Featured Story
Celebrating St. Luke’s Director of Development, Jon Jodka
On Thursday, May 4, friends and family gathered to celebrate the retirement of St. Luke’s Director of Development, Jon Jodka.
Jon has been an integral part of the St. Luke's community for nearly two decades. He served as a dedicated trustee for six years and volunteered countless hours on committees, including the Momentum Campaign Committee and the Executive Committee. As Chair of the Governance Committee, he provided invaluable leadership and guidance to the School. When he joined the St. Luke’s faculty as Director of Development in 2020, Jon wasted no time getting out into the community to tell the story of St. Luke’s to families new and old. He worked tirelessly with former Head of School Mark Davis and current Head of School Dr. Mary Halpin Carter, to secure three $1 million gifts and seven new endowment funds in support of the theater program, faculty excellence, and student scholarships, to name a few.
As we know, Jon's commitment to St. Luke's goes beyond his time as a trustee and staff member. He also spent fourteen years as an SLS parent with his wife (and former PA President) Kim. His children, Maddie ‘14, Nick ‘16, and Henry ‘20, are all proud alums of the school. Jon is quick to say, “My biggest accomplishments at SLS are my kids”. Those who’ve spent even a few minutes with him can affirm that his pride in St. Luke’s students and alums extends well beyond his immediate family. If he’s not in the bleachers cheering on the Storm, he’s in the Seldin Performing Arts Center cheering “encore!” after a theater production, or in Julia Gabriele’s office enjoying tea with seniors, or at the front entrance of the school every morning greeting students.
Jon is the perfect example of someone who loves St. Luke’s with every part of his being. Associate Head of School and Chief Financial Officer Julia Gabriele called Jon "a mentor of joy" whose "face–full of excitement and delight at every event, inspired all of us...Seeing St. Luke’s through Jon's eyes, and hearing him tell the stories of St. Luke’s better than anyone I know, made all of us re-see the wonder in St. Luke’s day to day, and fall in love with this place all over again."
While we will miss Jon's cheery hellos and daily presence on the Hilltop, we are delighted to announce that he will be returning to our Board of Trustees this fall. We're grateful St. Luke's will continue to have Jon's continued involvement in this capacity.
Jon is the perfect example of someone who loves St. Luke’s with every part of his being. Associate Head of School and Chief Financial Officer Julia Gabriele called Jon "a mentor of joy" whose "face–full of excitement and delight at every event, inspired all of us...Seeing St. Luke’s through Jon's eyes, and hearing him tell the stories of St. Luke’s better than anyone I know, made all of us re-see the wonder in St. Luke’s day to day, and fall in love with this place all over again."
While we will miss Jon's cheery hellos and daily presence on the Hilltop, we are delighted to announce that he will be returning to our Board of Trustees this fall. We're grateful St. Luke's will continue to have Jon's continued involvement in this capacity.
Head of School Mary Halpin Carter announced in April that Jennifer Rhodes will join St. Luke's as the new Director of Development in July.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
