Headmaster Alex Zequeira Appointed President of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy
Dear Saint John’s Alumni, Families, and Friends,
As our Saint John’s community looks to welcome our incoming Head of School, Benjamin Horgan ’05, Ed.D. this coming July, we write today to share the news that Mr. Alex Zequeira P’19, who has served as a dedicated, mission-forward leader since his appointment as Headmaster in 2016, has been named the President of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, effective July 1, 2024.
Headmaster Alex Zequeira first joined the Saint John’s community in 2015 in the role of a current parent - witnessing firsthand the transformative experience of his son. Inspired by our mission and strength of community, we were proud to appoint Mr. Zequeira as the 18th Headmaster in July of 2016. Prior to his current role, he served as the President of Nativity School of Worcester, an institution he helped to open in 2003 as its founding principal. In many ways, this opportunity is a return to his roots as St. Ignatius Loyola is a Nativity-model school, like Nativity Worcester, that provides a tuition-free private Jesuit school transforming the lives of boys in grades five through eight from underserved neighborhoods. In conversations regarding this opportunity, Mr. Zequeira shared, “I have been blessed to be part of our Pioneer community as a parent, headmaster, friend, and colleague. These last eight years have been deeply meaningful for my family and for me. I am excited to join the St. Ignatius Loyola Academy community. Its mission is inspiring and transformative - one that is clearly animated by the spirit and vision of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits and impacts the students and graduates. I look forward to working with this remarkable community as we work together to take this incredible school to new heights and continue to foster a future filled with educational excellence and boundless opportunities.”
We want to express our sincere appreciation to Alex for his stewardship of our community for the past seven years and look forward to his continued leadership during the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Due in great part to Alex’s leadership we opened the Br. Robert Treanor, C.F.X. Middle School Division, the Gregory Academic Center, and the Thomas J. Kelley '50, P'79 Makerspace for Engineering and Robotics; installed lights and turf on Pioneer Field; increased our endowment and strengthened the financial stability of the school; expanded the school’s educational and student support programing; and navigated the COVID-19 crisis with skill and compassion. He was also instrumental in crafting Purpose, People & Preparation, our strategic plan that will guide our community through the next five years. This strategic plan focuses on excellence in teaching and learning, creating a curriculum of care in support of community wellness, developing a deeper sense of belonging among all community members, and prioritizing the celebration and promotion of the many opportunities of the Saint John’s experience. We are lucky to have had - and continue to have - a leader with tremendous expertise and an even-larger mission-forward outlook. We are truly grateful.
Mr. Zequeira’s legacy at Saint John’s is one of thoughtful collaboration, enthusiastic stewardship, and a genuine belief in our Catholic and Xaverian mission. As members of the Saint John’s Board of Trustees, we are proud of the exemplary progress and strengthened foundations delivered through his service to Saint John’s. We also look forward to continuing our partnership as he continues to serve our community through June and we set our sights on a promising and exciting future.
Please join us in congratulating Mr. Zequeira on this next chapter of his career as a Catholic school leader. We are certain St. Ignatius Loyola Academy has gained a terrific leader as a result of his wisdom, servant leadership, and dedication to the formation of its students.
Sincerely,
Tom Buckingham ’95
Chair, Board of Trustees
