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@Georgetown University President Jack DeGioia is stepping down from his position as President as he dedicates all his time and energy to his recovery. While not unexpected, the news has left a profound feeling of loss for our community, and for all the Georgetown diaspora.
As I have said before, I know of no leader that better resembles and embodies the brand and business more than Jack DeGioia and Georgetown University. If Georgetown University is a symphony, Jack is the conductor keeping it all on the same beat.
I went to school with Jack, worked with him in the athletics department, and ultimately when he was named President in 2001. He is the longest tenured president of the university, and while I’m sure there were many offers throughout the years to lure him away from the hilltop, his loyalty never wavered. He is the embodiment of cura personalis.
Jack’s efforts throughout the years have put many of the university’s programs among the best in the nation. He did it in a way that was true to him and the university with integrity and a true belief in the higher calling. He did so in an ecumenical way to pay respect to all cultures and religions making Georgetown a one-of-a-kind destination for students, professors, and researchers from around the world.
On a personal note, I consider Jack one of my best friends and greatest mentors and his setting the example of being in service to others is the guiding light that I strive to follow.
Jack has been a source of energy, inspiration, and aspiration for us all and will continue to be present in our community every day.
There will be no replacing Jack DeGioia at Georgetown University. The culture that he has set, and the exemplar team that he has recruited and retained have kept the university moving.
My wife Lynn, son Zach, and daughter Elle all feel a great sense of debt to the DeGioia family, and we are profoundly grateful for their friendship.
We have deep love and respect for Jack, his wife Theresa, and their family and the contributions they have made to Georgetown. We are happy that he is finally being a little self-centered and will now focus on his and his family’s well-being! His road to recovery will be long and arduous, but with the love and support of his family and his friends, I predict this next part of Jack’s life and time will be healthy and productive!
The term Hoya Saxa translates to “what rocks!” Jack DeGioia is the rock on which we have built a world class university and community, and we must celebrate his tenure as our leader and show our gratitude to everything he has meant to us.
Let us all sign up, as part of the extended Georgetown family to doing everything we can to help the university while Jack withdraws from his day-to-day role as President and goes onto the next part of his life and times.
We are all better for Jack’s stewardship of Georgetown University, now let’s make him proud and carry on all that he instilled in us.