Kay Sullivan, President of Salpointe Catholic High School, has led her life guided by a call to action by Fr. John Malley, O.Carm.: live your life with love, joy and gratitude. Coming from a large French-Irish Catholic family from southwest Louisiana and being the oldest of the six Gaudin kids, Kay Sullivan learned the importance of embracing love, joy and gratitude --and honoring your elders--at an early age. She is blessed to be married for over four decades to Dr. John B. Sullivan, Jr., a strong, loving husband, father and distinguished physician. Together they have three Lancer children, John ‘99, Katie ‘01 and Sara ‘08, who are now married to people just as remarkable as they are: Alisan, Phil and Ben.
Kay Sullivan is honored to serve Salpointe Catholic High School as the first non-priest, non-Carmelite, non-male president in the school’s seventy year history. Her ministry at Salpointe has been an inspirational journey, from her role as parent in 1996, to Advancement Director in 2001, to President since June 2011. She has learned that educational leadership must be stable, but dynamic; it must be foundational, but edgy; it must give nod to legacy, but be visionary; it must be mission driven, yet risk tolerant.
Sr. Helen Timothy, IBVM, Principal of Salpointe Catholic High School, and Kay Sullivan made this commitment to the school eight years ago: they will honor the mission, they will advance strategic leadership, they will provide stability, and they will facilitate needed change. They had a solid foundation to work with, as Salpointe Catholic had embraced a 60+ year legacy in the Carmelite tradition of prayer, service and community. They listened to their constituents, took risks, created goals, and set to work. They transformed a tired campus into a collegiate level facility; they discarded a culture suggesting that Salpointe could survive by resting on its laurels; they strengthened signature programs; and they created transformational initiatives. Now they are finishing Salpointe Catholic’s campus-wide renovation with “Aspire: Arts Academics Athletics,” a campaign to create a synergistic center for the performing and visual arts, renovate six classrooms, expand the STEM Center, update the gym, expand the weight room and light the athletic fields. We invite you to learn more!
At Salpointe Catholic, the faculty and staff members are tasked with developing Lancers with compassion, strength of character, sense of honor, commitment to justice, respect for self, each other and our world, and above all, the capacity and willingness to be moral leaders. Ultimately, their mission is to develop Lancers who are prepared for life on this Earth … and for eternity! What extraordinary responsibility the educators accept! But, as Kay Sullivan says, "We wouldn’t have it any other way."
