Leadership

GRACE President Kimberly Desotell

Mrs. Kimberly Desotell is serving her eighth year as the President of GRACE Schools.  She brings a wealth of experience in education and leadership as well as a deep commitment to the Catholic faith. 

Mrs. Desotell served as the Director of Development at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before joining GRACE. Her background in education includes experience as a grade school teacher, principal, technology and training specialist, consultant and administrator.

She holds a Master of Science from Cardinal Stritch University in Administration and Instructional Leadership. Her undergraduate degree is from St. Mary’s College-Notre Dame, Ind., where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a minor in Biology.

The Desotell family lives in Green Bay and is active at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Green Bay. Mrs. Desotell and her husband have three children all of which have attended and graduated from Catholic schools.

Community Leadership/Notable

• Nominated Insight’s Women of Influence in the New North Award 2023
• Green Bay Achieve Brown County Board Member, current
• Greater Green Bay Chamber Partners in Education Board Member, current
• Walk to Mary Green Bay Board Member, current
• Parish Council Chair, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish, current
• School Choice Wisconsin Action Board Member
• Featured on SiriusXM radio’s “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan” and re-aired on the Catholic Faith Network, June 2021
• Featured in the Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2021
• Graduate, St. Norbert College Center for Exceptional Leadership, Spring 2020
• ERC Training, Organizational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Fall 2020
• Testified before the State of Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Education, June 24, 2020 (LINK – Kim’s presentation begins at the 2 hour, 56 minute mark)
• Adaptive Leadership Session, “Leading During COVID,” September 28, 2020
• Presenter at Diocese of Green Bay Virtual Leadership Conference, “Leading to Succeed,” November 30, 2020

Accomplishments at GRACE

• 7 years of Catholic school system enrollment growth
• Worked hard to ensure school doors were open for in-person learning during pandemic 
• Improvement of brand recognition and marketing as a System of Schools
• Assisted to initiate GRACE Strategic Plan
• Leadership with CatholicLink, an innovative partnership to advance Catholic education in the greater Green Bay area and beyond
• Led GRACE System opening of St. John Paul II Classical School in August 2015 and Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School in August 2021
• Areas of focus:  high quality education, faith approach to learning and leading, employee compensation, strategic leadership and community partnerships

GRACE Leadership Team

GRACE President Kimberly Desotell and the principals / headmasters at each school form the GRACE Leadership Team, which meets regularly to collaborate and coordinate programming at GRACE schools. The Leadership Team reviews policies, creates the common school calendar, develops the staff professional development program and advises the President on matters common to the GRACE schools.

• Diocese of Green Bay Office of Catholic Schools Curriculum & Board of Education Policy

Board of Directors

Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay serves as the chair of the GRACE Board of Directors. Meetings are held twice per year, in the spring and fall.

• 2023-24 GRACE Board of Directors
• Meeting Schedule – fall and spring during the academic year
• Meeting Minutes

Board of Trustees

The GRACE Board of Trustees provides ongoing governance of the GRACE school system under the direction of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Trustees meets every other month during the school year, and it oversees five committees (which are listed in the sections below). These committees are comprised of trustees and members-at-large to provide leadership and support to the many facets of GRACE’s mission and vision.

• 2023-24 GRACE Board of Trustees and Committee Members
• Meeting Schedule – every other month, August through June
• Meeting Minutes
• 2022-24 GRACE Strategic Plan

Development Committee

This committee is focused on elevating the system’s current development foundation and enhancing initatives based on guiding principles encompassing a faith foundation, transparency, gratitude and generational Catholic development.

Education Committee

This committee is dedicated to assuring quality educational programs based upon standards, benchmarks and grade-level expectations. Within the committee’s work is the effort to assure that the Catholic faith and practices are inherent in the curriculum across all content and co-curricular areas.

Facilities Committee

This committee works to foster relationships between school and parish sites in order to achieve common goals involving safety, appearance and functionality, in order to provide and enhance an inviting, quality, faith-filled teaching and learning environment. 

Finance Committee

This committee is committed to establishing a budget that is as efficient and effective as possible in consideration of tuition, parish subsidy and third-source funding.

Governance Committee

This committee is working to support the organization’s function, responsibilities and requirements through visionary leadership initatives involving, in part, leadership evaluation, recruitment, development and retention in addition to succession planning.