroy expressed his excitement at being named to the position, stating that he felt very lucky because “Mount Carmel is one place I would love to be.”

Conroy added that Mount Carmel is “a brotherhood, it’s special, and it doesn’t happen in every other school.”

While it will be several months before he takes the helm, Conroy already has identified his initial goal, which simply is “getting to know everyone here – faculty, staff and students.”

Beyond that, he sees his role as helping others to be successful.

“I want to support others any way that I can by removing as many obstacles as I can that get in the way of their success.”

In an April 14 press release announcing Conroy’s appointment, the Mount Carmel Board of Trustees noted that Conroy has “extensive experience working in Catholic education institutions.”

After graduating from Notre Dame, getting an MA from the University of Mississippi and an M. Ed, from Chicago State University, Conroy went on to work at schools like Leo Catholic High School, St. Ignatius College Prep, St. Rita of Cascia High School, and was the founding principal at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep. 

Hughes, who retires after five years as president, will remain a member of the Mount Carmel Board of Directors.  He described Conroy as “highly respected and experienced, and believes that he is very qualified to take over his position and continue the Mount Carmel tradition.

Conroy is grateful to be at Mount Carmel, but the ex-St. Rita principal is fully aware of the competitive relationship among Catholic schools.  Whatever he may have felt in the past, he is fully aware that as of now, there’s no question which is the best Catholic school for boys.