an outstanding nurse or doctor, you have to be able to write well and speak well and have compassion and know some moral theology. The elements of liberal arts are woven through the educational experience, making students more well-rounded, more grounded, more focused on serving the greater good. That’s the value added piece.
How do you balance this with the cost? Parents are savvy shoppers. People are looking at schools based on the cost, and there is a dance being done between the price, the perceived quality, and the true out-of-pocket expenses. It’s a very complicated process and part of it is driven by the fact that loan programs are complicated and frightening. I’ve been working for the past year and a half with Congress to simplify the loan process. Right now, an investment banker and a teacher are paying back the same amount every month. It’s not a problem for the investment banker, but it really hurts the teacher. I don’t believe we need to create a paradigm where it’s debt-free. I had loans. It taught me what the value of my education was. Debt is okay if it’s reasonable. Parents need to be able to see what the long-term effect of that loan is, and not go into serious debt of their own to pay for that education. Why does the college need a capital campaign now? It’s been seven years since we had a capital campaign. We need to raise money and continue to improve the infrastructure, for increasing the endowment, and for programmatic growth. We need to be able to support students in a living and learning environment. When I first came here I asked about triples and it was frightening how many there were. We need to upgrade our current facilities and be more intentional about the living/learning environment so that there’s more interaction with faculty outside the
classroom. Another piece I think is important is athletics. We need to compete well, build winning teams, and produce quality student athletes.
How did you spend your first couple of months here? My first task here is listening to the community, getting out and meeting people and hearing their perspectives. That includes going beyond the campus and talking with prospective students and their families. I’ve heard about what we do well and what we need to improve. We shouldn’t just pat ourselves on our back, but act on the things we can improve on. What is it like to be the first non-monastic president here in our nearly 125 years? It’s a burden and I realize that, but it’s also what I am called to do. It’s a little daunting. But I felt very centered and calm after the decision was made. It’s the right decision for me, at the right time for the school. Abbot Mark and I talked about being on the same page. I know we’ll be successful. What kind of leader are you? I’m very passionate about what I do. I can be fairly intense at times—maybe that’s the native New Yorker in me—but people shouldn’t feel threatened in expressing their opinions. If everyone walks in and says we’re just wonderful, you never get better. A trust relationship is essential so that people are willing to criticize or disagree respectfully. I’m very much a people person. I maintain relationships over years and years. When it comes to leadership, you can read all the books and live out all the mantras from the gurus, but in the end you have to have the ability to motivate and engage with people and set a clear strategic direction.
COVER STORY
Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My grandfather, Reno Bracchi. I spent all my summers with him in Hopewell Junction, New York. My grandparents came from Italy on a boat, through Ellis Island. They settled on the east side of Manhattan, 43rd Street, and moved to Corona, Queens. My grandfather was a New York City police officer. In the 50s they went 72 miles north to Hopewell Junction. He and his brothers bought a 50-acre piece of land, and over eight years built a house together for each of the six siblings. When school let out, we all went up there. What did he teach you? I learned how to work the land, in his garden. I learned manners and respect. I learned to fish with him. I grew up with a wonderful sense of family. He built a huge table so all of us, 25 or 30 people sometimes, could eat together. We talked and laughed and heard about the family history and aspirations. We gained a sense of who we were and where we came from. I went to church with him every day. He taught me the power of prayer and why you should have a relationship with Christ and how you have to put your faith in Christ. This was a tremendous influence on me. My grandfather helped shape me as a young man and I became grounded as a human being.
What kinds of books do you read? I just read Mornings on Horseback, a biography of Teddy Roosevelt’s early years, which was just fascinating. I loved Angela’s Ashes and Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt. There is a book by Denzel Washington called A Hand to Guide Me, which is a collection of essays by famous people about the mentors in their lives. 21