Xavier Annual Report: 2019-20

Love in Action Annual Report 2019-20

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20

Jack Raslowsky P’16

President

Michael LiVigni P’21

Headmaster

Mark Mongelluzzo, Esq.

Director of Development Shawna Gallagher Vega, APR

Director of Communications Editor, Xavier Annual Report Contributors

Jeanette Alvarez Nick Barone ’16 Ralph Dinielli Kaitlyn Flanagan Rory Harris ’08 Shane Lavin ’03 Maggie Murphy Stockson Claudia Tierney P’20

Lead Photographer Michael Marmora

Contributing Photographer Steven Martine

Design

Erbach Communications Group

How to Reach Us

Xavier High School 30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Email: news@xavierhs.org

Xavier’s Mission

Founded in 1847, Xavier High School is an academically rigorous, Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school in New York City that educates intelligent, motivated young men of diverse backgrounds and means.

Xavier teaches students to take responsibility for their lives, to lead with integrity, to act justly in service of others, to pursue excellence in every endeavor and to deepen their relationship with God. Ultimately, Xavier forms young men who will go forth to transform the world for God’s greater glory.

On the Cover

As they returned to 16th Street this fall, all Xavier students signed a Pledge to Love in Action, which included commitments to wear masks, practice good hygiene, selfmonitor for COVID-19 symptoms, and “act in the spirit of being people for others.” During a period of remote learning this October, Ciaran Murray ’22—a member of the Regiment and a soccer, indoor track, and rugby player—joined his soccer teammates in on-campus remote learning spaces in order to attend practices and matches.

MIX Paper from responsible sources

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT MAROON AND BLUE, WE’LL SEE YOU THROUGH

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BLESSINGS AND OBLIGATIONS

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CONTINUED GRATITUDE

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A LEGACY LIVES ON

18. FINANCIALS 22.

HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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WHY I GIVE

For the Greater Glory of God

Inspired by signage at Brophy College Preparatory and McQuaid Jesuit, our brother schools in Phoenix and Rochester, Xavier gave new meaning to AMDG as students returned to campus this fall. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of God), the Latin motto of the Society of Jesus, expanded to encompass a new acronym for the modern age—Awareness, Masks, Distancing, and Greater Good.

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M E S S AG E F RO M T H E P R E S I D E N T

Creative, Bold, Audacious: A Pledge to Love in Action Dear Parents, Friends and Sons of Xavier: As we were preparing to go to press, my wife Sarah and I had dinner with Fr. Steve Katsouros, S.J. We were preparing more for a winter tailgate than dinner. Eating outside in November will do that to you. The weather cooperated, the layers did their job, and the evening was a delight. Steve is an old friend with a long connection to Xavier. After college he taught at Nativity Mission Center on the Lower East Side as a Jesuit Volunteer.

Nativity Mission Center was the original Nativity-model school.

Nativity schools partner with low-income families offering an extended day and summer program committed to academic excellence. Nativity Mission Center closed a few years back, but not before sending hundreds of students to Xavier over four decades and spawning a rethinking of the Church’s service to the inner city. There are now over 50 Nativity-model schools across the country including St. Ignatius School in Hunts Point, Brooklyn Jesuit Prep in East Flatbush and the Cornelia Connelly School here in Manhattan. Fr. Mario Powell, S.J., a Xavier trustee, is the president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep. Lou Lovallo, our dean of academics, served as principal of Nativity Mission Center.

After his work at Nativity, Steve entered the Jesuits. He helped found a Nativity program at St. Aloysius in Harlem, served as president of Loyola School, dean at the University of San Francisco and then as dean and executive director at Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago. Steve has always been one to think big. Arrupe is the latest example of his big thinking. It is the first Jesuit junior college in the United States. It has opened new doors to Jesuit higher education to poor, first-generation students and provided all the necessary support for successful completion of the associate’s degree and advancement to the bachelor’s degree. Arrupe’s success

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has the potential to transform higher education in America.

St. Thomas University in Minnesota has already replicated the model. Steve is now the president of the Come to Believe Network leading the effort to replicate Arrupe across America. Arrupe is another example of the best of Jesuit education: creative, bold, even audacious, in the service of others for God’s greater glory.

Isn’t that what we are all called to be, and called to be even more deliberately in the era of COVID-19?

It was the same spirit—creative, bold, even audacious— that Fr. John Larkin brought to the founding of Xavier. Our Annual Report looks back on the last school year. It was a year that required creative, bold and audacious thinking on the part of Xavier to respond to a global pandemic. Yet even amidst pandemics, there are constants. We draw upon the community for strength. We help one another move forward. We share our gratitude.

and unspoken, is the one guarantee of our success. The gifts we recognize and celebrate in this Annual Report vary in size, but they are constant in love. We are grateful for your gifts and grateful for your love. Without both we would not succeed. Thank you.

You will find wonderful stories in this Annual Report: Outstanding reminders that behind every gift there are stories of those who loved us and those who we love. I’m grateful to Bill Luderer ’66, Charlie Crawford ’58, Melanie McGillick P’22, Jim McDonough ’66, Peter Thomann ’16, Ken Ng ’80 and Lucy Wang-Ng, Mike and Diana Nilsen P’07 ’10 and Ray Whiteman ’77 for sharing their stories and their gifts. Love is the constant.

They each continue to make real the words of Ignatius: “Love expresses itself in deeds.” May our deeds provide the same witness.

I want to publicly acknowledge and thank our advancement staff. While there are well over 100 faculty and staff caring for our

“Even amidst pandemics, there are constants. We draw upon the community for strength. We help one another move forward. We share our gratitude. We make the mission real in myriad ways.”

students each day, there are 10 who have primary responsibility for looking beyond our walls and caring for alumni, parents and friends of Xavier. They do excellent work embodying the mission. Without their efforts, our work would not be the success it is. Thank you to Jeanette Alvarez, Susan Cardosa, Kaitlyn Flanagan, Rory Harris ’08, Shane Lavin ’03, Zane Massey ’96 P’22, Mark Mongelluzzo, Maggie Murphy Stockson, Claudia Tierney P’20 and Shawna Gallagher Vega.

My dinner with Steve Katsouros, S.J. concluded with Steve handing me his FY21 annual gift, in cash no less. From his days

We make the mission real in myriad ways. We give and work and pray not because it is about us, but because we are about others—those in our immediate Xavier community and those in our larger human community. Your generosity has funded the education of Xavier students, given strength to our partners, provided COVID relief and inspired our Sons and families to live as men and women for others. Men and women who recognize, as Pedro Arrupe so forcefully stated in Men for Others, that love of God absent love of neighbor is a farce.

When we returned to school this year, we committed to a Pledge to Love in Action recognizing that the success of our return to in-person learning was dependent on recognizing our shared responsibility to keep everyone safe and Xavier open.

