Jim Foley is a native Ohioan who has lived in Columbus since 1982. He earned a bachelor's degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and a Juris Doctor degree from Notre Dame in 1977.

He and his wife Vicki are members of St. Timothy Parish in Columbus. They are the proud parents of four children and grandparents of seven. Jim has been active in parish activities, including acting as Chair of the Parish Board of Education, being a member of the Parish Council, and working with high school students in the parish. He has also worked on Diocesan retreats for high school students.

Jim began as President of Cristo Rey Columbus High School on July 1, 2011. Jim retired from Cristo Rey on August 1, 2020. He was a member of the Board of Catholic Social Services, where he served as Board Chair from 2009 – 2012. Additionally, he has served on the Board of the Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission and chaired the Upper Arlington Charter Review Commission.

Before becoming President of Cristo Rey Columbus, Jim practiced law at the Columbus law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, where he was a partner. While at Vorys, he was recognized by the Columbus CEO listing of Top Lawyers in Columbus, featured by the Ohio Super Lawyers publication, and selected to be on the Best Lawyers in America list. He has taught law school as an adjunct professor at both Ohio State and Capital law schools. He has also written for and taught at numerous legal seminars. Prior to coming to Columbus, he was an attorney at the United States Department of Justice in Washington D.C., specializing in religious freedom and funding issues.