George Valadie

Life is nuts, isn’t it? Wonderful for sure but insane, crazy and chaotic – muddled messes coming at us from every direction. Most are silly, some are serious but they always seem to involve the people we know and love. So it’s the finding of some perspective that’s needed to get us through.

For twenty-five years, in addition to his full-time vocation as teacher and school administrator, George Valadie has written a newspaper column about the people, places and pursuits that have given shape to his life – focusing on schools and kids, teachers and families, friends and faith and trying to be better.

Contributing to publications in the dioceses in which he has served, his essays, stories and search for perspective range from the humorous and heartbreaking to the poignant and personal. In addition to his viewpoints on the stuff of life that comes our way, he shares experiences and reflections from his lengthy career in education, forty-six years as a husband, forty-five as a dad and thirteen as a grandfather (the best role of all.)

Now retired, he currently enjoys ubering the kids, taking up golf for the fifth time and most especially the invitations to offer inspiration and insight as a speaker for teachers and staffs, having been invited to schools and systems from the Gulf Coast to the northeast United States.

Beginning immediately following his college graduation, he recently completed a forty-six year vocation educating young people. Forty-four of those years were dedicated to Catholic schools, thirty-one as head of school.

He has been honored with “Distinguished Alumnus” and “Service to School” awards at his high school alma mater where he currently holds the title of President Emeritus.

In addition, he earned a B.A. degree in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Administration from the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Chattanooga, TN, have three daughters, three sons-in-law (who at times deserve “favorite child” honors) and five grandchildren with a sixth to arrive in the near future.

You can read his recent columns at the East Tennessee Catholic website where he continues to contribute.

Previous speaking engagements include:

- keynote addresses for teacher professional development days in the Dioceses of Knoxville, TN; Tyler, TX; and Birmingham, AL.

- faculty retreats at Overbrook School (Nashville); Vicksburg Catholic School (Vicksburg, MS); Monte Cassino Catholic School (Tulsa, OK); All Saints School (Norwalk, CT); Knoxville Catholic HS, St. Joseph School, St. John Neumann School (Knoxville, TN); St. Michael HS (Fairhope, AL); and Saint Paul VI HS (Chantilly, VA).

- principal retreat at Diocese of Wichita (KS).