REV. ERIC SCHILD, Catholic Diocese of Toledo

Rev. Eric Schild is the president of St. Kateri Catholic Schools in Oregon and pastor at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Walbridge. He is the youngest and only priest in the Diocese of Toledo currently to be both president of a school and pastor of a parish at the same time. Over a five year period, he led the newly consolidated Catholic school system to success, raising the annual fund from $25,000 per year to $300,000 per year, with 10 percent growth in enrollment, and a successfully implemented three-year strategic plan going from a $300,000 deficit in 2010 to a surplus of $22,000 in 2015. He also led the founding of the first STEM initiative in all of the Diocese of Toledo schools, which includes partnering with St. Charles Hospital, Bay Park Hospital, A.A. Boos & Sons, Inc., The Andersons, Service Spring Corp, BP-Husky, Toledo Refining, Lourdes University, and the University of Toledo.

Nominated by Matthew Sapara