Justin-Siena High School of Napa, California, has announced that Robert Jordan has accepted the position of President and CEO effective July 1, 2009.  Jordan, a Napa resident, a veteran educator in the Lasallian tradition, and a nationally recognized expert in school governance, will succeed Brother Robert Wickman, FSC, who has been president of the school since June 2006.  Jordan is a past chair of the Board of Trustees of Justin-Siena and currently is Assistant Director of the Office of Education at the De La Salle Christian Brothers’ provincial headquarters at Mont La Salle in Napa. A graduate of Leadership Napa Valley, he is a  husband and the father of three children. His wife, Nancy, is principal of St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Napa. 

Charlotte Addington, chair of the Board of Trustees of Justin-Siena and retired San Francisco labor attorney, says,  “The Board was committed to finding the candidate whose experience, skills and personal attributes best reflect the characteristics necessary for our next CEO.  We are confident that Robert Jordan is that individual. The Board and the search committee were impressed with Robert’s experience in Catholic secondary education, his understanding of and commitment to the school’s Lasallian mission, his knowledge of school governance, his superior communications skills, and his established ties to the Napa community.” 

Jordan is an alumnus of De La Salle High School in Concord. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in education administration from Saint Mary’s College of California, and is currently completing a second master’s degree in nonprofit administration at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business in South Bend, In.  He holds California state credentials in teaching and in administrative services. After working in both teaching and campus ministry at De La Salle High School, Jordan in 1999 joined the Office of Education at the De La Institute in Napa. As an assistant director of that office, he has helped the province to serve the eleven secondary schools it sponsors in four western states. Jordan has worked in the areas of student leadership development, campus ministry programming, service-learning curriculum development, assessments of school-wide culture, and faculty formation. Recently, his primary responsibilities have been in the area of school governance. He has assisted schools in trustee training, CEO performance monitoring, policy development, CEO recruitment and hiring, and policy-based planning. Jordanhas written on governance and presented workshops in this area for the National Catholic Education Association and national Lasallian conferences. He has also taken leadership roles on special projects such as a study on school choice and a symposium on alternative revenue options for education.

Brother Robert Wickman, FSC, has been President of Justin-Siena since June 2006.  In that time, the school has experienced a steady enrollment, facility enhancements, and improved access for students from economically needy families. Brother Robert says, “I look forward to the great opportunity to work with Robert Jordan over the next six months to effect a smooth transition.  Robert's location in Napa and his familiarity with Justin-Siena will aid the process of handing the baton over to him in an effective manner.  He is an accomplished and articulate educator, a faithful Catholic, a strong advocate for the Lasallian mission, and is a great partner with the De La Salle Christian Brothers in advancing our more than 300 year history of serving young people.  His experiences working with Trustees, Presidents and Principals throughout the Lasallian world on the west coast and throughout North America have honed his skills in organization, planning, and institutional management.  His extensive work with student development programs has allowed him to keep a pulse on the needs of teenagers and how best to serve them and their families.  Under Robert's leadership, we can count on seeing a strong and effective community at Justin-Siena deepen its service to young people and their families with a distinctive, rigorous, and welcoming style of education." When his term as President ends, Brother Robert will be taking a one-year sabbatical, after serving 35 years in Catholic education in east and west coast schools. 

Jordan says, “I look forward to serving the Justin-Siena community in this new role. Under the leadership of Brother Robert Wickman and Principal Noel Hesser and their administrative team, Justin-Siena has enjoyed many blessings.  I will work hard to maintain and advance all that has been accomplished in these recent years including the increase in financial assistance to families, college-prep curriculum enhancements, facility improvements, and the commitment to Catholic and Lasallian fundamentals on which the school is centered. I welcome the opportunity to work with stakeholders from all three counties that our school serves.  Together, we will continue to advance a school that has meant much to so many generations and holds great promise for many more generations to come.”

Justin-Siena High School is located at 4026 Maher Street, Napa, California 94558 and the website can be accessed at www.justin-siena.org.