New superintendent for Utah Catholic Schools/ Nikki Ward brings decades of experience

Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY—Nikki Ward, the new superintendent for Utah Catholic Schools, brings over 20 years of experience to the role. A Utah native and graduate of Judge Memorial Catholic High School, Ward holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Administration and Curriculum from Gonzaga University.

Prior to her work with Utah Catholic Schools, Ward taught at a Catholic school in Spokane, Wash., and then worked part-time as a Title I reading teacher in the Jordan School District. The opportunity to return to Catholic education arose when her sister, Rhea Gray-Eggert, was hired as a counselor at the new Skaggs Catholic Center, which was getting ready to open at the time.

“When she called and told me that she had been hired at Juan Diego, I just felt the Holy Spirit, and I just knew that I needed to go back into Catholic education,” Ward said.

Ward initially applied to be a second-grade teacher at Saint John the Baptist Elementary but was offered the assistant principal position by Sister Karla McKinnie, CSC who was the school’s founding principal. Ward accepted and played a key role in the school’s opening from 1999 to 2002. She recalled the challenge of getting the school ready and obtaining the building permit in time.

“By the grace of God, we received that building permit just a couple days before school started,” she said. “And it was absolutely overwhelming and amazing to see the number of students who arrived and really to see the diversity in the faculty and staff.”

In January 2003, Ward became the principal of Saint John the Baptist Middle School, a position she held until June 2009.

“I just saw it as a tremendous opportunity, and with the support of the diocese and Sister Genevra [Rolf] and Sister Cathy [Kamphaus], I really gave the whole new middle school a different look,” she said.

Holy Cross Sisters Rolf and Kamphaus were then the schools superintendent and assistant schools superintendent, respectively.

During her tenure at SJB, Ward transformed the school from a traditional elementary model into a middle school structure by incorporating a departmentalized schedule, an electives program and a student advisory system. In 2009, she returned to Saint John the Baptist Elementary as principal, a role she served for 13 years.

“I thought it was time for me to move on and hand over the rein to somebody else,” she said. “I had learned through college in my first few years of teaching that elementary school was really my true love.”

For her last two years at the elementary school, Ward also served as the associate superintendent. 

“I loved being associate superintendent because my focuses were primarily mission and Catholic identity and academic excellence,” she said.

When Utah Catholic Schools Superintendent Mark Longe announced his retirement, Ward felt her new role was the right fit. 

“I love a challenge, and I love being collaborative and bringing people together, and I just felt like it was a great opportunity for me,” she said.

Ward has set three key priorities for Utah Catholic Schools: a focus on strong faith formation, strengthening the relationship between parishes and schools, and leveraging the support of diocesan directors to strengthen the relationship between the diocese and schools.

Ward and her husband are parishioners at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Their two children, Christopher and Katie, attended school at the Skaggs Catholic Center and graduated from Catholic universities.