Meet Patrick Davey

This article is the first installment of a series called “UA Behind the Curtain”, which will include introductions to Ursuline faculty members who do not have as many opportunities to interact with students as teachers and coaches do.

Every day we pass these administrators, maintenance staff members, and other personnel in the hall without ever stopping to say hello. This column is a chance to get a brief glimpse into the lives and roles of the people who make Ursuline, Ursuline. This first piece is an introduction to Patrick Davey, UA’s Director of Advancement.

Usually found in his office at the end of the hall on the third floor of the SLC, Mr. Davey joined our Ursuline community at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Many students have wondered what his job at Ursuline entails, but perhaps the better question is how an Opera major from Rhode Island ends up handling finances at an all-girls high school in Delaware. The answer is fascinating.

Growing up, Mr. Davey attended an all-boys high school in New England. His own school experience led him to see the value in single-sex education, which is an aspect of Ursuline that he values deeply. He attended Catholic University in Washington, DC as a vocal performance major with a focus on opera. At Catholic, he met his wife- who was also an opera singer. While he loves singing, he set out towards a bigger dream after graduation.

“I knew that I wanted to have a family and I was going to need to support them so I figured out right away was not going to be a big opera star,” he said.

After obtaining his bachelor's from Catholic, he pursued a master's degree in non-profit management and arts administration at Indiana University while his wife continued studying opera at the New England Conservatory and auditioning in New York City. He was able to combine his two passions of performance and philanthropy with his first post-graduate job at the famous Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in DC. He worked there for five years until the year that his first child was born.

After leaving his job at the Kennedy Center, he returned to his alma mater, Catholic University, and worked a similar role to what he does now at Ursuline: managing the school’s annual fund. While working at Catholic, he met a parent of a UA alum, which was his first introduction to our school community.

Now, he is the father of four children all under eight years old. His one year old daughter was born on the same day that he received the offer to work at Ursuline. Every Sunday, his whole family attends Church where both he and his wife are able to continue their musical passions as cantors. They have a big Sunday family dinner each week together.

At Ursuline, his job includes raising money for the annual fund and the school’s next campaign. In simple terms, his responsibilities all boil down to relationship building. He works to ensure that alumna and their families continue to have connections to the UA community and that they are able to engage with what we do here. He helps to make sure that donors from our local communities have a good sense of what is happening within our gates so that they know exactly what their money is helping accomplish- whether that be student experiences, scholarships, or advancements in our academic spaces.

“The tuition that comes in really can sustain us,” explained Mr. Davey. “It will keep the the academy going but it won't advance us.. It is the fundraising dollars to the annual fund that take us from one level to another. Without that, we're just sustaining and we're not growing,” he continued.

His job includes raising money for the school and then allocation of funds is determined by Dr. Mederios, the principals, and the board of trustees.

So far, his favorite part of Ursuline is the family feel of our community. He has really enjoyed seeing the way everyone looks out for each other and getting to know the amazing team of people he works with in administration. He likes being able to offer a different perspective as one of the few men on campus, but also believes in the importance of having strong-female leadership as role models for our all-female middle and upper school.

Mr. Davey wants students to know that his door is always open and that anyone is welcome to stop in and say hi. He has started filling in as a substitute teacher whenever needed, and he plans to continue doing that more often, so be on the lookout for Mr. Davey in one of your classes.

Our Ursuline community thrives on building connections with one another, and that philosophy extends beyond just students and teachers. Next time you're wandering through the administration hallway looking for Winnie, go ask Patrick Davey about opera or maybe taunt him (in good fun) for being a Patriots and Red Sox fan. Reach out and say hello, you will not regret it.