Bob Ryan to Succeed Adria Renke as President in 2023
PHOENIX – The board of trustees of Brophy College Preparatory, a private, Jesuit, Catholic high school for boys, today announced its long-term plans for leadership succession. Bob Ryan, who has been principal since 2006 will assume the role of president from Adria Renke on July 1, 2023. Ryan will be the 12th president to lead Brophy since its founding in 1928. Renke has held the role since 2016.
About Brophy College Preparatory
Brophy College Preparatory is a Catholic, Jesuit school for young men established in 1928 that seeks to instill competence, conscience, and compassion and to educate men for others.
Renke joined Brophy in 1997 as vice president, a role she held until she became president in 2016. At the time of her retirement, she will have served the school for 26 years. Well known for her passionate commitment to the Jesuit mission, Renke has focused on building the campus and expanding opportunities for boys to benefit from a Jesuit education. Renke established Brophy’s first major gifts campaign since 1928, raising $110M to date and increasing the campus footprint and infrastructure by 70% over the last 25 years. Over her tenure, Renke expanded the availability of financial aid for students from $350K to $5.8M in annual awards. In 2011, Renke and Ryan and then-president Edward Reese, SJ, established the Loyola Academy, a college preparatory program for boys entering sixth grade who demonstrate substantial academic promise as well as verified need. In 2019, Renke launched Brophy’s $50M Generations Endowment Campaign to benefit financial aid.
“Adria has played an outsized role in her four years as president and over two decades at Brophy,” said Tom Palmer, chair of the Brophy board of trustees. “While it is difficult to contemplate Brophy without Adria, among her many accomplishments – in fact, her great legacy – is the leadership she has cultivated. Upon her retirement, the board has tremendous confidence in Bob Ryan’s proven ability to lead us forward.”
Ryan holds his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Education (MEd) from Arizona State University and a M.A. in Catholic School Leadership from the University of San Francisco. He joined the faculty in 2000 and has been principal since 2006, responsible for integrating Brophy’s Jesuit mission across all areas of the school and leading the advancement of Brophy’s curriculum, co-curricular programs and athletic activities. Ryan spearheaded the expansion of student support services, along with retreat programs, immersion experiences and the creation of an international exchange program. He is credited with strengthening Brophy’s academic profile, dramatically increasing the diversity of the student body, and recruiting and developing a talented faculty. More recently, Ryan led Brophy’s COVID response, overseeing a dramatic increase in on-campus experiences during a period in which many schools were limiting classes and activities.
Said Renke, “Bob has been my partner for many years and his appointment as my successor completes one of my highest aspirations. I look forward to the remainder of my tenure with joy, knowing the institution I love will transition into the most capable hands.”
Said Ryan, “Each day, I have the privilege of witnessing Adria’s boundless energy and her unparalleled commitment to Jesuit education. I am humbled and honored by the confidence the board is placing in me to succeed her and look forward to continuing to serve our students, our community and the Brophy legacy.”
