Presidential Announcement

Dear Members of the St. Joseph’s Prep Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the Board’s unanimous election and appointment of John F. Marinacci as the 33rd President of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. Mr. Marinacci will begin his role on or shortly before July 1, 2021.

Mr. Marinacci currently serves as Principal at Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit college preparatory school in Towson, MD, for grades 6 through 12, a role he has held since 2014. He has spent his career in education, serving for several years as an English teacher and coach at Fordham Preparatory School in Bronx, NY, and Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore, MD, followed by nine years as teacher, coach, and Dean of Students at St. Paul’s School in Brooklandville, MD.

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Marinacci is a product of Jesuit education, having graduated from Fordham Prep where he credits the Jesuits and their lay collaborators as exceptional teachers and role models who helped form him in mind, body, and spirit. He continued his Jesuit education and formation at Loyola University Maryland, earning his bachelor’s degree in English and Writing. Subsequently, Mr. Marinacci completed a master’s degree in Liberal Arts at Johns Hopkins University and a certificate program in Diversity and Inclusion through Cornell University.

At Loyola Blakefield, Mr. Marinacci has been focused on improving the student experience and seeking opportunities to embrace 21st-century learning techniques tailored to meeting boys where they are in their social and intellectual development. He has led and overseen the school’s enrollment management strategies in a highly competitive Catholic and independent school environment in the greater Baltimore region. With the encouragement and support of Loyola’s president, Mr. Marinacci has been engaged in developing and managing the school’s budget, leading strategic and operational plans, and stewarding donor relationships and soliciting philanthropic support for the school.

As President of the Prep, Mr. Marinacci will also serve in the important role as Director of the Work for the Society of Jesus. In appointing the school’s first lay president, the search committee and Board of Trustees paid particular attention to this essential role. While lay presidents of Jesuit high schools are commonplace, the first lay president for any school is an important milestone. Mr. Marinacci’s thoughtfulness in this regard stood out in the search process. He is steeped in Ignatian values and teachings, and the Board and Society of Jesus are confident he will be an outstanding leader of the mission for our school.

I would like to conclude by extending thanks and recognition. First, to Rev. John W. Swope, S.J. ‘72, for his service and contributions to the Prep during his six years as President. He has worked hard to position the Prep for success for years to come, and his impact through the strategic plan and the For Others Forever campaign will be lasting. Second, to the search committee for their time, dedication, and diligence to this process and outcome: Ms. M. Shawn Bort P '10 (Chair), Mr. David D. Clark P '11 '19, Michael D. Gayda, Esq. ’72, Mrs. Joan Hilferty P '14, '16, Fr. Daniel K. Lahart, S.J., Fr. Joseph Parkes, S.J. (Provincial Assistant for Secondary Education) and Mr. Derek Redcross '81. Third, and very importantly, to the faculty, staff, and entire Prep community for their patience and support during the search process but also everything they are doing to educate and care for the students of the Prep during this most challenging time.

Please join me in welcoming John F. Marinacci, his wife, Sarah, and their three children to St. Joseph’s Prep.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark C. Reed ‘92

Chair, Board of Trustees