With the new academic year beginning this week at seven Catholic high schools and 29 Catholic elementary schools across the Diocese of Phoenix, the Catholic Schools Office has hired 14 leaders who are ready to impact Catholic education in the diocese. Below, get to know the new principals, assistant principals and athletic directors around the valley.
High School Principals:
Name: Carol Ann Michaelson
School: Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix
Bio: Michaelson, who is a Xavier alumna from the class of 1989, earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. She has dedicated the past 32 years to serving Xavier — first as a Theology teacher, then as director of Student Records and, most recently, as interim principal. She has an expansive knowledge of and a profound commitment to the education of young women of faith.
She has represented Xavier on many regional and national committees of the Western Catholic Education Association and the National Catholic Education Association. She has been integrally involved in everything at Xavier — from academics and student activities to athletics and the school’s multiple National Blue Ribbon School awards.
Name: Kim Viliborgh
School: St. Mary’s High School, Phoenix
Bio: Viliborgh brings 26 years of experience in education, having served as a teacher, dean of students and assistant principal in both the Phoenix and Atlanta areas. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to helping students develop not only academically, but also as young people of character, purpose and faith. Her leadership has consistently focused on forming the whole student and helping young men and women discover their God-given gifts and potential.
Kim and her husband are members of St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Chandler, Ariz., and together they have raised two children. Their family’s commitment to faith, service and Catholic education continues to influence her approach to leadership and her dedication to the St. Mary’s community.
High School Assistant Principals:
Name: Jennifer Kohl
School: Seton Catholic Preparatory, Chandler
Bio: A 1998 graduate of Seton Catholic, Kohl has served the Seton school community for 19 years. During that time, she held various roles, including AP Psychology teacher and campus minister. Beginning in 2020, Kohl developed the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and has served as the Learning Resource coordinator, supporting student success. Kohl holds master’s degrees in Special Education and Curriculum and Instruction.
Name: Dr. Thomas Mar
School: St. Mary’s High School, Phoenix
Bio: Dr. Mar brings 24 years of experience in education in California and Arizona, serving as a teacher, department chair and now assistant principal. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership, along with degrees in physics, philosophy and curriculum and instruction. Throughout his career, he has successfully established and expanded philosophy programs at Notre Dame Preparatory, Brophy College Preparatory, and St. Mary’s Catholic High School.
As the father of a child with Down syndrome, he is especially committed to creating a school culture where every student is treated with dignity, challenged to grow and welcomed with a true sense of belonging. He has presented at the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s national conference, teaches candidates for the Diocese of Phoenix’s diaconate program and serves on the board of the Matthew 19:14 Project, which promotes inclusion for students with disabilities in Catholic schools.
Raised in Seattle as the son of Chinese immigrants, Dr. Mar’s life has been shaped by a steadfast Catholic faith. His years at Stanford University, six years as a member of the Order of Preachers, and vocation as a husband to Lily and father of six have strengthened his commitment to Catholic education. He is a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Phoenix.
High School Athletic Director:
Name: Dennis Coyle
School: Notre Dame Preparatory, Scottsdale
Bio: Coyle joins Notre Dame Prep after seven years at Cincinnati Country Day School in Ohio, where he served as athletic director and head football coach. During his tenure, he led a period of sustained excellence, highlighted by five consecutive conference championships and a consistent emphasis on character development, accountability and competitive integrity.
As athletic director, Coyle will oversee all aspects of Notre Dame Prep’s athletic programs, including coaching leadership, program administration, compliance and student-athlete development. His vision aligns with the school’s mission of fostering leadership, faith formation and community engagement through athletics.
Elementary School Principals:
Name: Alex Hinrichsen
School: St. Jerome, Phoenix
Bio: Hinrichsen’s journey as a school counselor, dean of students and assistant principal has always been guided by a commitment to nurturing the whole child. With 10 years of experience and a master’s degree in School Counseling, Hinrichsen focuses on fostering a safe and friendly environment where character formation and student achievement can flourish.
Prior to joining St. Jerome, he served as the assistant principal at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Maryvale, Ariz. In his spare time he enjoys running, hiking, trying new foods, listening to music and traveling.
Name: Jennifer Ellerbee
School: St. Matthew, Phoenix
Bio: With more than 10 years of experience in education, Ellerbee is passionate about Catholic education and believes every child deserves an education that nurtures the whole child academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally. As principal of Arizona’s only Catholic dual language school, Ellerbee is committed to fostering academic excellence, faith formation and bilingual learning while supporting the students, families, parish and the entire St. Matthew community.
