With Gratitude: Arthur Raimo’s Decade of Leadership

With Gratitude

ARTHUR RAIMO’S

DECADE OF LEADERSHIP

Nearly 60 years ago, Arthur Raimo began his professional career delivering the New York World-Telegram. Now, after 48 years in Catholic education, he is set to retire. Before Raimo spent 10 years serving as president at the Academy of the Holy Names, he was president at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. His career also included time as a history teacher, principal, summer camp director and even bus driver.

This summer, he and his wife, Maureen, will relocate to North Carolina, where he looks forward to a peaceful retirement. While he has no set plans, Raimo is excited to spend time with his kids and grandkids, travel, become involved in a new church, and finally get to the stack of books he has been collecting. At the Academy, the physical evidence of his time as president will be around for years to come. Still, the Academy will remember President Raimo for his kindness, generosity of spirit, and ability as a true servant leader.

The Accord staff sat down for a final Q&A with President Raimo and edited his responses for brevity and clarity.

What makes the Academy so special?

The Sisters — their vision, values and charism. Everything about them is part of the school’s culture and everyday life. It has been one of the great privileges of my professional life to work with the Sisters and get to know them. It is a duty and responsibility that I have taken very seriously.

Who inspired you?

Brother Bonaventure Scully; he was the principal who first hired me at Good Counsel. I learned a lot from him; most of all, it is important to have a vision, be willing to change and try new things. I learned that you have to have a vision and make changes when appropriate, but you also have to lay a lot of groundwork and spend time making sure people are in a good place before you make substantial change.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Have the courage of your convictions right from the start. When you have plotted a course, and you’ve taken the time and made the effort to get people on board, have the courage to stick to it even if you know that not everyone will agree. As a leader, whenever you make a decision, there will always be some part of the community that won’t agree. But, if you think it’s the right thing and a majority agrees, you have to stick to it.

What is the most important message an Academy student should learn?

Service to others should be part of everyone’s life. If we are serious about the Gospel message to love God and love your neighbor as yourself, we have to look at how we practice that daily. One way to do that is to go beyond what makes us comfortable and extend a helping hand to others who need it more. If our students graduate with a sense of the importance of giving to others and giving of themselves to others, we have accomplished a great deal. During a student’s time at the Academy, they grow in wisdom, age and grace. To the extent we can help them in these areas is how we measure success.

Since you started, how has the Academy changed?

The most obvious change is to the physical facility. The people I’ve hired and worked with on the administrative team have been transformational, particularly Bridgid Fishman, Stephanie Nitchals and Pam Doherty. Our enrollment has increased dramatically. We have seen the expansion of the campus ministry program; we are offering more mission trips. We have added new AP courses and have more kids taking AP exams. The work we’ve begun in diversity and inclusion is very important, and I hope it continues. All of this has made the school better.

How has the Academy remained the same?

The Sisters are the school’s bedrock, and even if they are not physically present, it’s our responsibility to ensure their established mission and vision continues. The core belief in the Sisters’ values — hospitality, service to the poor or marginalized, dedication to women and children, dedication to justice — has to remain important at the school. We have to find ways to live their values and instill them in the students so future generations who won’t have contact with the Sisters understand why we are different from other Catholic schools. The Sisters make us special.

What is your favorite memory in your career?

I met my wife when we were young teachers at Good Counsel. She was a chemistry teacher. In terms of all of the great memories, that would be the top. If she hadn’t come to Good Counsel, my history certainly would have been different.

Favorite Academy memory?

In my second year, I surprised my wife at the Junior Ring Ceremony by replacing the class ring she had stolen many years ago. She attended the Academy of the Holy Names in Silver Spring, Maryland. She got a big round of applause when she came up and I put it on her finger. That’s the one speech that I have given that people have remembered.

What have you learned?

Providing good leadership is challenging, and it’s not something you can do as an individual. Good leaders are successful because they have strong, good people around them. A good leader does not worry about being outshined by people who work for him or her. The most important thing about leadership is putting the right people in place so that the community benefits.

What will you miss?

The people, my colleagues, interactions with the students. Going to games and plays; seeing the students outside of the classroom in activities that are important to them. I’ve always tried to be present at different events, so the students know that I felt what they are doing is important.

What do you want your legacy at the Academy to be?

I took the Sisters’ mission to heart, and I tried my best to keep it at the forefront of all the decisions I made. I tried to make sure all the actions I took and all the words I said were consistent with their beliefs. I held the Sisters front and center, and I really feel their mission, vision and values are the school’s lifeblood.

