| Kimberly Boyd and Joe Lepore |
Long before he officially joined Park in December 2022, Joe Lepore was already helping shape the campus.
As a Senior Construction Superintendent working with Park as a contractor, he managed major renovation projects including the Main Building fourth floor, the Grade 8 spaces, the Communications Office, and large-scale roof replacements. During that time, Joe built a strong relationship with Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations Kimberly Boyd, who ultimately encouraged him to consider joining Park full time. For Joe, the Director of Facilities and Construction Management role felt like a natural next step. “I thought this position would be a good fit for me,” he says. “I could integrate my knowledge in the construction industry and combine that with the Facilities Director position.”
After spending his career in commercial construction, Joe quickly discovered that working at a school campus came with a very different rhythm. “In private construction, every project has a strict schedule and a final completion date,” he explains. “Working at a school, however, feels like working on one massive, endless project.” Unlike a traditional construction site, Park is constantly evolving while remaining fully alive and active every day with students, teachers, and families. “There are so many moving parts,” Joe says. “It’s practically impossible to finish everything without eventually looping back around to renovate and refresh the same spaces over again.” That ongoing process is also what he enjoys most. “You work week to week and then get to reap the benefits,” he says. “You’re here to see the spaces transform from what they were to what they are now.”
Our goal is for students, faculty, and families to not have to think about what we do. If classrooms are comfortable, outdoor spaces are safe and inviting, events run smoothly, and the campus looks beautiful, then we’ve done our job well.
Most people probably don’t spend much time thinking about the systems, planning, and maintenance required to keep a 34-acre campus running smoothly — and Joe and his team prefer it that way. Our goal is for students, faculty, and families to not have to think about what we do,’ he says. ‘If classrooms are comfortable, outdoor spaces are safe and inviting, events run smoothly, and the campus looks beautiful, then we’ve done our job well.’ The Facilities team oversees far more than repairs and maintenance, managing everything from building systems and athletic fields to playgrounds, landscaping, safety inspections, vendor coordination, and event setups. “With 34 acres to maintain, there is always something happening,” Joe says. On any given day, the Facilities team may be troubleshooting HVAC systems, clearing trails, preparing athletic fields, or responding to unexpected maintenance needs — often before students arrive or after they leave for the day. “Much of this work happens intentionally behind the scenes so learning can continue uninterrupted,” he explains.
One of the things Joe appreciates most about Park is how students are so immersed in the outdoors. “Students naturally gravitate toward spaces where they can explore, move, and connect with one another,” he says. While playgrounds and athletic fields remain popular gathering spots, Joe especially enjoys seeing students embrace the wooded trails and outdoor learning spaces that make Park unique. “It’s rewarding to see how students’ favorite places evolve as they grow,” he says. “Younger students may be drawn to playgrounds and open spaces for active play, while older students often appreciate areas where they can gather with friends and build structures in the woods.”
Joe’s own favorite part of campus is simple: being outside. “There is so much to see,” he says. “Whether you are by the pool house, the ropes course, or one of our beautiful fields, I truly enjoy riding around campus in the gator and identifying new projects to tackle.”
While Joe enjoys the visible transformations happening across campus, some of the work he is most proud of is less obvious. “Honestly, I am most proud of my work with the facilities budget,” he says. Over the past several years, Joe has worked to bring spending down while also improving efficiency and expanding the team’s capabilities. “I’ve worked hard to maintain fiscal discipline by hiring new vendors to keep costs down,” he explains. “Equally important, I’ve focused on training our internal team to handle major projects in-house. It makes the day-to-day work more engaging and rewarding for our staff.”
We have an extraordinary campus that offers endless opportunities for students to thrive. We hope that the love and hard work everyone has poured into this campus leaves a lasting impression on everyone who passes through it.
As Park prepares for Phase III of The SPARK Campaign, Joe is energized by what lies ahead. The next phase will reimagine traffic flow, improve campus access, and unlock even more of Park’s outdoor spaces for student use. “My love for construction never left me when I transitioned into my role at Park,” Joe says. “I get incredibly excited about the multiple projects I get to plan alongside Kimberly Boyd and Scott Young.”
Phase III updates include a dedicated facilities building, a redesigned entrance and parking area, and expanded usable outdoor spaces throughout the woods and grounds. For Joe and his team, relocating the facilities shop into a standalone building will be especially transformative. “Moving our facilities shop out of the West Building and into our own new location will change the game for us,” he says. “It will give our team the flexibility and space we need to perform our day-to-day duties.”
Ultimately, though, Joe says the work is all about students. “I hope they feel the freedom to roam safely and enjoy the entirety of this beautiful campus,” he says, “from the day they start in PreK all the way until they graduate from the eighth grade.” Reflecting on the campus and the ongoing work behind it, Joe returns to what makes Park so special: “We have an extraordinary campus that offers endless opportunities for students to thrive. We hope that the love and hard work everyone has poured into this campus leaves a lasting impression on everyone who passes through it.”