Welcome! One of the first things I noticed upon arriving at Saint John's in the summer before the 2018-2019 school year was the deep-rooted sense of warmth, closeness and family the community here exudes. What's great about this familial environment is that it's welcoming to all individuals, regardless of what city you live in, where you might have been before, your socio-economic status and even what faith you prescribe to: Here at Saint John's, we strive to serve with humility, love and respect, in the true image of Jesus Christ, and we lead our students to do the same.
Professional Experience: I'm proud to be a product of Catholic schools myself, and went to elementary at Presentation and high school at Hill-Murray, both in Maplewood. I earned my master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, and my degree in school administration and as an education specialist in curriculum, instruction and assessment from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. I came to Saint John's in the 2018-2019 school year with 20 years of experience in education, as a teacher, guidance conselor and dean of students.
I've been married to my beautiful and supportive wife, Angela (Hill-Murray High School, ’93), for almost 20 years. We have two lovely and talented daughters attending St. Ambrose of Woodbury: Allyssa (eighth grade), who keeps us busy with her figure skating schedule; and Brooklyn (sixth grade), who takes up the rest of our evenings with her dance at nearby Larkin.
Educational Philosophy: The future of education is rooted in serving the "whole child," not just academically, but also spiritually and emotionally, and that's the vision I bring to Saint John's. We have an integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (C-STEM) curriculum at Saint John's, that is both progressive from kindergarten through eighth grade, and integrated into every subject, every day of the week. The "C" in "C-STEM" stands for "Catholic," because we also infuse our faith and prayer into each day's activities. It is my mission to make all of our alumni college- and career-ready ... even before hitting high school.
Lastly, but most importantly, Saint John's has a long history of involving family in the learning process, which matches exactly with my educational philosophy. I believe relationships are core to a successful Catholic-school culture, and I look forward to developing and fostering relationships with even more new families in the years to come.