After a decade of service to Saint Louis University, President Fred Pestello announced today he will be retiring following the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Pestello is the 33rd president, and the first person with a non-Jesuit background to lead the university.
Pestello arrived at SLU in 2014 shortly after racial justice protests rocked the city and campus following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. These protests led to the signing of the Clocktower Accords, a series of promises that aimed to respond to inequity on campus.
“As I reflect upon the past decade, I am amazed at all we have endured and achieved together in St. Louis and in Madrid. We faced moments that tested us and revealed what defines this Jesuit university community,” Pestello said in a statement released to the SLU community today.
Under Pestello’s tenure, a significant partnership with SSM Health resulted in the opening of the new SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in September 2020, enhancing patient care and clinician education.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, SLU continued in-person learning while avoiding layoffs, which were common in higher education and other industries during the pandemic. The university also distributed over 20,000 vaccine doses.
“There were many times in the last 10 years when the challenges we faced felt insurmountable,” Pestello said. “But together – grounded firmly in our values and trusting in the wisdom of this community – we found more than a way through. We created a new future for Saint Louis University.”
Pestello also highlighted in his departure message the university’s growth in enrollment, diversity efforts, international presence, research, fundraising and the development of new facilities. Over the last 10 years, student enrollment has reached a historical high of 15,204 students.
In a message to the SLU community, board of trustees chairman Joseph Conran thanked Pestello for his service to the university.
“His work with his leadership team, and his collaboration with all of you, the University has made remarkable progress toward his compelling vision: to become a global Jesuit University that is mission-focused, student- and patient-centered, and research-driven,” Conran wrote.
Conran also thanked Pestello’s wife, Fran for her many years of work supporting both SLU and Pestello.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I also want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Fran Pestello, the University’s inaugural presidential spouse, for her dedication to student success, the arts, and athletics, and her support of President Pestello and the campus community. We know there is no Fred without Fran,” Conran wrote.
Upon his departure, Pestello will enjoy a sabbatical and plans to contribute to SLU’s future. “I hope to continue teaching, writing and doing what I am asked to contribute to the success of the next leader of this remarkable university,” Pestello said.
The University has announced plans to begin a search for its next president.
“More information about the search committee, its members, the search process and the timeline will be sent to the SLU community and posted on the presidential search website on April 1.”
