St. Louis U. High welcomed Fr. William Huete S.J. and Kwofe Coleman, ’01 to the Board of Trustees this past summer, and although the two men could not be more different, they are now both united by their devotion to the U. High.

Even though most students couldn’t name a single Board member, SLUH’s Board of Trustees is essential to their education. From overseeing economic and fundraising decisions to organizing student equality initiatives, the SLUH Board affects each and every student. As a result, the SLUH Board requires a multitude of diverse perspectives. 

Huete, a graduate of a Jesuit high school himself, has been a Jesuit for 50 years, and a large part of that time has been spent in schools like SLUH. He currently serves as the Socius, or the companion, to the Provincial of the Jesuit’s Central and Southern Province. Although he is now based in St. Louis, it’s not a place he knows very well. Up until January of last year, Huete had lived and worked at Jesuit schools all throughout the South, in cities like Dallas and New Orleans. 

“I hadn’t really been to St. Louis, but I had heard of SLU High because it’s very old,” Huete said. “I actually haven’t been on campus that much but when the pandemic ends I hope to go to see it and get a greater sense of what goes on at SLUH.”

Huete also brings the experience of  having served for decades in school administration.

“(Huete has a) wonderful background in education. He’s a tremendous resource for us as a former Jesuit administrator,” said president of SLUH Alan Carruthers. “It’s great to have him and his insight into the province, as a leader within the Jesuits.”

“After all my years working at Jesuit schools, I have a sense of what goes on at an administrative level,” agreed Huete.

Huete also brings a strong sense of Jesuit identity to the Board. As a dedicated Jesuit himself, he hopes to work with the Board to help maintain SLUH’s Jesuit traditions even as numbers of Jesuits decline.

To balance Huete’s experience, Coleman, a member of the class of 2001, brings a younger perspective, one much more deeply ingrained with SLU High. In fact, it was his strong relationship with the SLUH community that drove him to become a Board member in the first place.

“SLUH was definitely an important part of forming who I am as an adult and how I participate in the community I live in. When I came back to St. Louis (after college),  I was looking for meaningful ways to make sure that young men had the same opportunities that I had,” reflected Coleman. “SLUH is a great place, and I wanted to make sure that I was somehow giving back.”

Coleman currently serves as the Managing Director of the Muny. His role is a respected position in the St. Louis community, one that put him on the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list, and he worked hard to get there, working at the Muny since he was in high school. For Coleman, though, it’s his experience first and foremost as a member of the SLUH community that he hopes to bring to the Board.

“For myself, I obviously manage a large non-profit in the community and have a lot of experience from the marketing, fundraising, and non-profit management so (I hope to bring) professional experience, but even more importantly (I want to bring) my experience in this community and how that identity intersected with my time at SLU high. I wanted to make sure I was bringing those experiences to the table. That’s my goal as a participant on the board.”

Despite knowing the halls of the Baker Memorial quite well, Coleman, too, was faced with the unique challenge of stepping onto the board during a pandemic. 

“My time on the Board has started interesting, during this pandemic when we’ve all been apart,” reflected Coleman. “I look forward to actually meeting my fellow Board members in person.”

Coleman is also excited to be back among students again, interacting with the community and sharing his experiences.

“I think it's important for young men (at SLUH) to see the faces of alumni who have been there, and have been led to various levels of success and appreciation for the next stages in their life,” said Coleman. “I want to show them what that looks like and be a resource to them.”

Despite their differences, these two men only further the growth of an already accomplished list of Board members, and they are excited for the impact they can make, even through virtual meetings and limited Board activities. 

“(They’re) great folks, and it’s great to have them on board,” said Carruthers. “(The Board members) are the people that really help us run the school, they are a critically important bunch.”