Ellerbee earned both a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Secondary Education from Arizona State University. She also holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Most recently, she served as director of Academics at The Jones-Gordon School. Ellerbee is also a published author, having written multiple articles on education and instructional practice.
Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Jesse, and their family.
Name: Katie Zeches
School: St. Thomas the Apostle, Phoenix
Bio: Zeches attended Xavier College Prep, the University of Arizona and Pace University, where she received a master’s degree in Elementary Education. Before teaching at St. Thomas, she taught third grade in the Bronx, NY, as a Teach For America corps member.
Since joining St. Thomas the Apostle in 2008, Zeches has taught sixth grade, eighth grade honors math and science and has served as vice principal.
Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chris, and two children, Francis and Charlotte.
Name: Lindsey Patrick
School: St. Catherine of Siena, Phoenix
Bio: Originally from St. Louis, Patrick attended the University of Missouri before joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which brought her to Phoenix as a guest teacher at St. Matthew Catholic School in Phoenix. There, she discovered her passion for helping students recognize their God-given potential. Patrick later taught middle school English Language Arts and Social Studies, earned master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University and served as both an instructional coach and assistant principal.
Her husband, Ross, is a kindergarten through eighth-grade music teacher, and they share their home with her parents and two dogs. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, baking and hiking Arizona’s trails.
Name: Sara Johnson
School: Most Holy Trinity, Phoenix
Bio: Johnson is the new principal of Most Holy Trinity Catholic School. Born and raised in Prescott, Ariz., she is a lifelong Arizona resident dedicated to advancing Catholic education and academic excellence within the community. She brings 25 years of classroom teaching experience to her leadership role, holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, both from Northern Arizona University. Her extensive background in the classroom and specialized training in school administration equip her to foster a rigorous, faith-filled learning environment that supports both faculty development and student success.
Johnson is the proud mother of two children. Her daughter, Caroline, 25, works for a financial firm, and her son, Jack, 20, is a junior at Grand Canyon University studying Sports Management. Outside of her ministry in education, Johnson is a golfer and tennis player and also enjoys traveling.
Elementary School Assistant Principals:
Name: Annemarie Mansour
School: St. Thomas Apostle, Phoenix
Bio: Mansour holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Palo Alto University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Child Development from St. Mary’s College of California. Her professional background includes directing preschool and kindergarten programs, providing parent education, serving as a family behavior specialist and collaborating with school boards and administration on strategic planning, enrollment, compliance and program development.
Married for 28 years and mother of four, Mansour and her husband have raised all of their children through Catholic education, giving her the perspective as both an educator and a parent. This combination informs her commitment to building stronger partnerships between schools and families. Guided by her faith and passion for child development, she strives to create inclusive, nurturing communities where every child is known, supported and inspired to grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
Name: Casey Hoyack
School: St. Theresa, Phoenix
Bio: Prior to joining the faculty at St. Theresa in 2023 as the middle school coordinator and a history/religion teacher, Hoyack taught high school history/social studies in Catholic and public schools. He holds a BA in Political Philosophy and History, a MA in Latin American History from the University of Arizona; and a MEd in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Hoyack is passionate about Catholic education, in particular leading students to encounter Christ. Outside of school, he enjoys learning history, hiking, tennis and spending time with his wife and sons.
Name: Desiree Kaczorowski
School: St. Peter’s Indian Mission, Sacaton
Bio: Kaczorowski has been a dedicated educator at St. Peter Indian Mission Catholic School for the past 17 years. Throughout her career, she has served as a classroom teacher in grades K-3, preschool director, a member of the school’s leadership team for the school’s accreditation team and most recently taught Algebra I. She is passionate about fostering student success through faith-filled leadership, academic excellence and strong partnerships with families and the Gila River Indian Community.
Kaczorowski is committed to supporting teachers, promoting inclusive learning environments and ensuring every student feels valued and challenged to reach their God-given potential. She is honored to begin serving the St. Peter Indian Mission Catholic School community as assistant principal and looks forward to continuing the school’s mission of educating the whole child through faith, service and academic excellence.
Name: Marissa Knox
School: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Tempe
Bio: Knox is honored to serve as assistant principal at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, where she has been a dedicated member of the school community for the past 14 years. During her time there, she taught fifth grade, STEM and computer science and junior high mathematics, fostering a love of learning while building meaningful relationships with students and families.
A graduate of St. Theresa Catholic School and Xavier College Preparatory, Knox earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in educational administration through the University of Mary. Knox is passionate about creating a faith-filled, supportive learning environment where students, faculty and families work together to help every child succeed.
Outside of school, Knox and her husband enjoy spending time in Pinetop, Ariz., where they love being outdoors, kayaking, fishing and camping with family, friends and their dogs.
