Page 21 - Priorities #73

Priory is his Canvas:
Tim Molak’s Legacy
By Kathy Gonzalez
“He’s a creative artist, with the Priory being his canvas.” Board member Nancy Newman sums up the talents of Tim Molak with these words. In his 30-year tenure here, fifirst as Dean of Students and then as Head of School, Tim has indeed been a creator—of Priory’s physical spaces, its superlative curriculum, its connections to
other organizations, and its community deeply rooted in Benedictine traditions. Conjure up the buildings, beginning with the Performing Arts Center in 2007. In his chapel talk honoring Tim, Father Martin points out that this is a “project which changed the culture of the school forever—where singers, instrumentalists, actors, artists would have a space to showcase their talents.” This move took Priory to new levels and moved it beyond just academics to become a school that attracted the best performing artists. Then conjure up the Schilling Square classrooms, the LaureL STREAM Center, the Franklin Garden, the Montero Aquatic Center, the Father Christopher fifield, the Trudelle Family Track, the Dining Hall, ARC, and two waves of faculty housing. “Every bit of building that’s gone on since the ‘90s, he’s been in charge of it,” points out retired college counselor Betty Van Wagenen. Adds Ruth Benz, Priory teacher and faculty mentor for 20 years, “It’s hard to imagine anyone else having accomplished what he did,” and Tim’s own daughter Kate Molak Hallick adds that “The buildings on the campus are the physical symbols of my dad’s successful career.” Tim himself confifirms that his favorite aspect of his job has been “to look at the campus with a group of people to envision what we want to accomplish in the future. ...A 51 acre campus lets
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