Zeta-Alpha
Wagner College
Dr. James Hickey is a Life Loyal Teke who was initiated into the Zeta-Alpha Chapter at Wagner College. A graduate of TKE Leadership Academy IV, Frater Jim was named a Top Teke in 1993 and received the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award from the TKE Foundation in 1994. He has remained actively engaged as a volunteer in the life of the Fraternity for more than 35 years.
Frater Jim has served Tau Kappa Epsilon in a wide range of leadership and advisory roles. He chaired the Zeta-Alpha Chapter Board of Advisors and served as President of its Alumni Association. In the mid-1990s, he was appointed Rush Coach by then Grand Prytanis Thomas Castner, supporting chapters throughout the Northeast. He has served on the TKE Education Committee, co-chaired the campaign to endow the Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Leadership Academy, and served numerous times as a Leadership Academy facilitator and presenter.
A member of the Grand Council from 2009 to 2021, Frater Jim was Grand Prytanis during the Covid-19 global pandemic, guiding the Fraternity through an unprecedented period of disruption and transition. A Knight of Apollo, Frater Jim is the recipient of the Order of the Golden Eagle, the Grand Prytanis Award, TEKE Alumnus of the Year, and the TKE Foundation Medal of Excellence. A lifelong donor to the TKE Foundation, Frater Jim currently serves as Chair of the TKE Foundation Business Council.
Professionally, Frater Jim has devoted more than three decades to education, serving in Catholic, independent, and public secondary schools. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Fordham University. In 2009, he was named New Jersey Principal of the Year for his work transforming one of the nation’s largest public high schools, earning recognition from the United States Secretary of Education and the New Jersey Commissioner of Education.
In 2013, Frater Jim was appointed the tenth Head of Austin Preparatory School in Reading, MA. Under his leadership, Austin Prep has experienced capacity enrollment, expanded academic and extracurricular offerings, increased faculty, completed multiple strategic plans, captured numerous state athletic championships, and invested more than $25 million in campus modernization and facilities.
A Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, he was affiliated in 2024 to the Order of St. Augustine, the highest honor bestowed by the Order, in recognition of his leadership in advancing the Augustinian way of life. In 2025, he was recognized by the National Catholic Education Association for outstanding achievement in support of Catholic education.
Frater Jim and his wife, Cindy, are the parents of four children and a Labrador Retriever named Reagan.