8/12/2019 Press Release From Notre Dame

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Contact: Debbie Benz, Assistant to the President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETelephone: 309-691-6705 (office) February 27, 2014Email: d.benz@pndhs.org

Peoria Notre Dame High School Principal Charlie Roy Accepts Position as President and Principalof Villanova Preparatory high school in Ojai, California;

Mr. Randy Simmons to act as interim principal.

The Peoria Notre Dame community was informed that Principal Charlie Roy has accepted a new position outside ofPeoria Notre Dame High School. Principal Roy will assume a leadership role as the President at VillanovaPreparatory Catholic High School in Ojai, California, an Augustinian High School. In his new position, Mr. Roy willhave administrative and academic responsibilities for the school that has over 300 students and 30 faculty.

"This new job presents Mr. Roy with a unique opportunity to lead a Catholic high school and to build on the legacyand work he has done in Peoria. Mr. Roy has been innovative and effective in his approach to education at thesecondary level. We will miss him and will pray for Charlie and his family to have a safe and smooth transition toCalifornia. We wish him success and happiness in this new and exciting venture." said Msgr. Mark Merdian, thePresident of Peoria Notre Dame High School.

Peoria Notre Dame is happy to announce that the current Assistant Principal, Mr. Randy Simmons, will act as interimprincipal throughout the remainder of the school year. Mr. Simmons assumes this role with over 34 years of teachingand administrative experience. He is a retired principal from Peoria School District 150.

For the past seven years it has been my pleasure to serve as your principal. Whatever you have learned from meplease know Ive learned more from you. This new position Ive accepted, is a unique professional and personalopportunity for me, and while I was not looking to leave Peoria Notre Dame or Peoria, in the end, I felt like I could notpass this up. Mr. Randy Simmons will fill in for me as interim principal through the reminder of the year. This will giveme time to transition to my new position. Mr. Simmons and I have been friends and colleagues for the last ten yearsand you are in very capable hands. Roy said.

Mr. Simmons is a parishioner at St. Philomena Catholic parish in Peoria and is a proud parent of three Peoria NotreDame High School graduates, Nate 2003, Kate 2006, and Sarah 2010.

I have been delighted and privileged to be a part of the Peoria Notre Dame administrative team and am honored toserve the school and our Catholic community. Simmons said.

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