The 2024-25 academic year is Mike’s 12th year at St. Mary’s as school President. This year, though, will be his 2nd year as President of the “new” St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School. On September 26, 2022, the Archdiocese announced their intent to close St. Mary’s at the end of the school year. Mike’s response was that this could not be allowed to happen given how important the school is to the young men being served and to the Dutchtown community which would be devastated to lose the “anchor” of its neighborhood. Mike and the Board of Directors led the school community to mobilize and quickly negotiated a new lease agreement with the Archdiocese and a new sponsorship agreement with the Society of Mary (the Marianists). A capital campaign, “The Work Is Ours,” was started with a goal of raising $12 million over the next 5 years and in the first 5 months $5.3 million was raised.
Under Mike’s leadership a partnership with the trade unions and the Missouri Works Initiative resulted in St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School becoming the first and only high school in the state of Missouri to offer a Pre-apprenticeship program in the trades as a part of its curriculum. In its first year 13 students completed the course earning their OSHA 10 certification which will allow them after graduation, if they so choose, to select from 15 trades they were exposed to in the program and join immediately as a paid apprentice.
Mike and St. Mary’s High School were also instrumental six years in starting a new non-profit, the St. Joseph Housing Initiative, that purchases and renovates homes around St. Mary’s, most being vacant, and then selling them to low/moderate income families allowing them to build family wealth/equity through home ownership. As of today 13 families have become first time home owners of SJHI properties and 5 properties are currently under renovation. The offices of SJHI are located at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic.
In June, 2023, Mike was selected to St. Louis Magazine’s 2023 A-List recognizing the efforts of community leaders “Shaping the Region” and in January, 2024, was selected to the St. Louis Titan 100, an award that recognizes St. Louis’ Top 100 CEO’s and C-level executives.
