RIS is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. James O’Malley as Head of School, effective July 1, 2022. With RIS since 2018 as the High School Principal, Dr. Jim has been simultaneously serving as an Interim Head of School since 2020. His official promotion to Head of School was unanimously approved by the School Board during a September meeting.
“Dr. Jim truly understands the school’s vision and mission and has worked tirelessly to uphold our goals and principles,” wrote School Director Rev. Fr. Jittapol Plangklang, C.Ss.R., in an official announcement. “He has worked even harder in the past school year to navigate RIS through the global pandemic while assuring the safety and well-being of the community and the quality of the education we provide.”
Dr. Jim is a passionate and dedicated educator with extensive experience of an international school environment. He completed his B.A. in Physical Education at Florida State University and earned his M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. He later received his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy and earned a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation from Florida State University.
Dr. Jim took the lead during a November 2020 WASC visit, which resulted in RIS’ six-year reaccreditation status, the highest level awarded by the WASC Accrediting Commission for Schools. In 2021, he helped usher in a slew of exciting new faculty members during a challenging time of campus closures.
“Dr. Jim’s leadership qualities are evident in his open-mindedness, flexibility, collaboration, crisis-management skills, communication, accountability, positivity, and genuineness,” Rev. Fr. Jittapol continued in his letter. “He openly welcomes feedback and makes time to listen attentively to the concerns of students, parents, faculty, and staff.
“He undoubtedly serves RIS with great heart and great intent for the benefit of all, making RIS one of the best places to learn and grow holistically in the country. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated leader like Dr. Jim, a warm-hearted colleague and friend.”
