Palmer Trinity School

28 W W W. PA L M E R T R I N I T Y. O R G standpoint, the best thing I can do is be a great coach," he says. "Support those teams, give them encouragement, set the tone, set the expectations, give them resources, but ultimately, when we work together, we become much stronger —from the top down. Some teams are created in a formal way, some just come together, but that spirit of collaboration is very important to me." 'Team' is not merely a tidy metaphor for Patrick; he truly believes that his good fortune with teammates is what brought him to Palmer Trinity. He credits certain teammates, his mentors, with shepherding him along the right path. Besides Mary Ellen Lowry, there was Brad Gioia, the Head of School at MBA. Brad asked Patrick to lead the Annual Giving program, given Patrick's unique position as alum, teacher, and coach. is work made Patrick contemplate being a Head of School himself one day. Patrick's father suggested that if he was thinking along those lines, he should meet Harvey Sperling, who became another important mentor. At that time, Harvey was Head of School at University School in Milwaukee and had been involved in education for more than two decades. Patrick shadowed Harvey, who gave him the confidence he needed to know that he could be the leader he wanted to be. Today, Harvey sits on Palmer Trinity's Board of Trustees. "ere are lots of definitions of leadership," Harvey explains, "but vision, integrity, humility, compassion and a bit of mirth are at the core, and Patrick models them brilliantly." "Another real mentor for me is David Booring. He was the Associate Head of University Liggett School. I learned all about the business side of schools from David. We spent a lot of time together focusing on the Admissions and Business side of school life," remembers Patrick. Matthew Hanley, Patrick's boss at University Liggett School in Grosse Point Woods, Michigan, was another instrumental person on his path. Patrick was working as the Director of Admissions and Financial Assistance at that time. "Matthew was a tough manager and taught me the importance of details," Patrick says. us, Patrick greatly values the importance of details and preparedness. He wants Palmer Trinity students to be prepared, and not just for the purpose of securing good jobs and financial security. ey should be prepared to partake in the important discussions of our day, and Patrick worries that social media can be a distraction from achievement. "Social media has a lot of good things that come from it, but I worry about our students being able to have a good discussion, to stay off their devices long enough to interact with each other, to connect socially and emotionally. Being able to sit down and have a mature conversation is critical to healthy relationships," he says. Connected to his vision of preparedness is his belief that discipline is essential, but not, perhaps, in the way that discipline is usually touted. Patrick thinks that discipline helps one be more accountable to the team and to oneself. It requires discipline to give oneself a moment's grace before responding to our accepted life of immediacy. He expressed, "I speak all the time about the fact that it is okay if it takes a day to get back to someone on an email. Sometimes we need to think through ideas before sending an instantaneous response. It takes real discipline to turn off the phone at night. It takes discipline to sit and engage. We need to do that as a community. ese devices are tools for us, but they should not mandate or run our lives. We need the discipline to use them properly." Interestingly, visionaries sit at a unique intersection. ey are present, disciplined, and welcome collaborative big picture ideas for the future. ey are also ignited by curiosity and imagination which propels them out into the world, often into unfamiliar territory. For Patrick, this is where his life in education has brought him. Patrick's personal education came from both formal training and a lot of volunteer work. He joined the Volunteer Action Council in college and worked at the Boys Club in Richmond, Virginia coaching basketball and football, as well as organizing tutors. He went into communities to learn what resources they needed, and then raised funds for them (even getting his fraternity involved in fundraising for the Boys Club). His formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and communications from the University of Richmond, and a master's in educational leadership and administration and supervision from Lipscomb University in Tennessee. "Every day I learn something new. Whether it is a perspective that I might not have been aware of or a new approach, every day I am learning," he says. "I think that concept is critical for educators. As educators, when we say 'we know it all,' I think it's time to retire. e attitude needed is that I am going to learn something today. I am going to come out better today than when I started. I need to put myself in a position to learn." It's tempting to think that being a good listener and being open-minded and curious are all that is needed to create a visionary, but with that curiosity comes change and work. Always work. As retired Brazilian soccer superstar Pele says, "Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." Patrick ascribes to that statement, and has used Pele's words as a central message to the Class of 2017. It is easy to look at a career like Patrick's and see a clear trajectory for success, but Patrick knows that the work came first, "I am not afraid to take on any task. I hope I model collegiality. I have

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