St. Matthew School announced today that Tim Forbes, Dean of Student Life and Campus Ministry at Father Ryan High School, will be the school’s new principal beginning June 1 of this year, according to Father Mark Beckman, pastor.
Forbes becomes only the second principal at St. Matthew School, replacing long-time founding principal Barby Magness, who has served there since 2001.
In announcing the appointment, Fr. Beckman said the decision came after a thorough search process involving more than a dozen candidates and with the strong recommendation of the Search Committee. He praised Forbes’ achievements and pointed to his long-time work in Catholic education as a particularly compelling reason for the decision.
“We are fortunate to have a person as principal who is so familiar with our community, so familiar with our mission and so committed to Catholic education,” Fr. Beckman said. “His work at Father Ryan over the last nine years has provided him opportunities for leadership and educational development that will benefit our students and faculty. We are excited to have an educator with such an exceptional combination of experience and ideas to lead our school.”
Forbes has been at Father Ryan High School for the past nine years. As a member of the school’s senior administrative team, he has been involved in the decisions and directions for the school in all areas, including academics, athletics, and student life. During his tenure there, Forbes has helped expand Father Ryan’s ministry and service initiatives, including the Alternative Spring Break mission trips, the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and new programs in social justice.
“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity,” Forbes said. “This school is a familiar and special place for me and my family, filled with exceptional teachers and students who are doing wonderful things in this community. I appreciate the confidence that the parish has placed in me, and I thank Barby for all she has done to make this school one of the finest in this area. I look forward to working with the faculty and staff to continue the mission of educating these students that Barby has so well established.”
Forbes’s family is a founding family of St. Matthew Church, and he and wife, Ann, and their family have been part of the parish since 2006. He is a product of Catholic education, graduating from St. Henry in 1989. After graduating from Father Ryan in 1993, he attended Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He went on to earn his graduate degree from Loyola University and later completed 18 hours of graduate work toward his Master in the Art of Teaching from The Citadel. In 2004, while working in the Diocese of Charleston, Forbes received the Light of Christ Award, the highest honor for any person within the diocese.
Magness will complete her 15th year at St. Matthew School this spring. “Mrs. Magness leaves a powerful legacy,” Fr. Beckman said, “one that will be present in the lives of so many young men and women of this school. We are grateful for the dedication and love with which she led this school, and we are confident that Tim will build upon her good work, furthering the strong foundation of academic success and strong Catholic identity that exemplify St. Matthew.”
St. Matthew Catholic School is a diocesan school that educates more than 420 boys and girls at its campus on Sneed Road in Franklin.
More information is available at www.churchofstmatthew.org
