St. Mark’s School of Texas Headmaster Arnie Holtberg To Retire, Search Begins for New Leader

Eugene McDermott Headmaster  Arnie Holtberg has announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2013-2014 school year at St. Mark’s School of Texas.

“It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to work within this School community,” said Mr. Holtberg in his letter to the Trustees. “Together, we have worked conscientiously to fulfill the School’s mission. We have strengthened programs, developed the campus, and have always put the needs of our students first.”

Always! No kidding. My son is a 2003 graduate of St. Mark’s, and we love the school from the bottom of our hearts. Or, as J.R. Ewing would say, tip to tail. Our son received an outstanding education and strong emotional nourishment by the school community. Now married and employed, he remains active in St. Mark’s alumni networks wherever he has lived, be it New York City or Northern California. St. Mark’s is one of the finest college preparatory schools for young men in the nation. Time Magazine once called it “the best equipped day school in the country.” The school prepares young men for “lives of responsibility and leadership in a competitive and ever-changing world”  by upholding  “certain values including integrity, honor, courage, acceptance of responsibility for one’s actions, the ability to defer gratification in pursuit of one’s goals, service to the broader community, and commitment to working with others to make a difference on campus and in the world.”

Tony & Jake, Republic Property Group

That is not just campus brochure rhetoric: I have witnessed it through many of my son’s and daughter’s (Hockaday 2000) friends. Two fine local examples: Tony Ruggeri and Jake Wagner, at the helm of Republic Property Group in Dallas. St. Mark’s boasts that a high percentage of students are admitted to competitive colleges annually, and seven St. Mark’s seniors have been named Presidential Scholars in the past decade (2003–2012). Perhaps the most competitive academic honor for a high school student, only two Presidential Scholars are chosen from each state or region as well as 15 at-large scholars and 20 students chosen for their artistic skills… all out of 3 million graduating seniors.

I tell you this because St. Mark’s School of Texas is a strong, steady influence on the surrounding residential real estate market in Preston Hollow. While many families commute from the corners of Dallas to attend St. Mark’s, the surrounding neighborhood of Preston Hollow has flourished with new homes snapped up or built by St. Mark’s parents.

Arnie Holtberg has seen the graduation of 1600 Marksmen and will be the longest-standing headmaster in St. Mark’s history at 21 years of service this June. A search committee has begun the process to seek a new headmaster. I know many, many Marksmen who wish him well and cherish his leadership, but who will also be a bit sad that Arnie Holtberg won’t be directly guiding the lives of their sons.