While the pledge is COVID-19 related, it is rooted in our way of proceeding since 1847. Xavier has opened each and every year since 1847 because of an often unspoken pledge to love in action.

A pledge first made by Fr. John Larkin, S.J. and his superiors, and made by the generations of students, faculty, families and staff members that have followed. The pledge to love in action, spoken

at Nativity Mission Center, Steve has been committed to the success of Xavier. Since he first served on our board nearly two decades ago, he has given to the Annual Fund. Steve continues to inspire me. His care for Xavier is but part of his care for all of God’s sons and daughters. It is the same care witnessed to by Bill, Charlie, Melanie, Jim, Peter, Ken, Lucy, Mike, Diana, Ray and the thousands of men and women listed here in our Annual Report.

Thank you for that care. I am deeply grateful.

As we march through the school year, we are committed to honoring our Pledge to Love in Action in all we do. May that pledge inspire us all to continue to support Xavier by our gifts, our prayers and the gospel witness of our lives.

Be assured of my prayers for you and your family.

God’s peace and blessings.

Jack Raslowsky P’16 President

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Maroon and Blue, We'll See You Through COVID-19 Stories of Giving

By Shawna Gallagher Vega

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s COVID-19 descended on New York in March, shuttering Xavier’s doors, the Board of Trustees and administration swiftly made two institutional commitments clear: No member of the faculty or staff would be let go, and no student would be asked to leave for financial reasons related to the virus.

The latter commitment came with extraordinary, unexpected financial consequences. While faculty salary and benefits compose the lion’s share of each year’s budget, emergency financial aid following a historic economic catastrophe does not.

In March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 870,000 American jobs lost; in April, a breathtaking 20.5 million—the sharpest decline since the government began tracking data in 1939. In New York, more than one million people lost their jobs in March and April, many Xavier parents among them.

“Whether your son is a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, we will get him through to graduation,” Xavier President Jack Raslowsky P’16 wrote to parents and guardians on March 24, two days after Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New York State on PAUSE executive order effectively shut down the state. “We made the same commitment to families after Hurricane Sandy and we honored that commitment. We will do so again. We will find the funds to do so.”

With Americans experiencing levels of food insecurity unseen since the Great Depression, Raslowsky made another promise to families, urging anyone unable to purchase sufficient food to reach out to him immediately: “We have resources to assist you.”

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ith New Yorkers sheltering in place, Xavier’s fundraising efforts ground to a halt alongside the economy.

But in a testament to Xavier’s Sons and their families, many reached out to Xavier asking how they could help those in the community

who had been most affected by COVID-19.

On April 22, in the sixth of his fireside chats—a series of video messages created to inform and uplift the Xavier community— Raslowsky finally broached the topic of giving.

From his home in New Jersey, he asked Sons, families, and friends of Xavier to do their part to support emergency financial aid for current students.

“I make that ask recognizing the complexity of the time, and I make that ask first and foremost reminding us all that there should be no guilt in this. We do what we can as well as we can, and we do that together,” he told viewers, noting that even small gifts are vital expressions of solidarity.

Raslowsky then shared a moving story about a Xavier mother who contacted him as she struggled to make her final tuition payment—a story that resounded throughout the Xavier community.

“A few weeks back, I got a letter from a mom telling me her son loved being at Xavier.

She was so proud her son was here. They had one tuition payment left. If I’m remembering correctly, it was $673,” Raslowsky said. “She wrote, ‘We’re in a rough spot in light of COVID, in light of our family finances. I’ve pulled together and I can make a payment of $173, and I’m sending it to you with this note. I need help with the other $500. I wish I didn’t, but I do.’ … She could have said, ‘I just can’t do it.’

She could have ignored us. She could have sent nothing. She made a real sacrifice saying, this is what I can do. I can do this now. This is my part, and I’m committed to doing this. And Xavier means enough to me in order to do this.”

“She’s doing her part,” he continued.

“I know together, we can pick it up, bring her and so many others over the finish line, and I’m deeply grateful—deeply grateful for your consideration, deeply grateful for what you have done and what you will do, deeply grateful for the example you have shown through the years.”

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Bill Luderer ’66 with his wife, Elaine, their late son, Ben, and Ben’s wife, Brandy

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n River Vale, New Jersey, Bill Luderer ’66 heard Xavier’s call amid his mourning.

“It is more meaningful than to some that I make this gift to ease the burden of current Xavier families facing financial burdens due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote in a heart-wrenching note accompanying his gift. “My son, Benjamin, passed away from COVID-19 on March 30. He was a healthy, strong athlete of 30 years of age. He was truly a man for others: special education teacher, devoted husband, baseball coach, loving son, and friend to many. My wife and I received condolences and kind words of sympathy from dozens of my brothers from the class of ’66.

The Xavier spirit lives deeply within its alumni, and I hope that my gift will help a current student to eventually know what it means to be a Son of Xavier.”

Exactly seven months after his son’s passing, Luderer spoke of the deep sadness that continues to envelop him and Elaine, his wife of 48 years. Unable to have children of their own, they adopted Ben in 1989 when he was just 3 days old. He was their only child.

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“Good-meaning people tell us that time is going to change things, but it’s not gotten any easier. I know I cry every day to some extent,” Luderer said. “It’s the smallest things that remind me of him. We live on a very quiet street, and yesterday a guy went by pushing a baby carriage—and I cried because I remembered Ben at that age. But my wife and

A state champion baseball player at New Jersey’s Don Bosco Prep, Ben Luderer went on to play Division I baseball at Marist College, where he met his wife, Brandy Gang, a star basketball player. They married in 2014 and became elementary school special education teachers and high school coaches in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, following in the footsteps of Bill and Elaine, who were also educators.

“He was a wonderful person. He was kind and caring,” Bill said of his son. “He loved his students, he was a good guy, and everybody recognized that. He was happy. He was funny.

He had a great outlook on life.”

Ben spent the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic concerned for his parents, checking in with them constantly. He and Brandy had dinner with Bill and Elaine on Sunday, March 22; the next day, Ben stopped by his parents’ house to “borrow” computer paper. It was the last time Bill Luderer saw his son.

On Tuesday, March 24, Brandy—then undergoing treatment for lymphoma—took a mandatory COVID-19 test and was shocked to discover she was positive. Ben quickly took a test of his own, with the same results.

On Friday, March 27, Ben felt sick enough to go to the emergency room. Since visitors were not allowed to accompany patients, Brandy sat in the parking lot, texting her husband for updates. Ben’s blood oxygen level was normal, so he was sent home with

“ The Xavier spirit lives deeply within its alumni and I hope that my gift will help a current student to eventually know what it means to be a Son of Xavier.”

