From the Director of Development

Jim Bob Womack ’98, Director of Development

The 2017-2018 school year represented an amazing period of growth at St. Mark’s. As we reflected on our past and looked ahead to our future, we witnessed change at every turn. With the launch of Goals for St. Mark’s IV, we cemented our path for the coming years, and there was no better representation of this forward momentum than the ongoing Science Center Project. Students arrived for the new school year to find an empty plot of land where the planetarium, lecture hall, and C-Wing once stood. Throughout the year the foundation for our future in science education was laid, and the incredible steel structure grew out of the ground. Today, visitors take note of the Winn Science Center’s impressive copper dome, and we are prepared for the renovation of the existing McDermott-Green Science Building. This project truly highlights the importance of science education to our “whole boy” approach and preserves the legacy that the McDermott and Green families set forth for St. Mark’s.

At the topping-off ceremony of the Winn Science Center last January, Class President Edward Ro ’18 spoke on behalf of his fellow seniors. I was struck by his thoughtful approach to change. Edward acknowledged that while the Class of 2018 may not learn in the new space, they feel a part of all that might transpire because of it. He stated, “The members of the Class of 2018 hope that by signing the final beam and capping off the construction of the Winn Science Center, we are leaving behind a small gift to the energetic and bright-eyed future innovators and pioneers that I see in the front row.” Edward, now a Cadet at the Air Force Academy, speaks for all Marksmen in his understanding that St. Mark’s cannot sit still if we are going to remain a School and a community that impacts the world.

To move us forward, it takes the entire community. The many parents volunteering in every capacity across campus, alumni engaging in the classroom, in their reunions, and at events across the country, and parent and alumni participation rates in the St. Mark’s Fund consistently reaching among the highest in the nation – these are just some of the many testaments to the strength, commitment, and devotion of our community. It is the investment of time, energy, and resources of our faculty, parents, alumni, Trustees, grandparents, and Parents of Alumni who define the Marksman experience for our boys and ensure the same for future generations.

Thank you for making St. Mark’s a place we can all call home. We are honored to work alongside you, and I cannot thank you enough for your ongoing support and the difference you continue to make in the lives of our boys.