Meet our Team
Executive Director, Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Education (ILEE)
Executive Vice President, Amerigo Education President, Catholic Virtual
Rob is the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Education (ILEE) – a professional community for Catholic school leaders. Rob is one of the founders and Executive Vice President of Amerigo Education where he oversees all school partnerships. Rob is also the President of Catholic Virtual – the nation’s leading online learning solutions organization partnering with Catholic schools to create their online strategy. Finally, Rob co-hosts the podcast The Next Class 2.0 focused on innovation in education.
Prior to his current roles, Rob was the co-founder and a past Board Member of the Drexel Fund – a venture philanthropy fund focused on making grants to private schools serving low-income students. Prior to the Drexel Fund, Rob was the first CEO of the Accelerate Institute which develops urban school leaders at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Earlier in his career, Rob was the first CEO of the Cristo Rey Network where he oversaw the launch of 12 new Cristo Rey high schools during his tenure. He began his career as an English teacher at Loyola High School (Los Angeles) and Marquette University High School.
Rob is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a Fellow of the Aspen Institute. He is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and received his MBA from the Lubar School at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Rob has taught courses in graduate education at DePaul University. He currently serves on the Board of the Cristo Rey Institute (a public juridic person serving as the canonical sponsor of two Cristo Rey schools) and Lincoln University in Oakland, California (an over 100-year-old private university serving a globally diverse set of students).
A proud product of Catholic education, Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Portland and two master’s degrees in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. Because of his experience, he is passionate about providing access to quality Catholic education for all families and empowering students to reach their God-given potential.
Patrick’s commitment to Catholic education extends beyond his school community. He currently serves on the boards for the Gonzaga Prep Foundation and Shirts Across America. He was a Regent at the University of Portland and recently served on the feasibility committee for the new Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Seattle. Patrick lives in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle with his wife, Ann, and their three children, Helen, Jack, and Joe. When he’s not driving his kids to and from their many engagements, he enjoys playing golf, biking, skiing, and reading. Patrick looks forward to connecting with fellow Catholic school leaders and contributing to transformative conversations at the Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Education (ILEE).
In reflecting upon his time as a school head, Kent is most grateful for how much the teams he led tried to keep mission as top priority, especially when it was difficult to do so. Always a theology teacher at heart, he is also thankful that he never left the classroom during those years.
Kent is the author of “40 Days with God,” published by Paraclete Press, is a historical interpreter at Appomattox National Park and helps plan and lead seminars as the Director of Leadership Formation at ILEE (Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Education). Kent and his spouse, Dr. Theresa Hickey, reside in Gig Harbor, Wa. and are the proud parents of three twenty-something children.