—Bill Luderer ’66 I try to take the approach that we were blessed to have him for 30 years rather than dwell upon what we don’t have, which is a future with him.”

Ben and Bill Luderer ’66

Dr. Charlie Crawford ’58, his wife, Eileen, and their children and grandchildren

antibiotics and an inhaler.

He started the antibiotics immediately. On Sunday night, he told his dad he was feeling better; he eagerly ate dinner with Brandy at their dining room table.

“I hung up and thought he was doing better,” Bill Luderer remembered. The next morning, his son was dead.

Ben Luderer’s memory drove his father in the days following his death, as did the outpouring of support from the Xavier community.

“I received phone calls, emails, texts— probably 75 different messages—of condolence from fellow ’66 graduates, some of whom I have not spoken with, seen, or frankly thought of since the day we graduated.

I thought that was pretty extraordinary, 54 years later,” Bill Luderer recalled. “Many people send cards, or they say things like, ‘I don’t know what to say.’ I understand that. When friends or relatives of mine have suffered a loss, I don’t know what to say to them, either.

But the very fact that they make the effort to say something is helpful and meaningful.

Xavier is an amazing place, and it continues to live in each of its alumni.”

A few weeks after Ben’s passing, when Bill heard about Xavier’s efforts to help students stay on 16th Street no matter the cost, he immediately made a gift to help.

“I enjoyed my time at Xavier tremendously,” he said. “I don’t know how I could have duplicated what I gained in those four years in any other setting. I lived in New Jersey at the time—I still do—and commuted every day. The Manhattan experience was educational. The memories I have of my teachers, the friends that I made and continue to have 55 years later, the whole atmosphere, the expectations that everyone had for us, were life-altering. When I received the information that there were current students who faced the possibility of having that taken away from them because of financial circumstances due to COVID, it was the least that I could do.” In late October, Bill made a second generous gift to COVID-19 relief in memory of his son.

He and Elaine continue to fight the natural instinct to feel angry about their son’s death and governmental failures to prevent it; instead, they choose to remind others to be vigilant. To wear masks. And they choose to

be grateful for the 30 years they had with their son.

“He was our only child, and man, he was the best.”

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n West Falmouth, Massachusetts, Dr. Charlie Crawford ’58 watched Raslowsky’s fireside chat as he sheltered in place with his wife, Eileen.

After hearing the story of the Xavier mother who scraped a partial tuition payment together despite enormous hardship, he immediately made a donation of his own.

“ This is Xavier, and we take care of our own.”

—Dr. Charlie Crawford ’58 “I just have the greatest of admiration for the mother, who couldn’t make the full payment but was going to do what she could.

I reacted to that. I understood it,” Crawford said. “Secondly, I had great admiration for Jack [Raslowsky]. I’m sure finances were not his favorite topic. He could have said a hundred things, but he told this story about Annual Report 2019-20 7

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“ When I heard the school was committed to not letting students who were financially devastated go for any reason, I gave what I could. Even in my own uncertainty, I knew that I needed to respond.”

—Melanie McGillick P’22

Melanie McGillick P’22 with her sons, Jack and James McGillick ’22

this mother. I thought it spoke volumes about Xavier’s values. Do what you can. Finally, my own experience inspired me to give. Everybody goes through tough times. When I had two sons in college and two daughters getting ready to go to college, I came into a similar situation where I needed someone to help get me through. And that person materialized, and I’ve never forgotten that.”

Crawford made a gift five times the size of his average annual contribution to COVID-19 relief, but he shrugged it off, instead saluting his classmates Dr. Bob Baratta ’58, Gene Rainis ’58, and Dan Rodriguez ’58 for their “wonderfully generous” financial support of Xavier. “As a lifetime educator, my financial contributions have been modest, but I’ve always given what I could,” Crawford said.

“That’s what I did this spring. I wanted the mother to know it was going to be all right. It was pure instinct, pure reaction.”

While spring was undoubtedly a difficult and isolating time, Crawford—a father of four and grandfather of seven—chose to appreciate 8

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his blessings. As doctors of all specialties were being called to fight COVID-19 across the country, his son, Dennis, an orthopedic surgeon in Oregon, avoided that fate. “God was good,” Crawford said.

Hearing from his alma mater regularly at the height of the pandemic gave him comfort, too. “As difficult as it was, it lifted my spirits to know that there are people at Xavier who are helping—that there are Jack Raslowskys who are helping—with all that’s going on. This is Xavier, and we take care of our own.”

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n Douglaston, Queens, Melanie McGillick P’22 balanced her own demanding work with supporting her twin sons, Jack and James McGillick ’22, after Xavier transitioned to remote learning in March. When she watched Raslowsky’s fireside chat on April 22, she became filled with determination to help.

“During that time, we were all in a crisis mode, but when I heard the school was committed to not letting students who were

financially devastated go for any reason, I gave what I could,” she said. “Even in my own uncertainty, I knew that I needed to respond and act as part of this community.”

Like Crawford, McGillick made a gift five times the size of her average annual contribution to Xavier. As millions of Americans lost their jobs and the families of her sons’ classmates faced financial strife, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

“I knew that my job was not going to be in jeopardy. I work for a utility company, and in times of emergency we need to work more,” she said. “However, I completely understood that wasn’t the case for most people. The stress on our family was significant, not knowing what tomorrow was going to bring, whether or not we would contract the virus— but I wasn’t fearful for my financial future.”

“The McGillicks are not the wealthiest family at Xavier,” she added. “We are not wealthy by any means. But in a situation like this, you give what you can.”

McGillick saluted her sons, Jack and James, for their resilience and good humor throughout the pandemic, and she thanked Xavier for guiding all of its sons through a truly extraordinary time.

“I was impressed by what Jack and James were able to do and equally as impressed with what they’re doing now. They’re working hard.

I know the other students are as well,” she said.

“The school could not have done a better job.

I’m so grateful that my kids are there.”

Jody and Jim McDonough ’66

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n Oceanside, California, Jim McDonough ’66 received a CARES Act stimulus check this spring. He immediately donated the entirety of it to Xavier.

“I have been contributing to Xavier pretty consistently since I graduated, and it just seemed like the right thing to do,” McDonough said. “When I was a student, tuition was $400 a year. It’s gone up a bit since then.”

McDonough and his wife, Jody, are retirees living in a 55+ community that is usually vibrant, but much quieter now. They had several trips planned this year, including his 50th reunion weekend at Boston College; all but one of those trips, a January journey to Hawaii, were canceled due to pandemic restrictions.

Jim and Jody try to stay as active as possible, studying new languages and enjoying the outdoor beauty of Southern California.

And they remain grateful to live in relative comfort while so many others struggle.

