Advancement

Mrs. Kerri Lacilla is the Director of Advancement for St. John the Evangelist School. Mrs. Lacilla has many years of experience in the public relations and communication fields. The Archdiocesan Advancement Program for Catholic Schools is designed to promote understanding, acceptance and support of Catholic education among various publics. The program includes in its overall process: public relations, student recruitment, constituency relations (i.e. alumni, parent, past parent, friends, businesses) and the securing of financial resources for annual operational support. The Director of Advancement directly reports to The Reverend John Cooney, Pastor, Mr. John J. Petto, Principal, the School Board and the Office of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Mrs. Lacilla consistently works in these four major operations for St. John School:

Public Relations:
St. John the Evangelist School sponsors many yearly newsworthy events. These events are publicized and distributed through various means of the media and print; local newspapers, the annual St. John the Evangelist School newsletter, the Evangelizer, and the weekly parish bulletin. Publicizing special school events, design and distribution of school brochures, open houses, fundraising events and the overseeing of all communications surrounding St. John the Evangelist School is the comprehensive process of public relations.

Student Recruitment and Retention:
The student recruitment and retention program revolves around the purposes of building awareness and acceptance for the school. It also provides the number and quality of students that the school desires and can best serve and establishing a positive working relationship with all students and parents of St. John the Evangelist School.

Alumni Relations:
Alumni relations consists of organizing ongoing alumni files, establishing the mechanism for ongoing contact with alumni and communicating successes and needs of St. John the Evangelist School. Alumni relationships work to serve the continuous effort to maintain and strengthen the community between St. John the Evangelist School and its graduates.

Annual Fund:
The annual fund generates income directed toward St. John the Evangelist School’s operating budget, in turn, providing the best quality education possible for its students. Annual donations work in three ways. First, the direct mail of St. John the Evangelist School’s annual fund seeks broad-based support by all constituencies, such as alumni, parents, past parents, friends and businesses. Second, bequest donations are often given by those who have had long and positive histories with St. John the Evangelist School and Church. And third, annual grants may be awarded by local businesses, such as the Watertown Foundation, Thomaston Savings Bank and the Woodward Foundation.

The Advancement program is driven by the school’s mission statement, programs, institutional plan, fundraising and services of St. John the Evangelist School.