The Saint Paul’s Board of Trustees has selected Mr. Joe Dickens as the school’s next president, replacing interim president Trevor Watkins. Dickens will officially begin in his new role on June 1, 2024, being fully established for the 2024-25 school year.
After several months of consideration and interviewing people nationwide, the Board felt the best candidate was already on campus, leading the school as principal.
Mr. Dickens has been at Saint Paul’s for over 20 years and has served in many different positions, such as being a football Coach, English teacher, English Department chair, assistant principal, and this past year, becoming principal. His dedication and excellent leadership skills toward Saint Paul’s over the years have been much appreciated and respected by those in the Saint Paul’s community.
His promotion comes after a few years of change in the leadership positions at Saint Paul’s.
Brother Raymond Bulliard, F.S.C., the 17th President of Saint Paul’s School, served for 36 years, the longest active streak for someone to be the President of a Lasallian School in the nation. In April 2023, Brother Ray passed away several months after being diagnosed with cancer.
Dickens hopes to carry on Brother Ray’s legacy and the Saint Paul’s traditions that he created. “It is exciting and humbling to be named. I want Saint Paul’s to continue to feel like Saint Paul’s. This is a special place, and under my leadership, our traditions will be kept alive,” Dickens stated.
One of the first challenges that Mr. Dickens will face is potentially spending less time in the classroom. “Teaching has stoked my curiosity and turned me into a life-long learner. Although someone becomes a teacher, they still learn something new every day and even put to use what they learn to benefit their students’ education,” Dickens stated.
Accordingly, Mr. Dickens will continue to teach an English class at Saint Paul’s next year in addition to his new role as president. This can show others that even the head of the school teaches a class while maintaining Saint Paul’s School and making important decisions every day.
Trevor Watkins (Saint Paul’s class of 1979), who has served as interim president of Saint Paul’s for the past year and a half, had only positive remarks to say about Mr. Dickens when asked about his feelings toward him becoming the new president of Saint Paul’s School. “He’s ready. There’s nobody more prepared for this position than Dickens.”
In fact, Watkins announced the decision to the student body in the gym on the morning of February 6, 2024, and then sent out a formal letter to the Saint Paul community confirming the decision.
Watkins said he will remain as interim president to assist with the transition until Dickens officially takes over the role this summer. After that, he will remain in an advisory role for Dickens as he once did for Bulliard.
While he wants to keep some of Saint Paul’s finest traditions, he does expect positive change in certain areas that he feels the school can improve. “It’s incredibly important to maintain the mission and traditions of Saint Paul’s. I also want to continue facility development, increase our endowment, and maintain our academic excellence. We will always be in a mode of continuous improvement,” Dickens stated.
Mr. Matt Pinero, Saint Paul’s curriculum coordinator, who has worked with Mr. Dickens for a decade, believes he is the right man for the job, especially since he has worked side-by-side with Brother Ray.
Saint Paul’s President’s Assemblies were truly one of Brother Ray’s favorite traditions. The students would enter the gym while Bro. Ken Boesch, F.S.C., is playing the piano to some of Brother Ray’s favorite classical music, such as George Frideric Handel’s Water Music. Handle’s Water Music is composed of a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites.
Mr. Dickens said he is confident that he will make Brother Ray proud by continuing to lead the school just as he did, especially in ways like this.
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