“We’re retired. Our income is not affected by any of this. At the time that this donation

occurred, we weren’t even supposed to leave our house, and spending money is much easier if you can leave your house,” McDonough said.

“With all of the things happening in New York this spring, when the virus was really bad, with Xavier getting hammered and having to send everyone home, I just felt like I had to make a contribution.”

an in-person graduation, but I feel fortunate to have attended an amazing university, which adapted to remote instruction very quickly,” Thomann said. “I’ve caught up on a lot of reading to pass the time. Only during quarantine could I have read all of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. I especially appreciate the quality time I have spent with my little sister, Anna, who is now a remote freshman in college.”

When he heard about the need for emergency financial aid at Xavier this spring, Thomann immediately made a donation. Now a teacher himself, he shepherds a fully-remote class of third graders at Achievement First Linden Elementary School in Brooklyn—and it’s only increased his gratitude for Xavier.

“After months of trying to keep 35 students engaged on a Zoom call,” he said, “my admiration for all of my past teachers has only grown!”

“Our Xavier education is such a wonderful privilege and I wanted to do my small part to ensure no Son of Xavier is left behind,” Thomann said. “I applaud Xavier for committing to support all students.”

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n Staten Island, Peter Thomann ’16 shook off the disappointment of losing the end of his senior year at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. “I’ve been very lucky this year and feel blessed to have a home and a loving family,” he said.

In mid-March, Thomann left Lincoln Center as Fordham transitioned to remote learning. He returned only once, for a few hours, to move his belongings out of McMahon Hall—the namesake of beloved Fordham administrator George McMahon, S.J. ’40†.

“It was quite disappointing to leave Fordham without senior week and without

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Blessings Obligations

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Ken Ng ’80 and Lucy Wang-Ng

By Shawna Gallagher Vega

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our decades after his Xavier graduation, Ken Ng ’80 sees love in action woven throughout his 16th Street story—and he’s grateful for the chance to pay it forward.

The son of working-class Chinese immigrants, Ng grew up in public housing on the Lower East Side watching his parents toil to improve their family’s circumstances. His mother worked as a seamstress; over the years, his father labored at a laundromat, a restaurant, and as a taxi driver. “They were hard-working people,” Ng said, “from really quite humble beginnings.”

Won and Pauline Ng P’80 sent Ken and his sister, Ellie, to PS 126 until the fall of 1968, when a citywide teachers’ strike shut down New York City public schools for nearly two months. Unwilling to let their children languish academically, they transferred them to St. Joseph’s School in Chinatown, where Ken met Mike Flynn, S.J.† in 1975 when the Jesuit came to recruit young men for the Higher Achievement Program (HAP) at Xavier.

“My mom enthusiastically said, ‘Yep, you’re going,’ just to keep me busy in the summer,” Ng remembered with a laugh. “HAP was a wonderful experience. It was friendly; it was collegial; it was very accepting. I met kids from all over the city, some of whom I’m still friends with. Occasionally in grammar school, we’d go to a library on 53rd Street, and that was upstate for me. Going to 16th Street— taking the F train every day—was the first step in really expanding my horizons.”

The following year, Ng matriculated at Xavier. He excelled on 16th Street, earning admission to New York University.

“Xavier was a much more meaningful experience to me in retrospect,” Ng reflected. “You examine your life as you get older. You ask, ‘How did I get where I am right now?’ I look back at Xavier, and between spiritual formation and really giving service to others as well as developing a mind that asked questions and inquired and was curious about things, it was so important to my life—more so than college or a master’s degree. Xavier was the most important educational time in my life, both spiritually and intellectually.”

After landing a sales job at IBM early in his career, Ng reconnected with Fr. Flynn. At a pre-Christmas lunch, he shared his interest in getting baptized into the Catholic faith. It marked the beginning of a lasting friendship, with Fr. Flynn guiding Ng through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the Church of St. Francis Xavier and serving as his godfather and Confirmation sponsor. He later presided over Ng’s wedding to his wife, Lucy Wang-Ng, in 1990, and he baptized two of their three children, all of whom called Fr. Flynn “Grampy Mike.”

After Ng was offered a position in Shanghai in 1993, he and Lucy moved to Asia, where they raised their three children and remained for 25 years. For 18 of those years, Ng served in a chief executive capacity at major companies in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney, Australia. His experiences crystallized an important realization—that

the opportunities he had been given along the way had made all the difference.

“We traveled all over Asia and a lot of Europe as well, and I have to say that it was such a blessing to be able to see the world and to meet so many different people of different faiths and different backgrounds,” Ng said. “A conclusion I came to is that this good fortune we’ve had wasn’t a result of Ken and Lucy, or because we’re especially smart or work especially hard. We met so many smart, industrious, hardworking people in our travels and in our work life who just didn’t have the opportunities that we had. They were smarter and better and more industrious and more entrepreneurial than we were—but I had the good fortune, and people gave me opportunities. Our success is not because we’re entitled to this. It’s because God smiled on us, and therefore it’s really incumbent on us—and we’re obligated—to create the same opportunities for other people.”

In 2018, the Ngs returned to the U.S., where they now split their time between New York City and Bonita Springs, Florida. Eager to spend their retirement productively, they quickly sought opportunities to give back. For Ken, it started with Xavier.

“ Our success is not because we’re entitled to this. It’s because God smiled on us, and therefore it’s really incumbent on us— and we’re obligated—to create the same opportunities for other people.”

—Ken Ng ’80 At a lunch shortly after his return stateside, Xavier President Jack Raslowsky P’16 asked him to serve on the Board of Trustees. “There was no contemplating it,” Ng said. “It was an obvious thing I had to do.”

Harnessing his three decades of business and leadership experience, he dove into Board work enthusiastically, and he now co-chairs Xavier’s strategic planning committee with fellow trustee John Muller, M.D. ’75. And as his 40th reunion approached earlier this year, Ken and Lucy decided to make another transformative commitment to Xavier—a gift establishing the Kenneth Ng and Lucy Wang-Ng Family Scholarship, directed toward students with financial need.

“It was another very, very obvious thing to do. The experience I went through at Xavier was such a transformative experience for me, and I can’t think of too many other ways to touch and affect people’s lives than to open doors that wouldn’t have been open to them otherwise,” said Ng, whose gift helped the Class of 1980 shatter all previous 40th reunion gift records. “We feel very, very blessed and very fortunate to be able to fund a scholarship to help others. There is no element of sacrifice at all. From our standpoint, we feel blessed and we give thanks to God for smiling on us—and we feel the need and obligation to do as much as we can for others.”

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Continued Gratitude Mike and Dr. Diana Nilsen P’07 ’10

By Nick Barone ’16

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o Mike and Dr. Diana Nilsen P’07 ’10, family means everything.

