Archbishop of San Francisco names new president of Junípero Serra High School

Supported by Partners in Mission consultants, a search team composed of faculty and staff, alumni, board members and parents vetted candidates. The team vetted numerous outstanding candidates in multiple rounds of interviews. Two finalists were invited to Serra for a full day of meetings with community stakeholders, followed by meetings with the archbishop.  

“Mike’s ability to engage and inspire constituents and stakeholders to further support Serra’s mission has been illustrated during his six years at Serra as the Chief Advancement Officer. In this capacity, he revitalized the alumni relations programming, grew the annual Fund a Dream Tuition Assistance program to a $1.2-plus million dollar fundraiser, and in three years alongside outgoing President Dr. Barry Thornton, has raised more than $35 million toward a $38 million goal, remaining on track to close out the Always Forward Capital Campaign by this summer. These efforts supported substantial growth in student programming and building renovations,” Superintendent Pam Lyons said in a letter to the Serra community.

Thornton announced his retirement on Nov. 17, after nearly three decades at Serra, his final five in the role of president.

Fadelli’s son Matthew graduated from Serra in 2021 and is attending San Jose State University, and his second son Andrew is a current junior.