Jack V. Nelson

St. George Catholic School
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
jack.nelson@sgschoolbr.org

Colleagues liken Jack Nelson’s leadership to the roots of the oak tree that symbolizes St. George Catholic School, where he currently serves as principal. Providing nourishment and strength to students, teachers, and spiritual community, Nelson’s focus over his seven-year tenure has been on maximizing curriculum and expanding early childhood and special education resources for the 1,178 students he serves. Driven by a commitment to ensure all students have a strong foundation for academic, spiritual, and social success, Nelson launched a new Pre-K program at St. George’s, culminating almost a decade of planning that engaged around 2,500 stakeholders as donors. The program opened in a brand new building at full capacity of 110 students, supported by Nelson’s leadership in staffing and implementation. In 2015, he collaborated with the Diocese of Baton Rouge to open a dyslexia/academic support lab to facilitate early pull-out interventions for students diagnosed with dyslexia and other moderate learning disabilities; the lab serves 21 students in grades 1-8, working closely with classroom teachers to align skill-based education with their general studies. St. George’s was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2016. Prior to taking on his current role, Nelson served as a principal of private Catholic schools in the Pacific Northwest for 12 years. He holds an M.Ed. from City University and a B.A. from Eastern Washington University.