Anyone who knows the Nilsens knows their sons, CPT Michael Nilsen, USA ’07 and Patrick Nilsen ’10, truly embody Xavier’s mission in all they do. That’s exactly why Mike and Diana continue to give back to 16th Street as members of the President’s Council more than a decade after their younger son’s graduation.

“As a parent, there is nothing more important than seeing your children doing well for themselves in life,” Mike said. “At Xavier, we saw what was a very sincere and genuine approach to teaching our children.”

“When you work alongside an organization that’s like Xavier, you see the work its people do to help every individual student thrive,” Diana added. “We were amazed to see Xavier take two completely different personalities—two completely different boys—and make them flourish. You really don’t see that anywhere else.”

Michael’s experience in the Army and Patrick’s experience in turnaround and restructuring work exemplify their natural ability and desire to be men for others.

“Michael always said he wanted to help people when he was part of the Regiment at Xavier, and even during his time at West Point and beyond. He returned from Afghanistan earlier this year, after running the 82nd Airborne Headquarters Company, a prestigious captain’s position reporting to senior leadership that enabled a landmark peace agreement after 20 years,” Mike said.

“This fulfilled his hope to bring about peace and help people.”

Patrick has always been a team player, offering constant support to friends and teammates—including running a study hall for the Catholic University of America football team during his four years in Washington. His recent work includes helping companies in danger of going out of business.

“He did this work to make sure people had jobs, businesses could move forward, and everyone could make a living. He carries everything he learned at Xavier about being a man for others through his restructuring work,” Mike continued.

Through their own personal work, Mike and Diana, too, see the importance of having the courage to do good, especially during such a difficult time.

Diana serves as the medical director of a New York City bureau. A pulmonologist and critical care physician, she is actively participating in the city’s COVID-19 response. “You have to take it all day by day, even when you are facing so much uncertainty,” she said.

Years after their sons’ graduations, Mike founded the Richard the Lionhearted Right to Life Foundation. For the last two years, Mike’s organization has granted several $1,000 college scholarships to students (including Xavier students) who convey a passion for pro-life work.

“I wanted to give these scholarships to kids who will carry out the mission throughout their lives to defend the most vulnerable and to give people a chance to live life like them,” Mike said.

“Xavier shaped our boys, and so many others, to become good men—good people. Their experiences were unique and challenging. It provided them with the courage to do good things for society,” Mike concluded. “Our boys have gone out into the world to be courageous and to fight the good fight. Once you see your sons doing that, and you realize Xavier lit that spark, there’s no reason not to give back.”

Annual Report 2019-20 13

LOV E I N AC T I O N

A Legacy Lives On

Endowing the Franklin Caesar, Ed.D. ’72 P’00 Scholarship

By Mark Mongelluzzo

14

Xavier High School

R

ay Whiteman ’77 remains grateful for the influence of Xavier in his life—for instilling in him a sense of inquisitiveness and openness to new challenges.

He shows his gratitude with generosity.

Several years ago, while serving on the Xavier Board of Trustees, he endowed a scholarship in memory of Mike Flynn, S.J.†, the Jesuit who introduced him to Xavier via the Higher Achievement Program (HAP). This past year, Whiteman challenged fellow alumni to work with him to endow a scholarship to honor Franklin Caesar, Ed.D. ’72 P’00 in recognition of Caesar’s decades of influence upon Sons of Xavier.

The third of four siblings from Bushwick, Brooklyn, Ray Whiteman was attending the Robert F. Kennedy Incentive Program School when he was recruited, along with several of his friends, by Fr. Flynn to attend HAP in the summer of 1972. He had a wonderful, welcoming experience at HAP; one of his instructors just so happened to be a recent graduate about to head off to SUNY Oswego—a young Al Roker ’72. HAP continued past the summer and into the fall months, just as the high school application process was getting underway. While he had the grades and scores to consider Stuyvesant High School, Whiteman felt a real connection to Xavier, and when a four-year HAP scholarship made it economically feasible for his family, the decision was obvious.

The next four years on 16th Street were a time of great personal growth for Whiteman.

He played football, drilled with the Regiment, was a member of the Vanguard (the Black Student Union), and cherished friendships with his group from the Fort Greene and Crown Heights sections of Brooklyn— including Bob Celestin ’77, Bob Flores ’77, and Bob Marquetti ’77—who all accompanied

him to Xavier. The first in his family to attend college, his diligence paid off with impressive options, including Columbia University and Williams College.

“I never set foot on campus at Williams until I arrived freshman year,” Whiteman recalled, “but it represented all that I was looking for and had imagined in a college, and the financial aid package made the decision for me.” While Xavier prepared him academically, it was quite a challenge culturally to be a Black student from Brooklyn at a New England liberal arts college in the late 1970s. But he overcame that challenge. A dual political science and philosophy major, his intention was to attend law school, but an internship with a bank made Whiteman realize he would prefer to be on the banking side of transactions, not the counsel side. Upon

“ I wanted to do something for Dr. Caesar to let him know what an influence he was and still is. He is loved by so many of us.”

—Ray Whiteman ’77 graduation in 1981, he accepted an offer from Chase Manhattan Bank. Following positions at Citigroup and Credit Lyonnais, by 1996 Whiteman was at the multinational private equity and financial services firm The Carlyle Group with the likes of former Secretary of State and White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker. He would become the first Black partner at Carlyle, and while it was financially lucrative, by 2014 Whiteman was anxious for another challenge. So he left with another partner to found their own firm, Stellex.

“I wanted to show bankers from underprivileged backgrounds that they could

Ray Whiteman ’77, leader of the effort to endow the Caesar Scholarship

Annual Report 2019-20 15

break out on their own successfully. That they did have options other than staying with a big firm until making partner.” It was a decision he does not regret.

While at Xavier, Whiteman’s HAP scholarship required him to teach in the program every summer, offering him the opportunity to interact with Franklin Caesar— at the time an assistant director of HAP under Mike Flynn. Whiteman continued to return every summer, even while a student at

“ Dr. Caesar’s presence and standing at Xavier was a safe space for students of color. He was hard on us, but that was because he loved us.”

—Marvin Thomas ’96

cut his own brother and in another case one of the team’s best players for not following the rules.”

In 2011 a group of alumni, including former trustee Brian Purnell, Ph.D. ’96, the Geoffrey Canada Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History at Bowdoin College, began to raise money for an annual scholarship in Dr. Caesar’s honor to provide immediate financial aid for a student in need. Over the past nine years, the Caesar Scholarship has helped three students attend Xavier. “Dr. Caesar’s work with students was firm and focused on the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, care for the entire person,” Purnell said. “His completion of a doctoral degree while working as an administrator and teacher at Xavier and having a family taught us by example to always strive towards the excellence that God’s love and grace invited us to experience.”

