In recognition of his dedication, support and commitment to excellence in Catholic education, Lawrence Callahan, president of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex, was awarded the 2020 “Lead, Learn, Proclaim” award from the National Catholic Educational Association.
Callahan was selected from more than 150,000 teachers and administrators, as well as diocesan leaders and organizations dedicated to the nation’s Catholic schools, according to a news release from the NCEA.
According to the NCEA, the award honors those Catholic educators who have demonstrated a strong Catholic educational philosophy as well as exceptional efforts, devotion and achievements.
“Just as the Catholic Church is the people and not the buildings, so are Catholic schools not just buildings, but communities of educators and students bound by faith,” said Kathy Mears, NCEA Interim President/CEO. “The LLP Award is to recognize those individuals and organizations whose dedication, faith, knowledge and skills fulfill the mission of Catholic education.”
Callahan has served as president of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which educates children in pre-school through high school, since 2016. Last year, he was recognized by the Archdiocese of Baltimore with the Doris Musil Award, the highest honor presented to educators in the archdiocese. At that time, Archbishop William E. Lori credited Callahan with getting the school “operating on all cylinders,” stabilizing enrollment and strengthening its financial position.
Callahan previously served as superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Washington for 10 years and superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for 13 years. In Baltimore, Callahan also worked as Director of Secondary Education (9 years) and Director of Physical Education (6 years). Before being tapped by Archbishop Lori to serve as president of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Callahan was a member of Mount Carmel’s school board.
“Working side by side with colleagues committed to the Catholic faith and to the education and success of young people has been the most rewarding part of my career in Catholic education,” Callahan said in a written statement.
Callahan, a parish corporator at St. Agnes in Catonsville and St. William of York in Baltimore, holds degrees from the University of the District of Columbia and the University of Maryland, with additional graduate studies at Loyola University Maryland, where he served as an adjunct professor.
He is a founder and managing partner at Education Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm that focuses on strategic planning, leadership and board development, school marketing and administrator search and selection.
Callahan has served on myriad boards and advisory committees both inside and outside of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. These include the National Association of Boards of Education Committee (6 years), the Board of Trustees for the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3 years), the NCEA Department of Boards and Councils, the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education Executive Committee (6 years), the Maryland Governor’s Executive Advisory Council (4 years), the Maryland Catholic Conference Education Committee (11 years) and the State of Maryland Physical Fitness Commission (6 years). He has also been a site visitor for the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program (5 years).
Callahan and his wife, Gail, have five children and 13 grandchildren.
The 2020 NCEA Convention and Expo, which was scheduled to take place in Baltimore this month, was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
