ANNOUNCING OUR NEW XAVIER PRESIDENT
On behalf of the Xavier High School Board of Directors, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr. Rick Misenti ’72, as Xavier’s President, the first-ever to be an alumnus of our school. After a thorough process, the Search Committee unanimously recommended Mr. Misenti to the Board of Directors, who voted, also unanimously, in support of his appointment as President.
Having served as the Interim President, Mr. Misenti has already made great strides as Xavier’s leader, and we are blessed to elevate Mr. Misenti to his role as President. With enthusiasm and zeal, he drives a school culture that fosters excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. We are excited to have chosen an exceptional leader deeply aligned with our core values, having lived them since 1968 when he began as a freshman at Xavier, who is ready to move our strategic priorities forward in a manner that advances Xavier’s mission.
“To be selected as Xavier’s first alumnus serving as President provides me the opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with world class teachers, a talented and inspirational student body, and families living throughout the 71 towns served by Xavier who unconditionally support our school” Misenti said. “But most important, I get to work with four Xaverian brothers teaching at Xavier, who have committed their lives to serving Jesus Christ and carry on the Xaverian values of those brothers who came before.”
ABOUT RICK MISENTI
Nearly fifty years since he graduated, Mr. Misenti returns to Xavier with a wealth of leadership experience in the field of education. Since 1976, Mr. Misenti has been an English teacher, coach, and administrator, including thirteen years as principal at Guilford High School.
During his most recent tenure at Guilford (2007-2020), Mr. Misenti led the move to a new high school facility, the development and implementation of an International Baccalaureate program, and the evolution of the school's Advanced Placement and UConn Early College Experience Course offerings.
In 2019, under Mr. Misenti's watch, Guilford was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for its high achievement and success in closing achievement gaps. Before taking over at Guilford, Mr. Misenti served as a principal for 18 years in Florida. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and was the President of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
In Florida, he received the Florida Department of Education Principal's Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership; the Florida Music Educators Association Administrator of the Year; the Council of Teachers of Mathematics Leadership Award, the Secretary's Association Boss of the Year Award and was selected as the Chamber of Commerce Boss of the Year.
Mr. Misenti graduated from Florida's Eckerd College in 1976, with a bachelor’s degree in English/Education. He received his Master in Administration & Leadership (K-12) from Nova Southeastern University. At Xavier, Mr. Misenti was a standout baseball player and soccer player. He went on to play baseball and soccer at Eckerd and was inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
OUR SEARCH PROCESS
Our appointment of Rick Misenti is the culmination of a comprehensive six-month search process. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all members of our community whose participation was essential to a thorough, thoughtful, and inclusive search that affirmed the qualities we identified as essential in our next President: strong leadership skills, integrity, a passion for education, the ability to promote and model academic excellence, and a commitment to building a community where all students feel they belong.
Since initiating our search in early April, we have collaborated closely with our consultants at Carney, Sandoe & Associates and are thankful for their extraordinary work. Our consultant team interviewed faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, administrators, and board members; gathered information through a survey of the entire Xavier community; and relied on the perspectives of Search Committee members to help craft a position description that attracted a substantial number of applicants. From that initial pool, we identified a dynamic and diverse group of candidates, and the Search Committee interviewed several of these individuals. Each was highly qualified and presented different and inspiring opportunities for Xavier.
While other candidates provided excellent potential for success, given Mr. Misenti’s deep background and experience, his initiative, mission focus, enthusiasm, and inspirational leadership, it was unequivocal that Mr. Misenti is the right leader for Xavier. With unanimous support from both the Search Committee and the Board, we celebrate Mr. Misenti’s appointment to President of Xavier.
LEADING OUR FUTURE
Mr. Misenti’s term as President will begin October 1 at a time of tremendous opportunity to lead Xavier’s exceptional teachers, staff, and administrators.
Please join us in congratulating Mr. Rick Misenti on being named Xavier’s President!
Sincerely,
Peter Mondani ’75, Xavier Board of Directors Chair, Search Committee Member
Brian Farrell ’86, Xavier Board of Directors Vice Chair, Chair of Search Committee
THE PRESIDENT SEARCH COMMITTEE
Thank you to the members of the Search Committee for your tremendous work, time, and dedication to Xavier.
• Brian Farrell, Jr. '86: Search Committee Chair, Xavier Board of Directors Vice Chair, Xavier Parent '18
• Peter Mondani '75: Xavier Board of Directors Chair, Xavier Parent '06, '10
• Ellen Ciampi: Xavier Board of Directors, Xavier Parent '17
• Fr. David Choquette '90: Xavier Board of Directors
• Andrew Gargano: Xavier Registrar/Mathematics Department Chair
• Jack Gastler '74: Xavier Board of Directors, Xavier Parent '05
• Mark Ryan '81: Past Xavier Board of Directors Chair
• Patrick Slattery '91: Executive Director, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools
• Rich Feitel: Past Administrator, Parent '86, Grandfather '09, '10, '15, '24
• Susanne Figueredo Cook: Xavier Parent '18, '20, '24