2026 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
Principal of the Year Kent Clady has a ‘genuine desire to serve others’
By Natalie Hoefer
Kent Clady views his approach and accomplishments as principal of Our Lady of the Greenwood School (OLG) in Greenwood as nothing special.
“I just do what I do because it needs to be done,” he told The Criterion.
But his fellow archdiocesan Catholic principals view him differently.
“Mr. Clady leads with both humility and conviction,” observed Amy Wilson, principal of St. Roch School in Indianapolis. “Kent’s approachable demeanor, tireless work ethic and genuine care for all those he encounters have earned him immense respect from colleagues and profound love from his school community.”
She wrote her comments in a letter nominating Clady for the archdiocese’s Principal of the Year Award.
Wilson’s peer at Holy Name of Jesus School in Beech Grove agreed.
“I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition,” wrote Amy Wright, the school’s principal. “Kent exemplifies the qualities we hope to see in every Catholic school leader—faith-filled, compassionate, visionary and deeply devoted to the mission of Catholic education.”
These and glowing comments from other Catholic school leaders in central and southern Indiana led to Clady’s selection by the archdiocesan Office of Catholic Schools as Principal of the Year.
Praying together ‘is the greatest gift’
Clady began his academic career 39 years ago. He taught for 13 years then worked as a principal for three years, with both roles at public schools.
“I’m a convert to the faith,” said Clady. “So, when [he and his wife] were raising our three boys, it became evident that we wanted them to go to Catholic schools.”
Then something became more evident to him.
“I decided I always wanted to provide for students in school what I wanted my own kids to have, and now my own grandkids,” said Clady, whose granddaughter attends fourth grade at OLG. “I decided I wouldn’t want families to send their kids to a school I wouldn’t want to send my own kids to.”
So, 23 years ago, he was hired as principal of OLG. There, he has been able to do what he could not do in the public schools—pray and worship at Mass.
Clady starts each day with his own personal devotion time.
“Then every morning, we have morning prayer at 8:05, … and we have three Masses a week” for different grade groupings, he said. “That’s important to me to experience that with them.
“I feel it’s important for me to be an example for prayer and faith. …The greatest gift we can have is to pray together.”
“Under Kent’s leadership, Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic School has flourished spiritually and academically,” Wright wrote in her letter of recommendation.
During Clady’s time as principal, OLG received national recognition as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2010.
He attributes the accolades to his “amazing staff.”
“One of the things that says the most about our school as a whole is the high retention rate of our staff,” said Clady.
He noted that six personnel are OLG graduates, and several other members are graduates of Roncalli High School, which Indianapolis South Deanery elementary schools—including OLG—feed into.
“One teacher spent her whole 40-year career here,” said Clady. “That says a lot when the staff is so invested and teachers and families stick around.”
‘He puts everyone else first’
In an interview with The Criterion, Wright recalled Clady being assigned as her mentor when she became principal of Holy Name School seven years ago.
“He always brought everything back to how we treat people,” she said. “Conversations [with him] are always rooted in love and our faith and the reason we’re here every day—academics are important, but the love and relationships you have with the people in your building are the most important thing. … That’s why he does what he does—those conversations that help people grow in their faith. That’s his true passion.”
Wright admires Clady’s “servant leadership.”
“Everything he says and does just oozes that love and compassion he has for the students and teachers in his building.”
That compassion includes finding the best solution for his students—even if that means finding another school that better suits a particular child’s needs.
“On numerous occasions, he has reached out to me regarding students needing a new beginning—young people he recognized as having untapped potential,” wrote the St. Roch principal.
“Each student he has referred to us has thrived, a testament to his deep understanding of children and his unwavering belief in their capacity for growth and renewal.”
‘One of my greatest accomplishments’
Clady recently announced that he will retire at the end of this school year.
Reflecting on his career at OLG, he is struck by some “amazing transitions.”
When he became principal 23 years ago, the school served children from both Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish and SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Parish, also in Greenwood.
“We had over 500 kids,” Clady said. “It became evident that SS. Francis and Clare needed their own school.”
The new school opened in 2006, and “we helped families navigate what would be the best place for them and their children,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Hispanic population in the area also grew.
As Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish added bilingual options for Mass and the sacraments, “a large number of Hispanic families started sending kids to the school,” said Clady. “Thirty-five percent of our students are now Hispanic bilingual speakers.”
Speakers of eight other languages are also enrolled at the school, he added.
“Our diversity now is one of the best legacies I helped foster, so now it’s just who we are,” said Clady. “Allowing our families and kids to be able to share what’s alike and what’s different and to be a part of each other’s lives—that’s, I feel, one of my greatest accomplishments, that we made that work and made it feel safe and comfortable for families to make a transition to a different school.”
In retirement, Clady will still work with children. Well, just one, actually.
“Our grandson just turned 6 months, so I’ll take turns with caregiving to help his parents,” he said.
Retiring after being named Principal of the Year could be seen as leaving on top. But that is not Clady’s character.
“It’s a great honor, but also humbling, because I work with an amazing group of principals who answer the call, and I’m proud to be part of that group.” †