Franklin Caesar, Ed.D. ’72 P’00 in front of the Sons of Xavier wall bearing his image in Fernandez-Duminuco Hall

Williams, and formed a lifelong connection with Caesar. “After work each afternoon, Caesar would organize a basketball game in the gym, and a group of the teachers and tutors would stay and play until late at night. It was a wonderful bonding experience. 16th Street was a second home for a number of us.”

For decades now, Franklin Caesar has been a source of wise counsel and mentorship to generations of Sons of Xavier, particularly students of color. “His influence spanned generations and you knew you could go to him with any issue or to discuss any problem,” Whiteman said.

“Dr. Caesar’s presence and standing at Xavier was a safe space for students of color,” noted Marvin Thomas ’96, Associate Director of Admissions. “He was hard on us, but that was because he loved us. So squandering our talents and potential was never an acceptable option. Doc taught us to strive for greatness, and reaching your destination only meant that now the journey to the next goal would begin.”

Whiteman added, “As a basketball coach, he

Thanks to Whiteman’s leadership, the effort to endow the Caesar Scholarship permanently began earlier this year. Following his lead, several alumni are committed to building up the scholarship over the next several years. “I wanted to do something for Dr. Caesar to let him know what an influence he was and still is,” Whiteman noted. “He is loved by so many of us.”

From the basketball court to the classroom to the Assistant Headmaster’s Office and the Hall of Fame, Franklin Caesar left his mark at Xavier as a mentor and role model.

By endowing a scholarship in his name, his students seek to ensure his legacy lives on— from the boardrooms of Wall Street to the lecture halls of New England and right here on 16th Street. Indeed, Doc Caesar’s influence fans wide.

As Thomas concluded, “By supporting the scholarship in his name, I too am following in his footsteps by paying forward something much bigger than myself.”

Annual Report 2019-20 17

FINANCIALS

Last year, 4,151 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends strengthened Xavier with their financial gifts.

Every dollar is critical to Xavier’s continued ability to educate intelligent, motivated young men of diverse backgrounds and means.

Thank you.

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Xavier High School

2019-20 Operating Results Highlights REVENUE $16,249,032

TUITION AND FEES, NET STUDENT ACTIVITIES

$330,871

AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES

$767,102

NYS MANDATED SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT $654,094 ANNUAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS

$2,518,164

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS

$3,621,954

2% 11%

59%

13% 9%

$514,111

STUDENT, PARENT, AND ALUMNI EVENTS

$2,925,067

INVESTMENT INCOME

$27,580,395

2%

3%

1%

EXPENSES

49%

27%

INSTRUCTIONAL AND RELATED COSTS AUXILIARY PROGRAM EXPENSES

17%

6%

$11,936,410 $304,070

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

$1,521,366

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

$4,265,359

GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

$6,472,367

$24,499,572 1%

REVENUE AFTER EXPENSES

$3,080,823

Revenue surplus was mostly the result of contributions restricted to the endowment and not immediately available for operating.

Annual Report 2019-20 19

FINANCIALS

Gifts Summary $2,518,164 ANNUAL FUND

$1,922,452

ALUMNI

$234,087 CURRENT PARENTS $173,044 GRADUATE PARENTS $188,581 FRIENDS AND FOUNDATIONS

$6.3M

TOTAL RAISED

$413,623

FUNDRAISING EVENTS 2020 CELEBRATE

$413,623

XAVIER

SCHOLARSHIP

(VIRTUAL) GALA

$3,375,935

RESTRICTED AND OTHER MAJOR GIFTS $608,160

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Xavier High School

TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED SCHOLARSHIPS

$1,657,947

PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED SCHOLARSHIPS

$1,109,828

OTHER MAJOR GIFTS

Top Class Participation By Decade

1940s

44.4%

CLASS OF ’41

1950s

45.3%

CLASS OF ’54

38.6%

1960s

42.9%

1970s

2000s

CLASS OF ’80

16.9%

CLASS OF ’90 CLASS OF ’04

18.4%

2010s

32.8%

TOTAL ANNUAL GIVING BY CLASS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CLASS OF ’70

26.8%

1980s 1990s

CLASS OF ’63

CLASS OF ’19

PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPATION BY CLASS

FEWER THAN 150 MEMBERS

150 MEMBERS OR MORE

FEWER THAN 150 MEMBERS

150 MEMBERS OR MORE

1946............................ $304,475

1980.......................... $1,114,520

1938................................... 100%

1970.................................. 42.9%

1972............................ $208,877

1962............................$564,062

1954.................................. 45.3%

1962...................................37.7%

1966.............................$144,871

1965.............................$281,897

1941..................................44.4%

2019.................................. 32.8%

1961.............................$138,522

1964............................ $160,248

1958..................................44.2%

1965................................... 31.1%

1971...............................$85,363

1970............................. $131,522

1952......................................44%

1964..................................30.8%

1958...............................$72,987

1967.............................$104,971

1957...................................41.3%

1975.................................. 30.3%

1959...............................$68,716

1975...............................$93,843

1959.................................. 39.6%

1960...................................30.1%

1943.............................. $60,002

1977...............................$88,326

1972.................................. 38.7%

1967..................................28.8%

1968............................... $57,567

1978............................... $85,120

1963.................................. 38.6%

1973..................................28.2%

1963...............................$56,975

1969.............................. $64,294

1966..................................38.5%

1977...................................27.2%

Annual Report 2019-20 21

Why I Give

Why I Give

DAVID LOPEZ ’04

ANDRES BOTERO ’08

Special Agent, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “When I went to Xavier, I received a financial aid package—so when I was in a position where I was working and had steady employment, I began to give consistently. Xavier was a very formative experience for me, and it shaped a lot of who I am today—even more than college.

My time at Xavier was very important to me. The Regiment and the X-Squad were important to me. When I got married last year, friends from Xavier were in my wedding, including my best man. It’s just a great community to be a part of, even now as an alum.”

22

Xavier High School

Sales Representative, DATband ”I’ve given to Xavier all these years out of gratitude for what I received there—a highquality education, a stellar grounding in ethics, and an experience that I reflect upon and remember fondly. My four years at Xavier helped me become the man I am today, and I give so that other young men can have a similar experience.“

Why I Give

Why I Give

KEN JEAN-BAPTISTE ’11

LIAM GOLDFARB ’16

“I give back to Xavier because it’s a meaningful way of showing my appreciation for what Xavier gave to me. I was fortunate enough to attend Xavier on a scholarship, a scholarship made possible through the generosity of the Xavier community and its alumni. Without that scholarship, I would not have attended Xavier simply because my family couldn’t afford it. Through Xavier, I became the first in my family to graduate high school, the first to graduate college, and soon, I’ll be the first to earn a Ph.D. That’s not too shabby for a kid from a family of recent immigrants. For me, donating to Xavier means potentially fueling the dreams of other young men who seek to better themselves through education, but whose families may lack the means to fully support them. I don’t earn much on a graduate student stipend, but I try to give back when I can.”

