When Head of School Dave Farace ‘87 says McDonogh is “home,” he’s not being cliche. As a former scholarship student, alumnus, employee, and parent, he knows and loves the School more than most. Farace arrived on campus in 1981 — a typical seventh grader who rode the bus. When he was a freshman, he moved to campus and lived on the first floor of Jane Bay Hall for four years.
Farace has dedicated his entire career to independent schools. His professional life started at McDonogh where, over the course of more than a decade, he held various positions including Director of Upper School Admissions, Director of Alumni Relations, and Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving. He also directed the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Student Leadership Program, taught and coached in the Middle and Upper Schools, and he and his wife, Becky, served as campus parents to the school’s boarders.
Farace holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Washington and Lee University and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is also an NAIS/E.E. Ford Fellow, which is granted to individuals who successfully complete this distinguished leadership development program for independent school leaders. Farace served as Head of School at Montgomery Academy in Alabama and The Bolles School in Florida before returning to McDonogh as Head of School in 2018.
Since then, he has made his mark in countless ways from guiding the School through the COVID-19 pandemic to celebrating McDonogh’s 150th anniversary. He has worked with the Board of Trustees to update the School’s Mission, Vision, and Values (see story No. 108) and established a statement of Freedom of Expression and Civil Discourse and the Greatest Good McDonogh program. Farace has built relationships with students, parents, faculty, and alumni through various vehicles and is a familiar face on the bus lot, at games and performances, and in the dining hall. Follow him on Instagram @davefarace87 to see what he’s up to.
