After receiving a degree in education, Jeb Myers M’16, M’24 looked forward to working in a classroom for his entire career. Working as a school administrator never crossed his mind.
That, however, would eventually change. Having been recruited to help found a Lasallian school on the Blackfeet Nation, a Native American Reservation in Montana, Myers looked forward to serving as a lead teacher. When the person originally picked to serve as principal never showed up, he was tapped to fill the role.
“I got the job by default,” he said.
Fast forward a number of years, Myers was named the president of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, a Catholic school known for its high-profile alumni that include numerous NFL athletes, politicians and judges, clergy members and bishops, and recent MLB Hall of Fame inductee Joe Mauer.
“When the position came up, I was blessed to be chosen by Cretin-Derham Hall to lead this school,” he said.
Myers’ draw to Catholic education began after he graduated from Saint John’s University. After spending time as a teacher in Central Minnesota, Myers joined the Lasallian Volunteers. With the Lasallian Volunteers, Myers went to Camden, New Jersey, where he helped the Lasallian Brothers start a San Miguel School. Myers taught at the school for the next four years and met his wife, Charlene. After working at San Miguel School, Myers had his first foray into administration work at the Lasallian School on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
After leaving Montana, Myers was named the assistant principal at Cristo Rey High School in Minneapolis. While at Cristo Rey, Myers felt it was time to further his education, so he enrolled in Saint Mary’s Ed.S. program. Right before he was about to finish, things changed, and he had to drop the program.
“I had one semester left of classes and then I was promoted to principal at Cristo Rey,” he said. “With all the work in front of me, I had to focus on that.”
Myers would return to Saint Mary’s to finish the degree, but once again, his plans changed. He was promoted to president at Cristo Rey High School. He didn’t finish his Ed.S. degree. But he didn’t leave Saint Mary’s, either.
“I sought out the Ed.S. program because I always thought my trajectory was to be a school principal,” he said. “But when I assumed the role of president at Cristo Rey, I realized an MBA would be better because you’re dealing with everything from finances to setting strategic goals.”
During his time at Saint Mary’s, Myers felt prepared to tackle the business-facing issues that would come across his desk as a Catholic high school president.
“In my career and in education, I tend to jump into the deep end with concrete boots,” he said. “And what Saint Mary’s does is give you the nomenclature and different ideas that bring structure to what I have learned in previous roles. So for instance, when I was interim president at a school that was under duress, the MBA gave me the vernacular that was needed to go in and provide them with a mini-strategic plan.”
Myers also said he appreciated that the professors have a firm understanding of what is happening in the workplaces of students.
“At Saint Mary’s, most of the professors are practitioners, so whether it’s the educational leadership program or the MBA, you have people who have actually worked in the field,” he said. “So whether you were talking about teacher observation or HR policies or anything like that, they were talking about things that were happening in real life in their organizations.”
Having a background with the Lasallian Volunteers, Myers said he is also grateful to have had the opportunity to learn at a Lasallian Catholic institution that takes its mission and vision seriously.
“There is so much I appreciate about the Brothers,” Myers said. “First is their focus on the vulnerable. I really appreciate that part. No matter what kind of school you are in, you will have students who are vulnerable, and you need to make sure your policies and your instruction are meeting their needs. It’s as important as meeting the needs of any other student.”
He also added, “I appreciate the Brothers’ focus on continual improvement. Even when everything goes right, they ask, ‘How could we have done this better?’”
With years of background in Catholic school and administration, Myers said he is ready to step into the role at Cretin-Derham Hall. He is also grateful for his time at Saint Mary’s and what the university does for the communities it serves.
“I appreciate Saint Mary’s. It’s been good to me. It’s been good to the students that have gone there. I’ve got a number of students who have completed their undergraduate studies there. It’s just been a good community for students to be successful,” he said.
