Working Smart
By John C . Dearie ’ 95
Dear Reader , This article is written in celebration of Esther Formosa and her incredible years of service . It is prepared in the style of a Letter of Recommendation . By my calculations , Esther has read and edited nearly 1,000 letters drafted between my predecessor , Michael Imbelli , and me . It is with deep appreciation of her keen eye for detail , grammar , tone , and , most importantly , humor that the below letter is written in tribute to all she has done for our school . I hope you enjoy the read .
Best regards , John
Summer 2024
Dear Committee ,
This letter concerns Esther Formosa who is an applicant for retirement in the spring of 2024 . I have known Esther for 25 years , having had the pleasure of working with her while based in the Alumni and Development Offices and then , more recently , in the Secondary School Counseling Office . Esther has spent her entire Saint David ’ s career working in the Headmaster ’ s Office , spanning two headmasters in that time . She started at Saint David ’ s in October of 1998 after answering an ad in Our Town . As is her nature and the nature of the role , Esther did much and without nearly enough recognition . In short , Esther ’ s time at Saint David ’ s has been busy , and well balanced and inspired by the four pillars , which represent our school : academics , athletics , arts and spirituality .
Esther Formosa has shared many of her gifts and talents with our school , which will be noted below in greater detail . She has a passion for organization and developing and streamlining systems . She is smart , industrious , intellectually curious , and a self-starter who gets
4 • Saint David ’ s Magazine