A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND IMPACT

Krista Gallagher, the president of Regina Dominican High School, is inspiring young women through a leadership style that blends confidence and attentiveness.

A conversation with Krista Gallagher is akin to getting a B12 shot while attending a personal empowerment seminar. One finishes the conversation feeling calm, centered, and ready to conquer the world. Attending Regina Dominican under her leadership must feel like an accelerator to the moon, the CEO suite, or wherever a student dreams her life will lead. “Girls’ schools create leaders. The students don’t feel a ceiling within our walls. There’s nothing they can’t do here,” Gallagher says.

The afternoon we spoke, Gallagher was finishing up a week that included a successful Black & White Gala attended by alumni, parents, and supporters of the school, the acceptance of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Award from JB Pritzker, and hosting Norah O’Donnell, chief anchor of CBS Evening News and author of We the Women, for an evening celebrating the stories of extraordinary women who helped shape America. CBS Chicago anchor Marie Saavedra, who is a 2002 graduate of Regina Dominican, moderated the inspiring conversation with O’Donnell.

“It was a phenomenal event for all who attended,” Gallagher recalls of the Norah O’Donnell appearance, adding, “It drew the perfect mix of alumnae, business leaders, and community leaders.”

Before coming to Regina Dominican, Gallagher led marketing and communications for J.P. Morgan’s global bank, setting and executing strategy with grace and gravitas. Her daughter’s diabetes diagnosis led her to leave that position and refocus her talents on caring for her three children and advocacy work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (now known as Breakthrough T1D), while also lecturing at Northwestern University.

Seeking a values-based leadership role, Gallagher was pointed to Regina Dominican by colleagues and friends. Her children also played a role. “My kids taught me that teenagers are amazing!” She took the president role in June 2024. “I spent the first year listening,” she explains. Those listening sessions and her keen observation skills revealed the incredible individuals inside a student population drawn from 67 different zip codes.

Wherever the students commute from, Gallagher is there to greet them when they arrive on campus. “Every student is known by name here. We are aware of her strengths and encourage her dreams.” This hands-on president notices moods and the subtle shifts in demeanor that can indicate if a student needs a little extra care or a quick smile. “When I notice one of the girls having a streak of cranky mornings, I’ll ask myself, ‘How do I build her confidence back up?’ I want each student to know that I care about her,” she notes.

President Gallagher is not the only one paying attention. Each staff member and student is tuned into the community. “They are all incredibly supportive of one another. It’s inspiring to watch,” Gallagher says. Students themselves mention the warm, friendly, and joyful environment, finding that, yes, it is possible to feel joyful while in high school.

Girls’ schools are experiencing a renaissance, according to Town & Country magazine, and Gallagher and her leadership team are leaning into the opportunities that this environment provides. She explains, “You can do it all here. We encourage each student to take healthy risks. A great example is last year’s robotics captain. It turned out that she was also incredibly talented on stage, with talents in dancing and singing. She picked those up at Regina. If you’re a student and you want to take advantage of everything, a girls’ school is the place to do that. We’re proud to be a member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) and collaborating with sister schools like Trinity in River Forest.”

The second year of her presidency was devoted to strategic planning. “We have a small, very dedicated team. There aren’t a lot of us, but every single person is amazing.”

This team will lead the school toward its 70th anniversary, which will take place in 2028. For nearly seven decades, the school has shaped the lives of women leaders, encouraging them to achieve their goals and see possibilities, rather than limitations.

Now, they are inspired by the future of current students and students in the years to come. From AP Scholars to basketball champions and everyone in between, this is the place for young women who want to do it all. “We are all-in on all-girls education and are ready to continue the tradition of giving young women the tools they need to build lives of purpose and impact.”

In Gallagher, students see up close what leadership should look like: steady, attentive, and deeply human. It’s a model that stays with them long after graduation and one that ensures Regina Dominican’s legacy of purpose and impact will continue well into the future.

For more information, visit rdpanthers.org.