MERRILLVILLE – “Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (Matthew 19:14) Those words hold a special meaning for Jodi McLawhorn, the new assistant superintendent for the Diocese of Gary Schools.
“We will do that, bring (the children) all to us, as He brought all kinds of people together,” McLawhorn said about the diversity of the diocese’s student population. In some schools, fueled by Indiana Choice Scholarship Program funding, Catholics are in the minority, and McLawhorn sees that as an opportunity.
“This is a great opportunity to be disciples,” explained McLawhorn, who began her career in public schools and moved into parochial education 30 years ago to be able to share her faith with her students. “It’s about bringing people into our faith, bringing them into that ethos and social justice teaching.
“The more you can share your faith with others, the better,” she added.
Starting with the Diocese of Gary on Sept. 30, McLawhorn easily crossed the border from the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools, where she spent the past two years as director of Leadership Formation, working with school principals to develop leadership skills.
“I want to be part of the solution, and in a diocese of 20 schools, rather than 150, I can have a greater impact on day-to-day, growing Catholic education,” she explained of her move.
McLawhorn attended St. Gall School in Chicago and Maria High School on the city’s southwest side, where her talent as a flutist shined in the school band, before starting her college career at DePaul University before transferring after two years to VanderCook College of Music, also in Chicago, to earn a bachelor’s degree in music education.
She began her teaching career as a public school music teacher at Spohn Middle School in Hammond, but soon switched to parochial education. “It bothered me that I couldn’t talk about my faith with the children, and Christmas and Easter just came and went,” she said. “It was just too difficult with my Catholic upbringing.”
Having worked after school with the band at all-boys St. Rita High School in Chicago for a couple of years, she began a 17-year tenure at St. Rita as a music teacher, Humanities Department chairwoman, director of the International Exchange Program, and director of Student Activities.
“What I liked about teaching music is the joyfulness. The kids were always so happy to sing and dance in my classroom,” she recalled.
Moving on to another Catholic high school, Regina Dominican, as director of its leadership institute, where she worked to enhance leadership capabilities in young women. Next, she became principal at St. Albert the Great School in Burbank, Ill. for eight years, where she spearheaded efforts to grow student enrollment, raise test scores, and foster community engagement.
In her most recent role with the Archdiocese of Chicago, she secured a grant from the CME Foundation to develop leadership programs grounded in the best practices of Catholic school leadership, and designed the Rising Leaders and Aspiring Principals programs to empower teachers and administrators, preparing future school leaders for success.
Additionally, she played a key role in collaboratively developing several initiatives, including the Four Pillars of Catholic School Leadership, the ABCs of Catholic School Leadership, and Root Beliefs for the Office of Catholic Schools. She also redefined the New Leaders program, led workshops for school leadership teams, and established a national organization for diocesan-level leaders in leadership formation.
Along the way, she earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration at Concordia University in Chicago.
“I took some years off to start my family of three children, but I continued part-time at St. Rita,” said McLawhorn, who lives in Oak Lawn, Ill. with her husband Mark McLawhorn and their rescue dog Rosko, while finishing her doctorate in Innovative Educational Administration through Purdue University Global’s online program. With a May 2025 goal, her doctoral dissertation is titled “Transformational Leadership Habits That Influence Catholic School Culture.”
Her children are Candice, a business manager in Crestwood, Ill., Jonathan a freelance stage director in New Jersey, and Daniel, a senior majoring in theater at University of Illinois Chicago.
“I am excited that Jodi McLawhorn has decided to join our Diocese of Gary schools team. Her depth of experience in leadership development and Catholic school leadership at the elementary and secondary level will be a great asset to our schools,” commented Dr. Colleen Brewer, superintendent of Catholic schools. “Jodi is a woman of deep faith and commitment to Catholic education who will help our schools fulfill their mission to provide academic excellence inspired by faith in action.”
In her private life, McLawhorn still enjoys playing the flute, performing with the Moraine Valley Community College Flute Choir and the West Suburban Flute Orchestra, and traveling across the country in her RV.
During her first year in a new position, McLawhorn’s philosophy is to “Listen – to principals and teachers – hear and plan. I’m visiting all the schools and I’m so impressed with all the land they have, land for gyms, cafeterias and playgrounds, unlike Chicago schools. I see so much opportunity here.”
Opportunity is also the keyword in the $150M donation recently received from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation in Merrillville through Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana.
“It sets a really great precedent for people to think about how they can support Catholic schools,” said McLawhorn. “It’s brave to be the first (to make such a large commitment) and set the stage for others. With the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, there is an opportunity for growth in our schools, and the Diocese of Gary could be a model for how to effectively grow Catholic schools and focus on students becoming disciples of Christ.”
Caption: Jodi McLawhorn is the new assistant schools superindent for the Diocese of Gary Schools, arriving with 30 years of experience in Catholic education in elementary and high schools. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)