SChool leadership
John P. Heybach, Ph.D.
Founder & President +
Before founding Altus Academy, John was director of the Midtown Center for Boys, one of the premier non-profit supplemental educational institutions in the country providing underserved boys with programs spanning the 4th grade through post- secondary education. John earned a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology in 1976, worked as a post-doctoral associate with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and was a research associate at the Bowman Gray Medical School at Wake Forest University. John worked for 30 years as a businessman and entrepreneur developing new businesses for multinational corporations such as Monsanto and Kraft Foods (General Foods) in the United States, Europe and globally, and more recently his own businesses in the United States. John earned a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business Management at Northwestern University in 1989.
John has been involved in non-profit organizations for 35 years. His past civic contributions include serving on the board of the Marshall Square Boys and Girls Club in Chicago’s Pilsen Community, as chair of the Board of Limited Jurisdiction for Saint Mary of the Angels Elementary School in Chicago, and as Operations Director for the Lincoln Park Homeless Shelter in Chicago. He served as Chairman of Board of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA, an international organization based in Sarasota, Florida that sponsors medical research and provides a range of support services for individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, their families, and caregivers.
The founding of Altus Academy was a natural outgrowth of the strategic planning program John led while director of the Midtown Center. Altus was founded to meet the pressing need identified to create an educational environment that promoted the integral human development of the students and community that Altus academy serves. Altus represents a powerful new initiative in putting the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church into action in education.
John lives in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago with his wife Sue, an elementary school educator and counselor and advisor to Altus and his son Conor. John’s daughter Michelene is an attorney, founding board member and of counsel to Altus Academy.
Alfredo Villegas
Principal +
alfredo.villegas@altusacademy.org
Alfredo Villegas serves as the Principal of Altus Academy. He is in charge of the day-to-day operations and in ensuring that the academic programs, outside partnerships, and family engagement align with the mission and vision of Altus Academy. Alfredo is also involved in curriculum planning, fundraising, and development. Alfredo previously taught 8th-grade math and science and was the lead coach of Altus Academy's Robotics Program. Alfredo received his B.S. from the Illinois Institute of Technology.