Hello! My name is John Powell, and I assumed the role of St. Mary's Athletic Director in the fall of 2021. I grew up in the Chicagoland area where I played sports throughout childhood, during high school and junior college, and in my adult life. In addition to participating in sports as an athlete, I have umpired baseball for several years and recently started officiating football, basketball, and volleyball. I married Dainelle Gross in April 2011, and we moved to Chester in 2014 with our son, Jackson. Jackson is the fourth generation of our family to attend St. Mary's, and we love the family atmosphere present in all aspects of the school. 

     Sports have been an integral part of my life, and I'm genuinely excited to serve as St. Mary's Athletic Director. I believe all youth should have an opportunity to participate in athletics as they provide a unique opportunity for the development of the whole child. I'm sincerely interested in increasing athletic opportunities for our students, and I encourage you to reach out with your ideas for growth or to share something you feel our student athletes need from the program.  I look forward to meeting and communicating with our students and their families.

                               Gratefully,

                                John Powell, Athletic Director