Archbishop William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore, announced today that Mr. James B. Sellinger, a former Vice President within IBM’s North American operations and who led IBM’s operations in Baltimore since 1992, has agreed to serve as Chancellor of Education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s school system. The Chancellor of Education is a newly-created position responsible for promoting the enrollment and fiscal health of the Archdiocese’s nearly 50 Catholic schools.
The Archbishop also announced that Mr. Frank Bramble, Sr., a member of the Board of Directors for Bank of America Corp., will serve as Chairman of the Board of Education of the Archdiocesan school system. Mr. Bramble has recently served as Interim President of Calvert Hall College High School and as Chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Catholic Schools, which developed a strategic plan for the Catholic school system in the Archdiocese. He also currently serves as Chair of the Archdiocese’s current capital campaign, which has raised $50 million for Catholic education.
Dr. Barbara McGraw Edmondson will continue serving as Superintendent and Executive Director of Schools for the Archdiocese, a position she has held since 2011.
“Under the direction of Frank, Jim and Barbara, working in collaboration with our pastors, I am confident that our schools and the students they serve will have the very best opportunity not only to succeed but to thrive,” Archbishop Lori said. “I take most seriously my responsibility as Archbishop to work collaboratively to promote the Catholic identity of our schools and to preserve the long and rich tradition of Catholic education in our Archdiocese by ensuring their long-term sustainability.”
The 2010 Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools was developed following a consolidation of schools and a 16-month review of the operations of the Archdiocesan school system. The document outlined 56 recommendations in four key areas: Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Governance, and Stewardship. The recommendations, which have been implemented over the past four years, are aimed at stabilizing enrollment declines which doubled after the economic downturn in 2008.
“I am hopeful that our new leadership model will allow us to make even greater progress in our ongoing efforts to increase enrollment by making our schools accessible to as many children as possible,” the Archbishop added. “The success of these efforts depends on greater operational efficiency, the establishment of new and expanded sources of revenue, and the implementation of creative communications strategies. With Barbara, Frank and Jim leading the way, we can achieve these goals thereby ensuring our Catholic schools will continue to be what they always have been: outstanding, Christ-inspired centers of educational excellence with an unparalleled history of success.”
Mr. Sellinger began working for IBM in 1978, following his graduation from the University of Notre Dame. He moved to Baltimore in 1992 to manage the company’s Baltimore operations, and did so until his retirement from the company in 2012. His late uncle, the Rev. Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J., served as President of Loyola College in Baltimore from 1964-1993.
Both well-known and respected members of Baltimore’s business community, Mr. Bramble and Mr. Sellinger have served on the Greater Baltimore Committee and have lent their extensive expertise and business acumen to a number of business and philanthropic boards and committees.
Among Mr. Sellinger’s responsibilities as Chancellor of Education is strategic development for the enhancement and promotion of schools, including enrollment recruitment and retention, financial health, and marketing and communication strategies. He will also be actively involved in fundraising initiatives, development of local school boards, and public policy advocacy.
Mr. Sellinger will begin his new position on August 1.