Michael Verdone ‘72 believes that the transformational four years as a high school student at Serra secured his successful future as a real estate agent. Now, the generous benefactor is helping to secure the future of Serra. Verdone has graciously offered a large planned gift to Serra, a gift bequeathed through his estate by naming Serra as a beneficiary.
“I have chosen to leave a large gift to Serra,” Verdone shared. ”I am grateful for my education and want to thank Serra for making me the man I am today. This is my way of helping other kids who are on a path to becoming good, decent men in today’s society.”
Verdone’s gift will be added to the Always Forward Capital Campaign.
“This creative planned gift will undoubtedly help Serra continue its mission to educate the young men who come to Serra in search of a well-balanced, moral-minded, rigorously academic, faith-based education,” said Serra Chief Advancement Officer Mike Fadelli ‘88. “We are so grateful to Michael for stepping up and showing other alumni that this type of investment in Serra is so beneficial to preserving the traditions at Serra while improving our campus and curriculum.”
Verdone has always supported Serra. He said he is the man he is today due to the life lessons he learned as an adolescent. He sent his son, also Michael Verdone ‘06, to Serra. The younger Verdone is Serra’s current Crew coach.
“I have always been impressed by the personal attention I received as a student at Serra and then as a parent—it was amazing to see that the same values are still in place today,” Verdone said. “When we had parent-teacher conferences, they knew everything about my son, Michael—even where he sat! The teachers are so immersed in your son’s life, and that helps the student become a better student.”
The tight-knit Serra community added to Verdone’s experience as a student and as an alumnus.
“The people at Serra are so supportive of each other, whether they are athletes or focused on academics or both,” he said. “Everyone is there for the whole spirit.”
Verdone attended Homecoming Weekend in late September and was amazed to see how many people from the Class of ‘72 returned to celebrate his alma mater.
“There’s a lifelong sense of community,” he said. “These people continue to invest in Serra. They come back to events because they realize the value that Serra provides.”
At Serra, Verdone was a solid A-minus student. He also was a member of several clubs that included sports, politics, camera crew, morning homeroom announcements and being an editor for The Friar.
Verdone currently resides in Redwood City. He is a successful realtor and the founder of Economic Concepts, a residential real estate company.
Verdone has had a notable career in business and politics. He began his real estate career in 1973. By the end of his first year, he became the number one selling and listing salesperson at his office. Within four years, he earned his broker’s license and founded Verdone Commercial Brokerage, which specialized in income-producing properties and limited partnerships.
Since 1978, Verdone has been active in the San Mateo County Association of Realtors and other community groups including the Redwood City Planning Commission, Redwood City Housing & Human Concerns Committee and the Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association. His dedication to community service began at Serra.
“My time at Serra gave me an opportunity to be a leader,” Verdone noted. “My teachers saw something in me that I didn’t. In turn, it made me want to become a leader in my adult life.”