Tributes

FROM HIS PEERS

Art created the mission effectiveness role to assure that the charism and mission of the Sisters would continue in the school even when there might not be an SNJM on campus. When he started, six Sisters worked in the school, and three others volunteered. Next year, there will only be one SNJM on campus. With this position, the Academy community — students, faculty, staff, boards and parents — will have opportunities to learn about the Sisters and their mission. As a result of his forward-thinking approach, the Academy has a charism formation program and a charism mission curriculum, and our school community can learn about the Sisters’ work here in Tampa and throughout Florida in the Holy Names Heritage Center.

– Sister Ann Regan, SNJM

There are two things I think would surprise people about Art. First, it is no secret that Art is a huge New York Yankees fan, but did you know that he is also a fan of renegade country singing legend Johnny Cash? And Christmas music. He loves Christmas music! Second, Art frequently reads his Bible. In fact, he is always reading! His favorite paper is National Catholic Reporter, and he looks forward to its weekly delivery on Friday in traditional print. Working so close beside him for 10 years, I will miss his empathy and compassion for others. I will miss the soft heart that lives within him beneath his signature gravelly voice.

– Executive Assistant Maureen Martineau

A decade ago, Mr. Raimo and I became leaders together at AHN the same year. I remember being a little nervous, quite honestly, because I did not know what to expect. However, it was immediately apparent that Mr. Raimo was dedicated to the students, from pre-K to the seniors. From opening car doors every morning on the front driveway to advising for the high school mission trips and attending countless arts and athletic events, he has always been accessible to our community. Words my colleagues and I use to describe him include spiritual, authentic, inspiring, diplomatic and visionary. He has pushed me to be a better leader, and I am so grateful to have worked for him. He made AHN a better place, and he will always have a home here.

– Elementary School Principal Bridgid Fishman

I consider Art one of my closest friends at AHN. We would share ideas, debate topics, laugh and cheer on the girls every step of the way. Art is the embodiment of a servant leader. He tries to get everyone what they need to be successful. When I first started, I would often bristle as I felt he was getting too involved in the school’s academics, an area dear to his heart. You could often hear me yelling, “Get out of my lane.” But over time, that relationship evolved; I appreciated his presence, and he appreciated mine. I think the girls benefited from that collaborative approach. Art was extremely close to the Sisters here and took their advice often. He also took personal care of them without any fanfare or even anyone really noticing. He gave out of genuine care and concern. Art was committed to service and getting students out into the community and working right alongside them. I think that people would be surprised to know how deep his faith is.

– High School Principal Stephanie Nitchals

During Art’s tenure, he always cultivated a great relationship with and respect for the Sisters of the Holy Names. Under his leadership, AHN academics strengthened at all grade levels and now include STEM classes and an increased emphasis on the arts. In addition, his introduction of 21st-century learning processes, emphasis on increased use of technology for students and faculty, and insistence on the necessary facility renovations required to implement this vision have allowed a level of increased collaboration between students that is necessary for success at the next level of education. Over the coming years, as our AHN students enter an extremely competitive work environment that increasingly places importance and emphasis on critical thinking, collaboration and communication, they will have been well-served by Art’s contributions to our Academy community.

– Former Board of Trustees Chair Chip Yodzis

A DECADE AT A GLANCE

A Decade

AT A GLANCE

Under President Raimo’s leadership, the Academy has evolved to provide the best environment for our students to develop in an increasingly digital and economically focused workspace.

GROWTH IN THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

The school spent $35 million on capital improvements, including:

• Artificial turf on the athletic fields and playgrounds. • A new parking garage. • The 40,000-square-foot Bailey Family Center for the Arts, which features a 350-seat theatre. • Completely redesigned middle and high schools that feature 21st-century learning environments, state-of-the-art technology, science labs, makerspaces, learning studios and learning commons. • Design plans for the lower school’s future renovation. • The Holy Names Heritage Center, a museum-quality space to permanently house the school’s extensive archives and showcase the history of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

GROWTH IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

• The middle and high schools transitioned to block scheduling to better use the 21st-century teaching and learning modalities. • The Academy’s robust academic course offerings grew, and extracurricular activities expanded to include instrumental and performing arts programs. • The school launched an innovative partnership with Apple to provide students with state-of-the-art tools and technology.

GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT

• Enrollment increased from 793 students to 968 students. • Nearly every grade from pre-K through 12 has a waitlist. • Faculty and staff numbers increased 40% to accommodate the growing demand.

GROWTH IN FAITH

• The addition of a mission effectiveness coordinator ensures the Sisters’ mission and charism remain a focus for future generations. • New mission trips will accommodate student interest. • Continuing the school’s work in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion will help all members of the Academy community feel safe and valued.