Leadership

Father Jon Chalmers was appointed President of John Carroll Catholic High School on November 9, 2022. 

Fr. Jon grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA; finished high school in New Jersey; and started college in Chicago.  A series of wildly improbable events brought him to Alabama for what he thought would be a brief visit.  Now thirty years later, he has found a welcoming home and several vocations in Alabama.  He finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama and then worked with the University for another 12 years, finally as Director of the Program for Rural Services and Research where he worked with communities throughout the state in public education, economic development, arts, and community health.  Along the way, he did a Masters in Education at Harvard University and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Prior to his appointment at John Carroll, he was President of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham from 2015 to 2021 and Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Gate City, a neighborhood of Birmingham. He has also worked in Catholic healthcare in the areas of mission leadership, formation, spiritual care, and bioethics.

Fr. Jon has a passion for old roads, old houses, local history, and wilderness trails.  He also has particular interest in how the past informs the future, the conversation between nature and culture, and redemptive responses to social challenges.  He is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Birmingham. 

Fr. Jon is Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover, Alabama.

Ronald Steele was named Principal on June 22, 2023.  He is the 16th Principal in the history of the school.  

Mr. Steele is a 2004 graduate of John Carroll and served as the school's Athletic Director from 2017-2025.  He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Marymount University.  

As Athletic Director, Mr. Steele enhanced program quality and engagement by implementing vital initiatives centered on holistic education, virtue development, and fostering relationships with Catholic partner schools. In his role as Principal, he spearheads collaborations with Cavalier families—our first-class faculty and staff—along with our diocesan Catholic partner schools, all while managing the academic enterprise of the institution. Beyond his administrative duties, Mr. Steele also leads the boys basketball program.

During his time as a student at John Carroll Mr. Steele led the Cavalier basketball team to back-to-back AHSAA State Championships (2003 and 2004) and was named Alabama's Mr. Basketball his junior and senior years.  He was the first player to be selected for the honor as a junior.  

Mr. Steele continued his basketball career at the University of Alabama where he graduated in 3.5 years, was a National All-American (2005 and 2006), was All-SEC First Team (2006), and an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  Following graduation Mr. Steele played professionally for 6 years in Israel, Turkey, and Italy.