Patrick M. Walsh, Ph.D. | President
The Cristo Rey Dallas Board of Directors appointed Dr. Patrick Walsh the third President of Cristo Rey Dallas in April 2022. He was a member of a small team that established the foundation for the school opening in 2015, as the 29th school in the Cristo Rey Network.
Patrick Walsh co-founded The First Watch Group, as a consultant in partnership with former business leaders in the Aerospace & Defense industry who have deep experience leading P&Ls that range from Small Businesses to Original Equipment Manufacturers, focused on leadership development, business growth, and team performance in the supply chain, logistics, and large-scale program management. Prior to co-founding The First Watch Group, Pat was Vice President of The Boeing Company, (NYSE: BA), Global Services Navy-Marine Corps Services business. Prior to Boeing, Pat was the Senior Vice President/General Manager at iSIGHT Partners, a FireEye Company, (NASDAQ: FEYE), and President, Strategic Programs, Academic Partnerships, LLC.
Admiral (Ret.) Walsh was the 59th Vice Chief of Naval Operations, served as a member of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, and provided testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Seapower Subcommittee on matters related to the Readiness, Manpower, and Acquisition accounts for the Department of the Navy. He held significant leadership positions over the course of a 34-year career as a carrier-based, combat fighter pilot and former Slot Pilot for the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, to include Chairman, Department of Leadership, Ethics & Law at the U.S. Naval Academy, and command of Strike/Fighter Squadron ONE ZERO FIVE, Carrier Air Wing ONE, Carrier Strike Group SEVEN, NAVCENT/US FIFTH Fleet and finally as Commander, US Pacific Fleet, responsible for the largest naval force in the world where he led the US military response to the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and radiation triple catastrophes.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the US Naval Academy, a Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy, a Doctor of Philosophy (with Distinction) in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University, and was a White House Fellow assigned to the Executive Office of the President in the Office of Management & Budget. Pat is a Senior Advisor to Oliver Wyman, Inc., Director and Chairman of the Technology Committee for Austin Industries, an Outside Director for CAE, USA, Inc., the Chairman of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, and a Senior Fellow at Southern Methodist University.
Pat was the second student in the history of Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, Texas, to receive both the Distinguished Graduate and Distinguished Alumnus Awards. He resides in Dallas with his wife of 35 years, Andy Kaye, who is an active contributor to the non-profit community. They have 2 grown children: Jennifer is a Critical Care ICU nurse in Boston; she played on the 2012 Ursuline state championship basketball team and the College of the Holy Cross Women’s Basketball team. Matthew received the Majis Student Leadership Award, played high school basketball, and is an alumnus of Dallas Jesuit College Prep; he received his business/finance undergraduate degree from Loyola, Marymount University, and is an Investment Banking Analyst in Los Angeles.
Jason Luque | Director of Finance and HR
Jason joined Cristo Rey Dallas in 2023 and serves as the Director of Finance and HR located in the heart of Pleasant Grove. Jason holds a bachelor’s in science in Accounting from Touro University. Prior to Cristo Rey Dallas Jason worked in public and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Jason served as controller for Torah Day School of Dallas from 2019 to 2023 steering the organization toward financial success.
Prior to that Jason worked at Blackstone’s Invitation Homes, a Texas based REIT with over 80,000 single family homes throughout the United States, which is now listed on the S&P 500 (INVH). While at Invitation Homes he served as their Fixed Asset Accountant playing a key role in creating synergies during the REIT’s 2017 merger with a Starwood Waypoint valued at $11B creating the largest SFR REIT.
Regina Fonts Morris | Vice President of Advancement
With 19 years of development experience and as Vice President of Advancement, Regina brings to Cristo Rey Dallas a holistic development and marketing approach to achieving goals specific to the mission of nurturing and challenging high school women and men of all faiths to recognize and realize their full potential.
Prior to CRD, Regina was Vice President of Development at Phoenix House Texas overseeing all development and marketing initiatives. Also, she was VP of Development at ACE Scholarships where her responsibilities included launching the new nonprofit to the North Texas area. Her previous experience as Chief Development Officer at Catholic Charities Dallas included responsibilities in cultivating and expanding donor relationships and leading all marketing activities such as a rebranding campaign and ensuring the success of many fundraising events to drive revenue and brand awareness. She also worked with nonprofits like Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and Ursuline Academy of Dallas where she was instrumental in the creation of new engagement programs to expand and strengthen community relationships.
Regina graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. She has served as board member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and volunteered for many years on various committees for Ursuline Academy of Dallas.
What started as a volunteer’s passion has transitioned into a fruitful fundraising career. Her favorite aspect of working alongside individuals serving others is building collaborative communities.
Gunnar Rawlings | Vice President, Corporate Work Study Program & Strategic Initiatives
Gunnar Rawlings currently serves as Vice President of the Corporate Work Study Program & Strategic Initiatives at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep located in the heart of Pleasant Grove. He holds a Bachelor of Art in English from Boston College and a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame. From 2013-2017 Gunnar held various roles at Cristo Rey Dallas during its start up phase, including running lead on the initial feasibility and business planning for the school. He worked closely with the founding board and Cristo Rey Network to make sure Cristo Rey Dallas met the high standards set for its opening. When he left in 2017, Gunnar was serving as the Executive Director of the Corporate Work Study Program where he lead the recruitment and servicing over 100 corporate partners.
After that, he worked in the commercial construction space for five years leading business development efforts for two separate large general contractors, Suffolk and DPR Construction. He helped Suffolk establish a North Texas office in 2017 and left to join DPR in early 2020 helping guide their business planning through the COIVD-19 pandemic.
Gunnar lives with his wife, Gaby, in Old East Dallas. He serves on the board of Jubilee Park and Community Center as well as the Texas advisory board for the Trust for Public Land. Previously, Gunnar worked with neighborhood advocates to get Crockett Dog Park built in their neighborhood. Currently, he is the Dallas District 2 appointee on the Community Bond Task Force for the anticipated $1.1 Billion 2024 bond election.
Dr. Nivea L. Torres | Principal | Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Nivea Lisandra Torres is a dedicated and passionate educator who has taught students at all grade levels in Puerto Rico and Connecticut for over 24 years. Her accomplishments range from achievements at the classroom, school, and state-wide level.
Dr. Torres has served as principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent of schools in Connecticut. As a school leader, Dr. Torres brings firsthand knowledge of the challenges and realities of delivering
quality classroom instruction to all students and leading schools to success.
Dr. Torres has also served as adjunct professor of curriculum at the University of Connecticut’s NEAG School of Education where she taught for over six years.
She most recently served as the Executive Director of the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative in Vero Beach, Florida. In this capacity, she launched a nationally funded family engagement model to support early childhood education, secured sustainable funding from local and national donors, and created a streamlined process that allowed for closer integration of services to local families.
Dr. Torres holds a B.A. in Foreign Service and International Politics from the Pennsylvania State University, an M.Ed. in English as a Second Language from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut.
On her appointment as the new principal of Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep, Dr. Torres says, “I am humbled and honored to be part of the Cristo Rey Dallas community. I look forward to working with such a talented team who is focused on empowering students to be college and career ready while growing their spiritual faith.” “As principal, I am committed to working collaboratively with parents, students, and faculty, to continue moving Cristo Rey Dallas into even more success.”