A Fond Farewell

Thank you, Mark, for 20 wonderful years!

Celebrating Retiring Head of School with “Mr. Davis Day”

In May of 2022, the St. Luke’s Parents’ Association surprised Mark Davis with “Mr. Davis Day”. A very surprised Mark was met with cheers and greetings all the way from his home to the school entrance as students, faculty, and staff lined up amid signs and banners placed by volunteers, while holding fans with Mark’s face on them. He was met at the entrance of the school by PA presidents Amy DiTeodoro and Liz DeFilippo '93, and presented with traditional senior day gifts: a presentation plaque (sports), white roses (theater), and his very own cardboard cutout.

The Farewell Celebration: A Tribute to Mark Davis

In June, more than 400 St. Luke’s community members gathered for a farewell celebration honoring Mark’s 20 years on the Hilltop. Guests gathered on the Be Kind Plaza for drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and then moved to the Seldin Performing Arts Center for Roasts, Toasts, and Special Musical Performance, emceed by Director of Development, Jon Jodka.

After hearing from featured speakers and watching tribute videos submitted by past and present community members, a special musical performance was given by the Mark Davis Tribute Band, which included current and former faculty alongside Mark's brother, Josh Rosen. At the conclusion of the night, Mark and his wife Elisabeth were invited to the stage where faculty, staff, students, and alumni encircled them and sang The Road Home, a traditional farewell song sung to St. Luke’s graduates during Commencement.

The entire evening was made possible thanks to event co-chairs Kim Jodka and Karen Stamoulis ’89, the Farewell Celebration Parent Committee: Joyce Andersen, Michelle Diliberto, Diana Doré, Karen Newman, Suzanne Sherter, Jill Stute, and Alicia Wyckoff, and the tech and production team: Will Chuhta '20, Chris Briggs '24, Jack Laibe '21, Connor Rosow '20, Jack Silverman '23, Brian Douglas '21, and Middle School English Teachers Erika Shevchek and Kirsten Tobler.

Honoring Mark’s Legacy: Mark’s 20 years on the Hilltop were further recognized during the farewell celebration, as Board Chair Jennifer Foster announced two special tributes: the Mark Davis Seminar Room and the Mark Davis Impact Fund for financial aid. Led by the Board of Trustees, the Mark Davis Impact Fund was established in honor of Mark's dual passions for student access to education and institutional sustainability. During the 2021-22 school year, the St. Luke’s community contributed an incredible $1.5 million in support of this fund, which will fully support one student’s tuition in perpetuity.