Life was going great for Joe McLaughlin. The New York native worked as an executive for a prestigious high-tech company on Park Avenue, right across from the World Trade Center. Then everything changed on 9/11.
“I was on my way in, on the train, and right before we went into the tunnel to get to Penn Station, somebody said, ‘Look at that plane, it’s heading toward the World Trade Center,’” McLaughlin remembered. “I experienced it up close and personal. I lost a lot of friends. I lost colleagues.”
“I remember wandering through the streets of Manhattan on the night of 9/11 thinking, ‘Is this what God wants me to do?,’” he said. McLaughlin, the new assistant superintendent of schools for Catholic identity, enrollment and marketing in the diocese, gained perspective that night. “It’s one thing to have success, hit forecast numbers and deliver value to shareholders, but it’s another thing to actually be walking in Our Lord’s will on a daily basis,” he said. “I kept praying and that opened the door to consider Catholic education as a vocation.”
Soon, McLaughlin was commuting from New York to Richmond on weekends to earn his teaching certificate, before landing his first job in rural central Virginia’s Amelia County High School.
“I fell in love with Virginia and loved every minute of it,” he said. “I was able to share my experiences in the business world with these kids. The kids were wonderful. They did great things.”
But McLaughlin yearned to be a Catholic educator. He became assistant principal at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School in Woodbridge (2008-09), principal at Holy Family School in Dale City (2009-12) and assistant principal and principal of St. Timothy School in Chantilly (2012-18).
He sees no conflict in having homeschooled his seven children. “Being a homeschooling parent, being a teacher, and eventually becoming a principal, I know that each child deserves an individualized approach to academic excellence, social development and faith formation,” he said. “Parents are the primary educators, and you need to have that intimate partnership with them.”
Promoting Catholic identity, enrollment and marketing all work together according to McLaughlin, who most recently worked as director of development for Catholic technology service provider Manus Dei. “All those things are near and dear to my heart,” he said. “Catholic identity helps drive enrollment and marketing is a by-product of those things.”
“We are very excited that Joe McLaughlin is returning to a leadership role in Catholic education in our diocese,” said Joe Vorbach, diocesan superintendent of schools. “Joe’s faithful witness, natural leadership instincts and demonstrated ability in developing sound enrollment and marketing strategies make him a very strong addition to our team.”
McLaughlin also received praise from David Conroy Jr., principal of All Saints Catholic School in Manassas. “With his extensive educational experience and business acumen, Joe will be a wonderful asset to our diocese,” said Conroy. “With his strong commitment to the mission, rooted in his deep personal faith and genuine desire to serve others, he will be a tremendous resource for school leaders.”
McLaughlin describes his career and new job with the enthusiasm of a high school football coach giving a halftime pep talk. “I am so excited and one of the reasons that I am coming back is that this diocese is wonderful,” he said. “This is a dream job for me.”
