Ali Ghaffari

Ali Ghaffari is the inaugural Executive Director of the St. John Henry Newman Institute (JHNI). A retired U.S. Navy commander with 20 years of service—including combat deployments and a faculty appointment teaching leadership at the United States Naval Academy—Ali discovered the Catholic faith through the great books tradition. His passion for integrating faith and learning led him to found Divine Mercy Academy (MD) in 2019, a classical K-8 school that has since grown to nearly 150 students. Ali now channels his convert’s zeal, educational vision, and proven leadership to advance JHNI’s mission of renewing Catholic education rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness.