Strategic plan development
for schools and parishes
Professional staff development
for schools and parishes
Principal and superintendent
coaching and mentoring
Human resources management
Employee review and retention
Search process facilitation
School board development
Program review and evaluation
Conflict resolution and mediation
Self-study process guidance
School and diocesan office assessment
Enrollment management
Resource feasibility studies
Guidance and counseling development
Drug testing and interventions
Financial planning
Mueller Educational Solutions offers Catholic, private, and public schools, as well as Catholic parishes with expert guidance to strengthen programs and processes, optimize resources, and foster long term organizational success. Drawing on extensive experience and a commitment to excellence, we partner with educational and parish communities to enhance effectiveness and support their unique missions. Serving clients across the United States, we have worked with organizations in Arizona, Montana, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, and New Mexico.
We have worked with school districts, individual schools, archdioceses, and parishes, providing
Ms. Mueller is a seasoned leader in Catholic education whose career reflects sustained executive leadership, governance experience, and tireless service in the advocacy and promotion of faith-based education. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of curriculum and personnel, associate superintendent, and superintendent for schools in Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, and Arizona. During her 25 years as superintendent of the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools, Ms. Mueller oversaw 28 preschool programs, 28 elementary schools, and six high schools educating more than 14,000 students annually. She also served as the executive director of the Diocese of Phoenix’s Division of Education and Evangelization, where she oversaw the Catholic education programs in 92 individual parishes.
Ms. Mueller is a member of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), Chief Administrators for Catholic Education (CACE), and has held leadership roles with major accrediting and education organizations, including serving as past chair of the North Central Accrediting Association State Committee and the Elementary Commission of the Western Catholic Education Association. She is also a founding member of both the Arizona Council of American Private Education (AZCAPE) and the Catholic Tuition Organization of the Diocese of Phoenix, now known as Catholic Education Arizona.
Throughout her career, Ms. Mueller has contributed to educational policy, accreditation, and community leadership through her work with the AdvanceED/Cognia Accreditation Commission, the Arizona Interscholastic Association Superintendent Advisory Committee, the United States Catholic Conference Federal Assistance Advisory Commission, the Committee of Practitioners for the State of Arizona, and the Western Catholic Education Board of Directors. Her commitment to service extends to parish ministry, where she serves as a lector and Eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale, Arizona, and St. Theodore Parish in LaPorte, Minnesota.
Ms. Mueller is the recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award from the Arizona North Central Accrediting Association (1999 and 2008), the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for Outstanding Leadership to Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Phoenix (2001), the O’Neil D’Amour Award for Outstanding Leadership in Working with School Boards (2005), the Sister Agnes Lamb Alumni Award from the College of St. Scholastica (2007), the “Al” Brooks Community Leadership Award from the Anti-Defamation League (2009), and the Exemplary Leadership Award from the University of Mary (2017) as recognition of her role in bringing Mary College, and Catholic higher education, to the Diocese of Phoenix. Upon her retirement 2017, Ms. Mueller received a Papal Blessing from Pope Francis and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Declaration of Honor for Distinguished Service.
Ms. Mueller holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, a master’s degree in education, and a specialist degree in educational administration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, in addition to holding teaching, principal, and superintendent certificates. She and her husband, Bill, are based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Over his more than 45-year-career in the broader Catholic community, Mr. Mueller has served as director of a Diocesan Youth Ministry Office; executive director of the Catholic Social Services and Family Life Office; administrator of retreat and renewal centers; directed high school youth retreats and taught peer mediation; served as both a high school theology teacher and department chair; directed college and career high school departments and was a mental health counselor; served as both a high school theology teacher and department chair; and was a member of the Diocese of Phoenix Crisis Response Team. Mr. Mueller is a retired licensed professional counselor and certified school counselor and teacher and is a certified community college teacher.
Mr. Mueller serves his parish community as a lector and eucharistic minister and has served on a number of boards, including the parish council, the Diocesan Crisis Response Team, the School Crisis Intervention Team, the Duluth Diocesan Pension Board, and the National Youth Ministry Board of Directors for the United States Catholic Conference. He has been also active in civic causes, serving on Duluth’s United Way Service Priority Task Force, Compassionate Friends, Duluth Public School Advisory Committee on Life Education and Services to School Age Youth, St. Joseph’s Medical Center Bioethics Committee, and the Not-My-Kid Program Advisory Committee.
Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and social studies from Creighton University, a master’s degree in human development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a Master of Divinity degree from the Oblate School of Theology. He and his wife MaryBeth are based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Mueller Educational Solutions and MaryBeth Mueller provided incredible support for me when I took on my position as superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Jefferson City. MaryBeth’s educational expertise and her management skills, coupled with her legal knowledge and experience with the Church, made her uniquely able to answer my questions, guide my thinking, and validate my decision making. I am so grateful my bishop suggested her mentorship—it was especially needed as I took on my role at the height of the Covid pandemic. I give credit to MaryBeth and Mueller Educational Solutions for helping me successfully guide our 40 Catholic schools through the pandemic and beyond.
Dr. Erin Vader
Superintendent
Diocese of Jefferson City Catholic Schools
Working with Mueller Educational Solutions in professional development and support with utilizing federal funds administered by the Local Education Association has been a positive and beneficial experience. Their team has remained patient and professional throughout what was likely one of the more complex and lengthy approval and payment processes. From proposal development to purchase orders, invoicing, and final payment, they continued to provide support and guidance with professionalism and flexibility. Their commitment to helping schools maximize federal funding opportunities for meaningful professional development has been greatly appreciated.
Kelly Aranowski, Med, MEDL
Principal
Saint Agnes Catholic School, Phoenix, Arizona
Mueller Educational Solutions did an outstanding job leading our all-day session to kick off a strategic visioning process for aging services in Wickenburg, Arizona. The session was thoughtfully designed and facilitated, bringing together a diverse group of participants and creating a productive environment for meaningful discussion. Most importantly, the process gave us a strong foundation to begin identifying the community’s greatest areas of need and opportunity. Their ability to guide the group toward clarity and shared understanding was invaluable.
MaryBeth and Bill were true professionals—well prepared, highly organized, and skilled at asking insightful questions that moved the conversation forward. They balanced structure with flexibility, and did an excellent job keeping the group focused and on track throughout the day.
I would highly recommend Mueller Consulting to any organization looking for experienced facilitators who can effectively guide strategic conversations and deliver tangible outcomes.
Tamara Bohannon, CFRE
President & CEO
AllThrive 365, Phoenix, Arizona
MaryBeth and Bill were a pleasure to work with throughout the development of our five-year strategic pastoral plan. They guided our staff and ministry leaders in a way that allowed us to truly discern and build our own plan, without pushing their own agenda. They were organized, thoughtful, and communicated extremely well before, during, and after the process.
The final plan came out very well structured, substantial in content, yet simple and practical to follow without feeling cluttered or overwhelming. I would highly recommend them to any parish or organization looking for assistance with strategic planning and long-term visioning.
Steve Mandarino
Business Manager
Corpus Christi Parish, Phoenix, Arizona
Bill and MaryBeth have been a pleasure to work with throughout the feasibility study and resulting recommendations for St. Peter’s School. Their extensive practical experience enabled them to understand and relate to many of the challenges we were facing. They consistently exceeded my expectations and demonstrated a genuine commitment to the success of our school. I am grateful for their guidance and support and highly recommend them.
Mike Prokop
Member, St. Peter’s Education Committee and Development and Marketing Team
St. Peter’s School, Canby, Minnesota
MaryBeth was my mentor for two years as I was transitioning into the role of principal of a small private school. I had previously been dean of students and academic advisor, but had not received any formal training from my school administration, so I relied heavily on my meetings with MaryBeth to ask questions and get her feedback. Her mentorship was incredibly valuable to me as a school administrator as we discussed all aspects involved in a school system, including supervision, evaluations, job descriptions, planning, federal funding, and student life. She worked closely with administration to help develop a curriculum based on her own experience and tailored to the unique needs of our school and its students. She also worked with a team of teachers and administrators as we prepared for an accreditation visit. MaryBeth consistently provided valuable insight and practical solutions to challenges we encountered, offering knowledgeable and helpful suggestions. She was always very professional, responsive, and extremely supportive. Her kindness and dedication made her an exceptional mentor and educational partner.
Mrs. Velma M. Begay
Principal
St. Michael Indian School, St. Michaels, Arizona
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