Former school principal appointed Interim Head of Catholic Institute

Former Principal of Dunedin�s Kavanagh College, Paul Ferris, has been appointed Interim Head of the Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand. He will fill this position until a permanent Principal is in place, most likely early next year.

Mr Ferris will begin in July and will work closely with the Institute Council. He will be working for all the bishops to bring together the various parts of the Institute, including the National Centre for Religious Studies and The Nathaniel Centre. The appointment of an Interim Head will allow a number of establishment matters to progress while the Council undertakes a thorough search for a permanent Principal. Mr Ferris will be working from Wellington, but will travel around the country as part of the role.

Mr Ferris has held a number of positions on bodies in the education sector. He has strong skills in translating vision into action, and in building teams. He holds a Commissioner�s Licence for the Ministry of Education, and has experience on various NZQA boards and panels. He also has experience in establishing video conferencing networks to deliver education to students. Currently, Mr Ferris is engaged in Catholic Character reviews in the Dunedin and Wellington dioceses.

The bishops, who are the current employers of staff involved, have said there will be no change at this time in the employment situation of those working in tertiary or adult education in dioceses. These people will remain employees of the diocese, with the same lines of accountability, until decisions are made as part of the transition process.