Jeffrey S. Hillier ’76, President of the Board of Trustees (2022–2024)

As I reflect on my first year as President of the Board of Trustees I am filled with gratitude and admiration for St. Mark’s. Our school is blessed with great leadership, a stellar faculty, talented and motivated boys, dedicated parents and alumni, extraordinary financial strength, and a passionate and committed Board of Trustees. We are experiencing unprecedented demand for a St. Mark’s education, and we are receiving unprecedented financial support from the entire St. Mark’s community. 

All of that said, one of the things I admire most about this community is its refusal to rest upon its laurels. The Board, our Headmaster, our faculty and administration, and all of you, are constantly seeking to move the school forward. There is no more tangible example of this than the rapidly rising Marksman Athletic Complex. The vision, hard work, and generosity of so many of you have turned an ambitious dream into a reality. Following its completion in early 2025, generations of Marksmen will learn, gather, and compete in this inspiring space.

With the construction of the Marksman Athletic Complex well underway, the Board has shifted its focus to advancing other strategic priorities established in Goals for St. Mark’s IV (“GFSMIV”). Chief among these priorities is materially increasing the School’s endowment through a comprehensive, multi-year capital campaign. This campaign, now in the planning stage, will allow St. Mark’s to fulfill all of the aspirations set forth in GFSMIV, principally:

  • Increasing financial aid in order to enroll the most qualified students regardless of financial need;
  • Moderating future tuition growth to enhance access and affordability; and
  • Ensuring the continuing ability to recruit, retain, and support the most qualified, talented, and effective faculty and professional staff.

There is no doubt in my mind that in the years ahead this community will conclude a successful capital campaign that will continue to ensure a bright future for St. Mark’s.

I have attended many community events over the past year, both on and off campus, as well as across the country. What I have observed at these many events is a passion for St. Mark’s among alumni and parents as well as a sense of mutual respect and care for one another among the boys, faculty, and administration. That this passion, mutual respect, and care exists is no accident, but is the result of an intentional, two-decade-long effort by St. Mark’s to focus on leadership, ethics, and community. It is also a testament to the steady and inspiring leadership of David Dini and his team, for which we should all be grateful. 

I will close by thanking all of you for what you do to make St. Mark’s such a special place. As an alumnus, as a parent of two graduates, and as President of the Board of Trustees, I am grateful for the contributions and commitment of every member of this special community. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside you to move St. Mark’s forward.
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