Archbishop Cupich announced Aug. 27 that Jim Rigg has been appointed superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools effective Oct. 5. Rigg was most recently the director of education services and superintendent for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Catholic schools. “We are blessed to have Dr. Jim Rigg join us as Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools,” said Archbishop Cupich. “Dr. Rigg comes to us with the proven experience of managing a diverse school system and a deep commitment to Catholic education. He has demonstrated the ability to collaborate effectively in a professional way and we are confident he will build on the exceptional foundation and history of our system to help shape its future.” As superintendent, Rigg will oversee the 230 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago, which serve close to 83,000 students and is the largest private school system in the United States and the recipient of the greatest number of U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards of any school system in the nation. “Dr. Jim Rigg is a superintendent who is an expert in curriculum and deeply committed to the Catholic faith,” said Dominican Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, the archbishop’s delegate for school advancement and advocacy and former superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools. In his previous role as superintendent of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Catholic schools, Rigg, among his other responsibilities, created task forces to cover the different elements of a Catholic school operation, including academic excellence, Catholic identity, governance, leadership, finance, marketing and enrollment. From the task forces’ findings, Rigg and his team developed a five-year strategic plan “Lighting the Way.” The strategic plan became a fundamental element of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s $130 million capital campaign, of which half is devoted to education, including tuition assistance and support for quality teachers and administrators. “Officials at the Archdiocese of Chicago undertook a nationwide search to find the best Catholic school superintendent, and they succeeded,” said Dennis Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati. “Dr. Jim Rigg is an exceptional educational leader. Now he will be putting his talents at the service of the nation’s largest Catholic school system.” Prior to his work at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Rigg worked in Catholic school systems in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Memphis, Tennessee. Rigg has received several awards for his work in education, including the Nancy A. Hemminger “Hope” Award for Inclusive Education, Cincinnati and the Lighthouse Award for Exceptional Leadership, Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, among others. “Dr. Rigg has a history of inspiring his colleagues and students to reach new heights in learning,” said John Croghan, chairman of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s school board. “Our school system already provides an excellent education and we look to Rigg to lead us to even greater achievement.” Rigg, a native of Denver, Colorado, received his bachelor of arts in history from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He holds a masters of education from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana and received his doctorate in educational administration from Capella University in Minneapolis. He is married and has four children. The Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest in the United States, serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in Cook and Lake Counties in northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries. This local church is pastored by Archbishop Cupich, assisted by six episcopal vicars, each responsible for a vicariate (region).