Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

[R.P. McMurphy]

I begin by stating that this alumnus remains deeply devoted and appreciative for the education and fellowship provided by the Albuquerque Academy over the last forty years. Having read most of the postings in the forums herein, I am most surprised by the shock many are expressing. I can only suppose that their experiences are too recent or histories too short. The financial irregularities that Mr. Hibbett defines did not occur overnight or in a vacuum.

AA used to be a pipe dream on the east mesa for some preppy men looking eastward. Ashby Harper shepherded this dream into an educational apogee. When time came for Mr. Harper to retire, the reins of the institution were handed to leaders with less humility and less appreciation for the mission of education. It has always been about Albuquerque’s best and brightest but more and more it became in my view about what are you going to do for me.

Robert Bovinette had a vision that looked beyond the city limits and with the largesse of the Simms Family the school catapulted to national recognition of endowment and student performance. The position of President and CEO usurped the headmaster role. In addition, the position of CFO was created and in stepped Dick Elkins. Under his tenure the endowment exploded. High Desert Development saw great success in the foothills. However with these enrichments a culture set in that is at the core of Hibbett’s concerns. Seemingly, the development arm of the school could do no wrong. AA was now a national titan with a chip on its shoulder. We weren’t Phillips Exeter or Lakeside School. The school survived Elkins’ debacle sale of property to Hoffmantown Church. It has survived the irregularities and high jinks of High Desert’s Doug Collister. The school was afforded these setbacks because it had the money and our cultural ego demanded it. In 1996, Mr. Bovinette moved to head up The Common Fund, a powerful investment fund for many educational institutions, which was reporting a $138 million loss. The school leadership never disclosed the Academy’s exposure in that loss statement. It makes one wonder if Bovinette was sent to cover Dick Elkins oversight failures.

Tim McIntire came in as head of school and provided a more human face to the leadership but he lasted only four years. For reasons known only to McIntire and Elkins, Tim was forced out. With the hiring of Andy Watson and the retirement of Dick Elkins, the school enjoyed years of relative calm. Its leadership became increasingly challenged with costs outpacing income. Tuition continued to rise and while not dissimilar to national numbers the Albuquerque economy and local wages have never kept pace. The school has always struggled with its policy of legacy students. Alumni families that could probably pay full fare were turned away setting in motion a drain of donations.

Again Jeff Morgan and the Development Office came to the rescue with large gifts from alumni and families that propped up the school’s growth efforts. The new CFO, Gary Gordon, sought to place his mark on the process. In 2004 after the success of the Journal Center, he brought to the Board the purchase of 1400 acres on the Westside, north and west of Rio Rancho. I believe the seller was the King Brothers, of Stanley, NM. The Board was given just a weekend to decide whether to commit funds to this land deal. This project was to mirror the scope and profitability of High Desert in the foothills. Named Mariposa East the development broke ground in 2006 with great optimism.

The rest is history as the real estate bubble burst and the country fell into the Great Recession. Subsequently, in 2012 the Academy walked away from its infrastructure commitments leaving behind its reputation and liable for losses to property owners. Andy Watson fell on his sword stating publicly, “Completely contrary to what some may believe, the Academy does not have the financial capacity to fix the central problem through continued investment.” In April 2015, Gary Gordon announced a $5 million settlement with property owners harmed in the Academy’s withdrawal from the project. The Academy leadership found it appropriate to reward Gary Gordon with the school’s 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award for his efforts.

The Hibbett declaration of concerns is a long time in coming for many who love and support the Albuquerque Academy. I find it fair to ask for greater transparency. Will we ever know the amount of losses suffered or any mismanagement issues over the past twenty years both in regard to The Common Fund and Mariposa East? Not likely.

Let us seek change and renewal.

[libra68]

Dear R. P. McMurphy,

What a beautiful, informed summary. Thank you for taking the time to write this post.

You have given context and history to Mr. Hibbett’s analysis. And you have served the Academy as all of us alumni/ae should: “with courage and conviction,” just like the Academy mission says.

An appreciative alum

[Melodiya]

Thank you, R. P. McMurphy, for your insightful post. Obviously this is a really complicated problem for the AA community, but a lot of the posts in this forum would be more effective without the bitter tone. We can all learn from your sense of civility.

[Nikki]

I would be overjoyed to see this all work out – for the leadership to come clean, for them to enact a real plan for positive change, for our teachers to be compensated appropriately, and the Academy survive into perpetuity. Keeping level heads is important……but, I have to say, many of us are personally invested (via our pocketbooks, our time, and, most significantly, our children) so the discussion does hit personal notes of concern, disappointment, and frustration.
Thank you, all! It’s encouraging to see people come together to make a positive impact on our world (the future world of our children).

[Author]

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