Staff Bio

Rick Flaherty
Peace Guide, Immaculate Conception Catholic School

Rick Flaherty has spent his career building relationships with students — first as a fourth-grade teacher in Des Moines, Iowa, and later as a school administrator across three states.

After earning his teaching degree and a master’s in school administration from Drake University, Rick became assistant principal in Stebbins, a Yup’ik fishing village in Alaska, before moving his growing family to Wisconsin. There, he spent 19 years as a principal with the School District of Superior, across the middle school, high school, and elementary levels, and served as president of the Wisconsin Association of School Administrators.

Rick retired in 2024 and moved to Minneapolis when his wife, Gretchen, accepted a position at North Hennepin Community College. Now a Peace Guide, he’s back to doing what he’s always loved most about this work: getting to know students and building the kind of relationships that help them thrive.