Board Member Bios

Home Parish:
St. Mary’s Lexington, RE at St. Patrick’s Merna

Work:

Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools, Regional Office of Education #17

DeWitt, Livingston, Logan, and McLean counties

Family:

Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Molly and her brothers attended St. Vincent de Paul elementary school and parish. Molly’s dad, also an educator, attended, taught, and served as an administrator in Catholic Schools as well as public schools. Molly and her husband Jim have three children, Olivia, Mary, and Warren and live in Lexington, IL. Molly teaches first grade religious education at St. Patrick’s.

Education:

Molly attended Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree with a double major in Religious Studies and Humanistic Studies with a Business minor. Upon graduation, Molly was selected as a member of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program at the University of Notre Dame. During that time, Molly taught English and Religion at Memphis Catholic High School in Memphis, T.N. Through ACE, she also earned two years of service in Americorp. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a Master’s in Education, she returned to the Peoria area to teach and to later serve as an administrator in the Dunlap School District. Molly is also a Redbird who has earned her Master’s in Educational Administration and Foundations from Illinois State University. She is currently completing her doctorate in Education at ISU. Molly has been a high school teacher, middle school assistant principal, and elementary school principal. She know serves as the Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools in ROE #17 serving 30 public school districts and 20 private school buildings in four counties.

Reasons for Serving on the FIRE Board:

Molly’s vocation in education is rooted in the belief that ALL kids means ALL kids. Education provides a solid foundation for our children and schools need support to ensure that every child is welcomed and valued. As an elementary student in the 90s, a student with down syndrome joined her 5th grade class and quickly became a beloved community member. At the time, his presence was somewhat radical. Years later, catholic schools continued to make strides to better model the body of Christ through inclusion of all students. Molly is active with fundraising for Special Olympics and participates in the Polar Plunge as a member of Eileen In!, named in honor of a dear friend’s daughter with Down Syndrome. She continues to support ACE at ND and is familiar with FIRE through her Saint Mary’s friends and is thrilled to see a presence develop in our community.