Bishop Daniel Garcia of the Diocese of Monterey, Fr. Mel Trinidad SDB of the Salesians of Don Bosco USA West, and the Corporate Members along with the Board of Trustees are privileged and excited to announce the appointment of Mr. Arthur Walker as the fourth principal of St. Francis High School Salesian College Preparatory, effective July 1, 2024.

Mr. Walker’s appointment culminates a thoughtful and prayerful discernment search process that included input received from members of our school community representing faculty, staff, students, trustees, and parents.

As a proven leader in Catholic education, Mr. Walker is also a passionate, authentic and inspirational educator, driven by faith and mission, devoted to ensuring that his leadership makes a difference in the lives of not only the students he serves, but the entire school community. With 24 years experience in Catholic education, Mr. Walker most recently served as Assistant Head of School for Academics at Mercy High School in Burlingame. He also has been Assistant

Principal for Student Affairs at a number of secondary schools, including St. Francis from 2013-2015. He has been a teacher, coach, and athletic director at a diverse array of other educational institutions. Most notably, he is a proud alumni parent of our Catholic school system.

His familiarity with our community will undoubtedly assist in a smooth transition and enable Mr. Walker to hit the ground running. Guided by the charism and mission of St. John Bosco, Mr. Walker has a unique insight on how to best lead St. Francis into the next phase of its growth.

We want to extend a word of thanks to the Search Committee led by the Board of Trustees Chair, and alumni parent, Mr. Ernie Farley, and Mrs. Marylou Flannery, who also serves as Province Education Consultant for the Salesians.

Finally, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Patrick Lee for his indelible contributions and unwavering dedication to St. Francis for the last 12 years, and his total leadership within our Salesian Network of Schools for 35 years. His legacy will forever remain an integral part of our school’s history, and we wish him all the best as he begins his new role as President at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance.

We congratulate Mr. Walker and his wife, Lisa, their 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and their extended family.

This is an exciting inflection point in the history of St. Francis as we move our school forward and chart its bright future. We wish Mr. Walker much success in his new ministry as principal and we ask God’s blessings upon him, his family, and our St. Francis community as he embarks on this important role of leadership and animation.