Detroit — Brian Dougherty, Ph.D., has resigned as superintendent of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Catholic schools, and associate superintendent Melissa Lipsmeier has been named interim superintendent.

Fr. Stephen Pullis, director of the archdiocesan Department of Evangelization, Catechesis and Schools made the announcement Aug. 17.

Dougherty, who had served the archdiocese as superintendent since 2012, resigned in order to spend more time with family and to pursue other professional opportunities, Fr. Pullis said, adding he is grateful for Dougherty’s “dedicated service” to the Office of Catholic Schools.

While a national search will be conducted to find Dougherty’s successor, Lipsmeier, associate superintendent of the archdiocese’s Northeast Region, will serve as interim superintendent.



“Melissa has served faithfully in the Office of Catholic Schools for four years and I am confident that she will serve very well in this capacity,” Fr. Pullis said in a memo to archdiocesan principals.

Lipsmeier will continue to serve the Northeast Region, Fr. Pullis added.

In addition to Lipsmeier, James Abercrombie serves as associate superintendent of the archdiocese’s South Region, while Karen White, Ph.D., serves the Central Region. The Northwest Region is overseen jointly by the three.

There are 89 Catholic schools in the six-county Archdiocese of Detroit, including 25 high schools and 64 grade schools educating more than 29,000 students.