Clint Reilly founded Bay Scholars in 2007 with a vision of expanding educational opportunity for promising young people across the Bay Area. What began with just ten scholarships at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco grew under his leadership into an organization serving more than 500 students and their families at 18 Bay Area Catholic college-preparatory high schools.

A successful entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist, Clint believed deeply in the transformative power of education. His vision, generosity, and commitment to young people shaped Bay Scholars from its beginning and remain at the heart of our mission today.

Clint was the founder of the Clint Reilly Organization, a family-owned group of companies spanning real estate, media, communications, and publishing. He was married to Janet Reilly, Chair of the University of California Board of Regents and founder of Clinic by the Bay. Together they raised their daughters, Jill and Ava.

Clint passed away on July 18, 2026. His legacy lives on through his family, the Bay Scholars community, and the thousands of young people whose lives have been changed by the educational opportunities he worked so passionately to create.

Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., is President Emeritus of the University of San Francisco, where he served as the university’s 28th president from 2014 to 2024. A Jesuit priest, educator, and scholar, Rev. Fitzgerald has devoted his career to Catholic and Jesuit education and to expanding opportunities for young people.

Today, he serves as a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, where his teaching and scholarship include practical theology, ecclesiology, Catholic social doctrine, and other areas of contextual and systematic theology.

A graduate of Santa Clara University, Rev. Fitzgerald holds advanced degrees in theology, ecclesiology, and the sociology of religion, including doctoral degrees from the University of Paris–Sorbonne and the Institut Catholique de Paris. Earlier in his career, he held academic and leadership positions at both Santa Clara University and Fairfield University.

Rev. Fitzgerald has served on numerous educational and nonprofit boards and currently chairs the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Board of Directors. A longtime supporter of Bay Scholars and its mission, he was elected Chair of the Bay Scholars Board of Directors in 2026.

Kristin Kurth (Koelzer) brings more than two decades of leadership in business, education, and the nonprofit sector to her role as Executive Director of Bay Scholars. Her commitment to expanding educational opportunity is also deeply personal.

Growing up in an under-resourced urban community in Ohio, Kristin’s mother was given the opportunity to attend St. Ursula Academy, a rigorous Catholic college-preparatory high school. That education changed the trajectory of her life—and, in turn, Kristin’s. It is a story that closely mirrors the opportunity Bay Scholars creates for young people and families today.

Kristin co-founded EquiBrand Consulting in 2001, advising organizations ranging from startups and nonprofits to Fortune 100 companies on strategy, marketing, and growth. She later served as Executive Director of Lumen Christi Academies, leading a network of five Catholic elementary schools serving students and families in under-resourced Bay Area communities.

She holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and has taught as an adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s College since 2002.

Kristin’s commitment to young people extends beyond her professional life. She and her husband, Tim, have been licensed foster parents in Contra Costa County since 2003. They live in the East Bay with their son, Isaac, and have three adult children in Austin, Texas.

Vanessa Rocha is a proud scholarship recipient and graduate of Bishop O’Dowd High School who went on to earn her degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She brings both lived experience and professional leadership to Bay Scholars’ mission.

After beginning her career in wealth management at Merrill Lynch, Vanessa returned to education and most recently served as Interim Director of Admissions at Holy Names High School. Her background spans admissions leadership, financial aid and scholarship access, global education, and program development. Work with all-girls schools in India and Tanzania further shaped her conviction that the right support and environment can change students’ trajectories. Today, she leads scholar programming, family engagement, and strategic partnerships in support of more than 500 Bay Scholars.