Photo courtesy of Brophy Prep.

By Renzo Moran ’24

THE ROUNDUP

Former Principal Mr. Bob Ryan was sworn in as the twelfth President of Brophy at the Mass of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Sean Carroll, S.J. on Aug. 18. Following Mr. Ryan’s swearing in, Mr. Jim Bopp was promoted to Principal. 

In Oct. 2021, Mr. Ryan was indicated by the board of trustees that Former President Mrs. Adria Renke informed them of her resignation, and that they had wanted him to consider the position. The announcement was made public in Nov. of 2021, along with the announcement of Mrs. Adria Renke’s retirement.

“I am pleased to tell you that yesterday, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously in support of our Principal, Bob Ryan, to succeed Adria on July 1, 2023, and lead Brophy College Preparatory as its next President,” said Tom Palmer, Chair of the board of trustees, in the form of a press release. 

With a new President heading Brophy, the next step was to look for a Principal. “I began a conversation with Mr. [Jim] Bopp in the fall of that year…we both decided it would be a great fit for the school,” said Mr. Ryan.

Some ideas Mr. Ryan has for Brophy is to emphasize an excellent high school experience, how to engage alumni and parents and expand on the Jesuit mission within Phoenix. 

When asked about what would be the motto for his presidency, Mr. Ryan said, “Who we are is God’s gift to us, and who we become is our gift to God…my job is to think about how we can best make use of the gifts and talents and resources that we have here, and return those in loving service.”

Mr. Ryan has served at Brophy for 16 years as Principal teaching classes such as math and theology. In 2011, Mr. Ryan, along with others, launched the Loyola Project, a middle school on campus for those with academic promise without the worry of finances. As of July 2023, Mr. Ryan has been operating under the role of President.