the Annual Fund, so money budgeted for school operations was
used to close a budget shortfall. Mondo Super X track, weight-training facility, and locker facility
for faculty and staff).
Even with the economic setback, the campaign was able to reach
its goal by the end of year four, and by the end of the 2011 fiscal
year, the campaign raised over $25.4 million, surpassing the
original goal of $23 million, making it, at the time, the largest
capital campaign in school history. Over $10 million went towards
the school’s physical plant, in cluding the Boller Science Center, the
renovated art and music rooms, the fitness center, and the
faculty/staff locker rooms, as well as additional classrooms. By the start of the 2011-2012 school year, Fr. Boller was
beginning to think about life after the Prep. “When I came to
Fordham Prep, I figured I was going to be at the school eight to
ten years. The end of the capital campaign marked the end of
my seventh year at Fordham Prep, and so I figured it would be a
good time to think about when to step down.”
“It’s a challenge to raise funds during normal economic times,
but to raise that amount of money in the time frame that we did
is somewhat remarkable. It goes to show how generous and
loyal the Fordham Prep community truly is.”
Other notable accomplishments during Fr. Boller’s term included
increasing Hall of Honor membership and revising the program
to its current format, expanding retreat and service offerings to
students, adding crew and rugby to the Fordham Prep athletic
program, and renovating athletic facilities (turf field, a 242-meter
On May 30, 2012, Board of Trustees Chair John Neary ’87
formally announced Fr. Boller would be stepping down at the
end of the 2012-2013 school year, ending a nine year tenure at
Fordham Prep.
When reflecting on his time at the Prep, Fr. Boller said, “The
faculty and staff at Fordham Prep have always been strong and
continue to be strong. I inherited a good ship from Fr. Parkes,
and we continued to move the school forward. I enjoyed a
supportive relationship with Fr. McShane (President of Fordham
University) and he, in turn, was a great help. I will always look
back at my years at Fordham Prep very fondly.”
Christopher Devron, SJ
Fr. Devron was born in Providence, RI and grew up in Palantine,
Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. After working at Cardinal Spellman
High School in the Bronx and pursuing graduate studies in
theology, Fr. Devron joined the Jesuits in 1991 and returned to
New York, first teaching at the Gonzaga Middle School Program
for Boys in Harlem, then as director of the Loyola Youth Center
in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. After he was ordained in 2001, he
worked as the founding director of REACH (Recruiting Excellence
for Academics in Catholic High Schools). REACH, an initiative of
Regis High School, identifies, recruits and prepares academically
gifted middle school boys who could not otherwise afford a
Catholic, private secondary education, and assists their families
with scholarship opportunities at Regis, Fordham, Xavier, Loyola
and other top high schools in New York City.
In 2008, Fr. Devron was appointed the founding president of a
new Cristo Rey model high school, Christ the King Jesuit College
Prep on Chicago’s West Side. During his tenure at Christ the
King, he presided over the construction of its new $30 million
campus and steady growth in enrollment.
When Fordham Prep was seeking a successor to Fr. Boller 2012,
Fr. Devron’s provincial asked him to apply for the position.
“Looking at my own experience, starting at REACH at Regis, and
then moving on to help found a new Cristo Rey high school, the
possibility of going to Fordham Prep in a leadership role was
very exciting – especially since I came to know the Prep through
my work at REACH a few years earlier.” In early 2013, Fr. Devron
was named President of Fordham Prep.
Having just completed his fourth year at Fordham Prep, Fr. Devron
is in the unique position to reflect on the advancements under
previous presidents and building on their legacies toward the
future.
“Fordham Prep is built on the legacy of those who led the school
before I arrived, especially Frs. Parkes and Boller. Together with
the faculty, staff and school leadership, we have the opportunity
to secure the Prep’s future. As we invite our students to seek the
magis, we must push ourselves to set a bold vision of
continuous improvement in all areas: developing a curriculum
and our educational programming for 21st century learners;
advancing the mission of retreats,
S U M M E R 2017 | 25