Q&A with Al Zappelli

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Al Zappelli takes on a new role: Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives He shares some insight into his new career and his all-encompassing history of his time at the Priory

What is your new job role and what does that mean exactly? Exactly? Strategic Initiatives can be all over the place, especially as a school with so many unique characteristics. Let’s start with Senior Director. This means I’ve been around a bit and experienced many things at this special place we call Priory. I’ve probably signed well over 2500 admissions letters. The tapestry of unique and diverse individuals that have come to be known as Priory students has enriched our student body over the years. Having this experience gives me perspectives to work on a number of projects, thus Strategic Initiatives. Priory is at a very important crossroad in its evolution. Part of that is how do we maintain our “Benedictineness” and remain true to our five values. So part of what I’m doing is to work with the international network of Benedictine schools known as the ICBE,–International Commission on Benedictine Education. This initiative will create professional development opportunities for faculty and administrators in Benedictine schools across the United States and internationally. Another initiative is our 60th Anniversary celebration. I’ll be coordinating our founding anniversaries. This year, it’s the foundation of the monastery in 1956 and arrival of the first seven monks. Next year, we celebrate the start of Woodside Priory School in September of 1957.

50% of your new role involves Planned Giving. What does that essentially mean? Planned Giving is an important part of the development program. I will be speaking with our alumni, alumni parents, grandparents and current parents, building relationships that will lead to their considering bequests and charitable trust donations, leaving a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. The fruit of this program will be growth in our endowment funds.

What led you to the Priory? In 1990, I was at a turning point in my career in education. As I looked for opportunities for new challenges, a friend asked if I had ever considered moving back to California where I grew up. There was a school in Portola Valley that was looking for an Admissions Director. This would mean a family move and an interesting career change. While my job experience was in fund development, the enrollment challenges of Priory at the time seemed an interesting choice. Yet, there was something I sensed that this Benedictine school had something special about it, its mission. I knew during my visit this was a place where I could make a difference.

You have been at the Priory for 27 years. What are some of the major changes you have seen over the years? And what has remained the same? Perhaps the most significant change is in the enrollment. In 1990, Priory enrolled 106 boys. Over half were boarders, grades seven through twelve. Coeducation would be introduced the following year. The next change was to add a sixth grade and eliminate the Middle School boarding program. This began the process of stabilizing the enrollment. Another obvious change is the number of monks on campus. In 1990, there were twelve monks in the community. Today there are three. Lastly, as the enrollment grew over the years, Priory was able to enhance its programs in athletics, extracurriculars and academics. Over the years, the school has been able to keep up with the times and provide an innovative and rigorous academic program. What hasn’t changed is the commitment to student-centered learning and balance. All the while, Priory remained true to its Benedictine mission and its core values.

Is there anybody at Priory that you particularly enjoyed working with? I’d have to say, Father Martin as a travelling buddy. We’ve been to Asia three times together and another time to Mexico. He is always on the go, recording his travels with his ever present camera. During most of my time as Admissions Director, I had the good fortune working with two enthusiastic and competent persons, Carole Mauss and Camille Yost. For fifteen years they provided the glue that held the admissions program together. I cannot thank them enough.

What are your hopes for your future with Priory? In my new position, I hope I can help to stabilize the Priory’s financial foundation, its endowment. As with any stable institution, its foundation is what will carry it on to the future. Through planned giving, I hope friends will come forward and provide that important legacy. Beyond that, I hope that my work will enable the Benedictine charism to continue, no matter what form that takes. Priory’s legacy is rooted in its mission: “To be a place where every student is known and loved.” I like that.