CLHSA Assistant Superintendent Joe Gray to Retire After Coming School Year
CLHSA Assistant Superintendent Joe Gray to Retire After Coming School Year
The 2026–2027 school year will mark Mr. Gray’s final year of service before beginning a well-earned retirement.
Mr. Gray has faithfully served the CLHSA as Assistant Superintendent for 18 years. Throughout his tenure, his leadership and dedication have had an immeasurable impact on our association, our schools, and the thousands of students and families who have been part of the Lutheran East and Lutheran West communities.
In his day-to-day role, Joe provided leadership and direction for the admissions and enrollment efforts at both Lutheran East and Lutheran West. During his years with the CLHSA, enrollment across our schools increased by 200%, reflecting his commitment to making Christian education accessible to more families. Joe’s efforts were pivotal in Lutheran East’s turnaround. In his first year, Lutheran East had a total of 135 students. When Lutheran East opens for the 2026-2027 school year, it will have more than 460 students.
Beyond enrollment, Joe worked closely with the CLHSA’s Advancement Departments—including Alumni Relations, Development, and Marketing & Communications—to strengthen alumni engagement and advance initiatives that enriched our school communities while supporting their long-term financial stability. He was a familiar face at countless CLHSA and school events, serving as both a dedicated planner and enthusiastic participant. From golf outings, auctions, reunions, and alumni gatherings to athletic competitions, fine arts performances, capital campaign events, donor meetings, and board meetings, Joe’s leadership and service have touched nearly every aspect of our organization. Joe’s work with the school community and its supporters helped to transform both campuses through fundraising initiatives as well as Lutheran East’s Faith & Future campaign and Lutheran West’s Forward in Faith campaign.
Anyone who has had the opportunity to work alongside Joe has witnessed his unwavering commitment to the mission of the CLHSA. His deep belief in the value of Christian education has guided his work each day and has helped ensure that a Lutheran East or Lutheran West education remains both available and attainable for current and future generations of students. Over the past two years, much of Joe’s time has been spent increasing support for tuition assistance at each school so that students from all backgrounds can afford the blessing of a Christian education.
The CLHSA has also been blessed by the support of Joe’s wife, Regina, who generously volunteered her time and talents at numerous school events and activities throughout the years. Together, they have been faithful ambassadors for our schools and our mission.
Joe and Regina are parents of Lutheran West graduates Joey (Class of 2004) and Maria (Class of 2009), and are now the proud grandparents of 4 grandchildren who live in the Chicago area. In retirement, they look forward to spending more time with their family, traveling, and enjoying this exciting new season of life.
The Cleveland Lutheran High School Association extends its deepest gratitude to Joe and Regina for their years of faithful service and dedication. We wish the Gray family God’s richest blessings in retirement and look forward to seeing all that He has in store for them in this next chapter.
The CLHSA has a succession plan in place for this important role, and will be announcing Joe’s replacement shortly.