Principal & Pastor
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Philip V.Robey, Ph.D., Principal
Philip Robey earned his BA at The Catholic University of America and his Ph.D. in educational leadership at George Mason University, Virginia. He began his career in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1982 and, prior to coming to St. Ambrose, had served as Principal/Head in four different schools - two elementary and two secondary schools. Dr. Robey also served as a public secondary school principal and was Executive Director of the Secondary Department at the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) for three years. Since 2013, he has taught both full and part-time at Loyola University Maryland. In the summer of 2022, he was recruited by the Archdiocese of Washington to serve as Interim Principal at St. Ambrose Catholic School for what was supposed to be six weeks. He is now in his seventh month and plans to remain at the school for at least the rest of the current school year.
Dr. Robey is a product of Catholic education. He attended Holy Redeemer School, Kensington, MD, and Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. He is deeply committed to the mission of Catholic education and credits his own successes with the foundation he received from the schools he attended.
Ms. Jennifer Blaine, Assistant Principal
Ms. Jennifer Blaine earned her degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Maryland and began her teaching career at St. Michael School in 1981. In addition to her primary role as a classroom teacher, Ms. Blaine held a variety of positions at St. Michaels including Dean of Students, Acting Principal, After Care Director, and Faculty Liaison on the School Advisory Board.
In 2009, Ms. Blaine was recognized by the Archdiocese of Washington with the “Golden Apple” Award for her commitment to academic excellence and Catholic education. Ms. Blaine joined the Saint Ambrose family in 2012, after the closure of St. Michael School. A lifelong Catholic, Ms. Blaine was born in Washington, DC, and raised in New Carrollton, MD. Ms. Blaine’s first love will always be that of a classroom teacher, but she looks forward to supporting the mission of St. Ambrose School by assisting with administrative duties.
Rev. Alejandro Diaz, PastorFather Alejandro Diaz is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and was ordained on June 18, 2011. He is a native of Bogata, Columbia, and is currently serving at his fifth assignment at St. Ambrose Church and School. Fr. Diaz explains that his path to
the priesthood began when he was 12 years old. His path took a detour as he went on to study Business Administration in Columbia and worked in the banking industry for over 20 years in Bogota and Toronto. When his desire to become a priest resurfaced he thought it was too late to become a priest. A conversation with a priest in Canada opened up the possibility of being ordained in North America. This led him to Washington, DC where he was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington. Fr. Diaz took this as the will of God that he should be a diocesan priest here where he finished his studies and was joyfully ordained.
Fr. Diaz asks that we pray for him, our parish community, and our school, that we might become holy in the challenges that we face and be beacons of Christian hope to our neighbors and each other.