”I give to Xavier to support making the experiences and opportunities I had on 16th Street accessible and affordable to everyone.

The personal growth I achieved during my four years there through academics, athletics, and service trips, as well as the lasting relationships built with faculty and fellow students, remain invaluable. My belief in Xavier’s mission was fostered by the care and attention to the Xavier families and communities in need following Superstorm Sandy during the first semester of my freshman year. Xavier continues to affirm my faith in its mission as a recent college graduate with the school’s compassionate assistance and outreach during this current pandemic. I hope that donations like mine (and my brother’s) will aggregate to allow Xavier to continue expanding its state-of-the-art facilities while remaining true to the school’s core values and teachings.“

Ph.D. Candidate, Genome Sciences, University of Washington Bioinformatician/Data Scientist

Recent Graduate, Bates College

Annual Report 2019-20 23

Ed Tweedy ’70 Establishes Scholarship to Honor His Father

In December 2019, Ed Tweedy ’70 established the James E. Tweedy, P.E. ’48 Memorial Scholarship in honor of his father, the late patriarch of a large, loyal Xavier family. “One of the many reasons for the scholarship is to be a living memorial for my father,” he said. “He served as a class agent until he died, and Xavier shaped him and his family.”

The Tweedy Scholarship will provide tuition assistance to students in need, with a preference for sons of members or former members of the United States Marine Corps, FDNY EMS, or first responders in and around New York City.

“My dad was a Marine, period,” Tweedy recalled. “It’s interesting to be brought up by a Marine officer—a man of duty and honor. In the true sense of being an officer, you feed the lowest first. You think of others before yourself. He learned that lesson at Xavier initially, and it was reinforced as a Marine officer.”

The apple didn’t fall far from the proverbial tree. After a long, lucrative business career, Ed Tweedy left a post at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at age 60 to serve as an EMT, and later a paramedic, with the FDNY. “Service is pounded into you at Xavier,” he said. “You’ve got to give back.”

Tweedy waves off gratitude for his service and his major gift to 16th Street, shifting attention to a long list of fellow Sons of Xavier. He pointed to the Doyle family, which established the Arthur J. Doyle ’75 Memorial Scholarship in honor of their late son and brother; his classmates Bobby Bennett ’70, Victor Bruno ’70, Jim Gildea ’70, Bill Presky ’70, Frank Tirelli ’70, Kevin Toner ’70, and Pat Yuen ’70 for their generosity to Xavier; and the way his classmates rallied to care for the late Herb Sebranek ’70† when he fell ill after devoting his life to the care of his parents.

“I’m following in a lot of footsteps,” Tweedy said.

SAVE THE DATE

Hall of Fame Dinner 2021

Daniel Cronin ’59

COL Peter Foley, USAF (Ret.) ’58†

Daniel Rodriguez ’58

James Morgan, M.D. ’82 P’12

Ramon Salomone, S.J. ’51†

Richard Nolan, Esq. ’83

Msgr. John Torney ’30†

Henry Woehling ’55

October 29, 2021 • 6 p.m.

Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers 24

Xavier High School

Michael Puglisi ’68

Class of 2020 College Acceptances Xavier’s 236 Sons of the Class of 2020 matriculated at 103 colleges and universities this fall. Twenty-five percent of the Class of 2020 matriculated at one of 13 Jesuit colleges or universities, and collectively, graduates amassed more than $40 million in academic scholarships. Though the end of their time on 16th Street was unusual and unprecedented, Xavier is proud to call these young men our loyal Sons and confident that they leave our hallowed halls equipped to transform the world for God’s greater glory.

Here are some of the outstanding institutions to which members of the Class of 2020 were accepted:

Boston College Boston University California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University Colgate University College of the Holy Cross Cornell University Emory University Fordham University Georgetown University

McGill University New York University Princeton University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stanford University The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Tufts University United States Military Academy

University College Dublin University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University Yale University

Profile of Xavier High School Founded: 1847 Type of School: Jesuit, Catholic, Independent College Preparatory 2019-20 Tuition and Fees: $19,425 Geography Bronx...............................................................5.9% Brooklyn........................................................23.7% Manhattan.....................................................31.8% Queens..........................................................19.5% Westchester/Rockland/CT/Greene/Orange.....2.6% Long Island......................................................2.9% New Jersey......................................................6.4% Staten Island...................................................7.2% Student Ethnicity American Indian..............................................0.3% Asian or Asian-American.................................5.8% Black or African-American...............................6.8% Hispanic or Latino............................................16% Multiracial.......................................................9.7% White/Other..................................................61.4% Faculty & Administration Number of Jesuits on Staff....................................3 Number of Laypersons on Staff.........................128 Number of Alumni on Staff.................................28 Student-to-Faculty Ratio............................... 13.5:1 Average Number of Years Teaching Experience for Faculty........................................................17 years

Annual Report 2019-20 25

ALL OF OUR CONTRIBUTIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Listed below are options to consider when making your gift.

CASH OR CHECK Gifts may be made by cash or check, payable to Xavier High School.

CREDIT CARD Credit card gifts may be made by visiting www.xavierhs.org/give, sending in an Annual Fund donation card complete with your credit card information, or calling the Advancement Office at 212–337–7611.

STOCKS OR SECURITIES A gift of appreciated stock generally offers a two–fold tax saving: avoiding capital gains tax on the increase in value of the stock and providing an income tax deduction for the full market value of the stock at the time of the gift. Gifts of stock are valued at the mean price on the date of transfer to Xavier. Stock donations should be transferred directly by your broker to Xavier’s brokerage account at Vanguard. For your convenience, visit www.xavierhs.org/stock and fill out the form to notify Xavier of the stock gift, or contact Mark Mongelluzzo (mongelluzzom@xavierhs.org or 212–901–5151) or Shane Lavin ’03 (lavins@xavierhs.org or 212–337–7611) with the details as soon as the gift is made or instructions are sent to your broker. This will ensure proper and timely crediting of the donation to your gift record and avoid any confusion as to the origin of the gift.

MATCHING GIFTS Many employers will match employees’ donations. This opportunity presents an additional source of income for Xavier and an easy way to leverage your gift into a larger donation. To find out if your company participates in a matching gift program, check with your human resources department or go to www.xavierhs.org/give, click on Employer Gift Matching, and search for your employer.

Donors must initiate the matching gift process, so be sure to secure the proper forms to forward with your gift to Xavier. Donors are given credit for their original gift and any matching gift they secure.

PLANNED GIFTS Donors may consider giving through such means as life insurance, bequests, or charitable trusts. Gift planning can be a way to reduce or avoid estate and inheritance taxes. We encourage you to speak with your financial planner when considering any type of planned gift.

Xavier is pleased to provide you, your attorney, or tax advisor with additional information and assistance. Keep in mind that this information is general in nature. Always contact your professional tax advisor to learn how this general information relates to your individual circumstances. We are grateful for your philanthropic support.

For more information, please visit http://xavierlarkinsociety.org or contact Mark Mongelluzzo, Director of Development, at 212–901–5151 or mongelluzzom@xavierhs.org.

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Xavier High School

SAVE THE DATE

10th Annual Celebrate Xavier Scholarship Gala

Friday, March 26, 2021 • Virtually Annual Report 2019-20 27

WHY I GIVE

Why I Give

By Vincent Handal ’80

It’s been 40 years since I graduated from Xavier, and rarely a day passes that I don’t think of my home on 16th Street with great pride and deep gratitude.

When I sat for a practice high school entrance exam sponsored by Xavier in the spring of 1976, I was a flighty seventh grader who was floundering academically and facing an uncertain future. So it was a bit of a surprise (or as my mother often says, “an absolute shock!”) when a few weeks later, Fr. Jim Keenan, S.J. invited my parents and me to discuss the possibility of enrolling at Xavier that fall. It’s fair to say that Xavier’s decision to offer me admission—let alone early admission—was a gutsy leap of faith. It proved to be a transformational lifeline that changed my life forever.

Over the next four years, Xavier challenged, motivated, and inspired me, gave me discipline and direction, and helped nurture and shape me into a better student and a better person. Like most Sons, I graduated Xavier very different from how I entered it. As I set forth into the world beyond 16th Street, I took with me a rock solid academic and spiritual foundation, enduring friendships that continue to thrive, and fantastic memories that will last my lifetime.

The debt that I owe to Xavier is immeasurable.

To me, there is no better way to—at least in part—pay down my debt than by passing along the blessings that I have enjoyed. That’s why I find it so rewarding to give to Xavier and help future generations of young Sons “keep marching” with the same exemplary Jesuit education and Xavier experience that I am forever thankful to have received.

A Xavier donor since 1986, Vincent Handal ’80 is a retired attorney. Last year, he established the Vincent† and Mary Jane Handal P’74 ’80 Scholarship in honor of his parents.

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Xavier High School

B OA R D O F T R U ST E E S

Board of Trustees 2019-20 Daniel Denihan ’65, Chair Tenth Avenue Holdings

Eileen Shashaty P’14, Vice Chair Rex Wyon Insurance

James Brennan ’92

Enlightened Brand Ventures

Joseph Buongiorno ’75 James Coster, Esq. ’83 Satterlee Stephens LLP

Michael Driscoll, Ed.D. ’78 Mount St. Mary’s University

Rev. Thomas Feely, S.J. Xavier Jesuit Community

Nelson Fernandez ’81

Crosby Street Consultants

Elliot Han ’94

Corporate Finance Executive

Antonio Miranda ’93 Littlejohn & Co.

John C. Meditz ’66 Horizon Kinetics LLC

John Muller, M.D. ’75

Hospital for Special Surgery

Kenneth L. Ng ’80 Edward O’Callaghan, Esq. ’87 P’17 ’20 WilmerHale

Rev. Mario Powell, S.J. Brooklyn Jesuit Prep

Standing, from left to right: Jack Raslowsky P’16, Daniel Denihan ’65, Eileen Shashaty P’14, James Brennan ’92, Rev. Mario Powell, S.J., James Coster, Esq. ’83, Sandy Sabean P’14, Rev. Thomas Feely, S.J., Antonio Miranda ’93, Brian Purnell, Ph.D. ’96, Linda Smith, Edward O’Callaghan, Esq. ’87 P’17 ’20, Joan Waters Cusanelli, John Muller, M.D. ’75, John Meditz ’66, Kenneth Ng ’80. Sitting, from left to right: Joseph Buongiorno ’75, Nelson Fernandez ’81, Paul Scariano ’90 P’19 ’21 ’23, Jim Power, Ed.D., Elliot Han ’94, John Shuhda ’83. Not Pictured: Michael Driscoll, Ed.D. ’78, Stephen Winter ’04.

Jim Power, Ed.D.

St. Anselm’s Abbey School

Brian Purnell, Ph.D. ’96 Bowdoin College

Jack Raslowsky P’16

President, Xavier High School

Sandy Sabean P’14 Womenkind

Paul Scariano ’90 P’19 ’21 ’23 Paul J. Scariano, Inc.

John Shuhda ’83

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.

Linda Smith

Linda A. Smith and Associates

Joan Waters Cusanelli Columbia University

Stephen Winter ’04 Related Companies

Board of Members Rev. Joseph Parkes, S.J., Chair Rev. Arthur Bender, S.J. Rev. James Coughlin, S.J. Rev. James T. Donovan, S.J. Rev. Thomas Feely, S.J. Rev. Louis Garaventa, S.J. Rev. James Keenan, S.J.

Board Transitions On June 30, the Xavier Board of Trustees completed an unprecedented year of work, supporting the school through the myriad challenges of the pandemic and confronting the realities of racial injustice.

Four trustees—Joseph Buongiorno ’75, James Coster, Esq. ’83, Michael Driscoll, Ed.D. ’78 and Brian Purnell, Ph.D. ’96—finished their terms on the Board. Their great dedication and service to Xavier was celebrated during the final meeting of the year, which was held virtually on June 8.

On July 1, several experienced trustees returned to the Board after a hiatus: Paul Enright ’91, managing partner at Krainos Capital; Richard Nolan, Esq. ’83, former Board Chair and partner at McCarter & English; and Peter Seccia ’85, global head of equity derivatives at Jeffries. New trustee John Cavoores ’75 also joined the Board. Cavoores has more than 40

years of experience in the insurance and insurtech industries and now serves as a private equity advisor.

The Board had a busy summer, meeting weekly by phone with the school leadership team and members of the COVID-19 Coordinating Committee to provide operational and strategic support as they worked on the school reopening plan.

In addition, at the end of the 2019-20 academic year Board Chair Dan Denihan ’65 appointed two Board task forces: The Task Force on Race and Racism, co-chaired by trustees Nelson Fernandez ’81 and Rev. Mario Powell, S.J., and the Strategic Planning Task Force, co-chaired by trustees Ken Ng ’80 and John Muller, M.D. ’75. Both task forces were hard at work during the summer months and began their work with the entire Board at the October 2020 meeting.

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S C H O O L

30 West 16th Street • New York, NY 10011–6302

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