Saint Leo University’s 11th president reflects on plans to help the university continue to offer a values-based education, focused on the needs of students.
When President Ed Dadez began his tenure at Saint Leo University more than 20 years ago, he knew that moving into Marmion-Snyder Hall would go a long way toward building trust and fostering community with students.
“I felt that the best way to connect with students was to live with students,” said Dadez, who has held many positions at the university, including roles as vice president of the university’s regional education centers, online learning program, student affairs, and campus operations. He also was a visiting professor in Graduate Education.
Now as Saint Leo University’s 11th president, Dadez’s desire to go above and beyond to support and serve students has become a cornerstone of his strategic vision for the university. His plan to make Saint Leo the leading Benedictine Catholic teaching university includes adding new degree programs with high market demand; collaborating with businesses and organizations to build unique learning opportunities for working professionals; and creating alternative pathways for learning beyond traditional degree programs. Dadez believes firmly that with every new endeavor the university pursues, it must allow Saint Leo to serve students on a greater level.
“How can we make a Saint Leo University education more affordable, convenient, and easy to access? Saint Leo University has always valued those who are looking to pursue a better way of life, supporting them personally and professionally,” Dadez said. “As we move the university forward, I want to explore new initiatives that will allow us to provide for students in the ways that are most helpful to them.”
Over the decades, Saint Leo has continually evolved to meet student needs — from being one of the first universities to offer an online degree program to teaching on military bases. As Dadez looks to the future, his plans help the university follow this precedent.
“The university has invested in programs that help those working in Florida school districts pursue a flexible path toward becoming teachers and now has a program that offers online degree programs in Spanish for those living in Latin America,” Dadez said. “Saint Leo will continue to innovate our academic and cocurricular programs, activities, and services that are essential to helping students build on their moral foundation and succeed in today’s job market.”
Growing up in a Catholic family and serving as an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, Dadez feels a genuine connection to the university’s Benedictine Catholic core values.
“My upbringing taught me about the value of hard work and about the importance of showing kindness to others,” Dadez said. “One of the things that I always admired about Saint Leo is that it shares many of these same values, and that’s not something you can find everywhere.”
Dadez recalls how during one Saturday spring open house on campus, he noticed some garbage cans were overflowing with trash and began to clean them up.
“Parents started to notice what I was doing and began helping me,” Dadez said. “One of them said to me that my actions were all they needed to know about the university’s culture and values. That’s what I want Saint Leo to be known for — not just having core values, but living them every day.”
Get to know President Dadez
Learn more about Saint Leo University’s 11th president in 15 questions.
- Describe yourself in three words.
Educator, leader, family-focused - What was your most memorable class in college?
A resident assistant [RA] class that focused on leadership training - What quote inspires you the most?
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr, Lutheran theologian - What book would you recommend to every Saint Leo student?
The Art of War by Sun Tzu - What is your favorite weekend activity?
Spending time with my wife, Terry. - Are you a dog or a cat person?
Neither, but Terry loves dogs. - How many children and grandchildren do you have?
I am the proud parent of two sons and three grandsons, ages 4, 13, and 15. - What piece of advice do you share with Saint Leo graduates?
Live our Saint Leo core values, don’t forget your alma mater, and remember what you learned inside and outside the classroom. - What is your favorite Bible verse?
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” Mark 10:27 - What is your definition of success?
Something I share with students is, “Success is only ounces of elbow grease away.” - Share one fact that many people don’t know about you.
My favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life because too often we don’t think about the effect we have on people. - What is your favorite professional sports team?
The Baltimore Orioles. - Which Saint Leo core value influences you most in your daily life?
Excellence - How would you like to be remembered?
As an educator, inside and outside the classroom. - How would you describe Saint Leo University students in three words?
Every student is different, but they are typically values-oriented, inquisitive learners, and friendly, sociable individuals.
Realizing there was a need to assist the Tampa Bay-area business community, Saint Leo University’s Tapia College of Business offered a free, four-part webinar series, Business Re-Imagined: Insights for Small Businesses in the COVID-19 Landscape in June and July.
Saint Leo University students joined in the Farm Share food distribution on May 20 with Florida Representative Randy Maggard and Pasco County Board of County Commissioners Chair Mike Moore at the Shops at Wiregrass mall in Wesley Chapel, FL. 
Dr. Douglas M. “Doug” Astolfi, professor emeritus of history, passed away on June 14, 2018, at his home. He was 75 and had been ill with kidney cancer. He joined Saint Leo in 1997 as vice president of academic affairs, following a progression of administrative and teaching positions at other institutions.
In July, your Alumni Engagement & Sustained Giving team hit the road with the return of the Coming Home to You Tour. With stops in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Hampton, VA, alumni and students had a chance to network and have fun.
Saint Leo has made its mark in New York City and Tampa—what cities will be next? Alumni chapters provide a great opportunity for Saint Leo alumni to come together to network, help spread the word to potential new students, complete community service projects, and have fun—all in their own backyards. To find out how to start an alumni chapter in your area, visit 
Do you have a unique, special, or just plain wonderful pet? Please send us your photos (high-resolution, print quality if possible) for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of Spirit magazine. Dogs, cats, pigs, horses, iguanas, parakeets, and more—all are welcome! Be sure to supply: your name and class year, the pet’s name and breed, and what makes your pet great. Send to news@saintleo.edu, subject line: Saint Leo Pets
Marcian Bullard, a University Campus sophomore who was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, was involved in a fatal automobile accident on December 27, 2015.
Jackie Dennis, a student majoring in human services at the Gwinnett Education Center, passed away on January 17, 2016. She is survived by numerous family members, including
Bill Foley, an associate professor of accounting and professor emeritus, passed away on September 23, 2015.
Gary Richard Osborne II, a Lakeland Education Center student, passed away September 22, 2015. He was studying for his associate degree in liberal arts and was awarded the degree from Saint Leo posthumously. A talented musician and songwriter, he had plans to attend Belmont University in Nashville to pursue his commercial music degree.
Fred A. Sams ’82, a graduate of Saint Leo College and adjunct professor in the Graduate Criminal Justice program, passed away on November 19, 2015. His career in law and criminal justice began when he was accepted as a member of the FBI in 1967. Over the years he served with multiple police and sheriff departments and as the director of forensics and crime labs for two agencies. He was a regionally prominent forensic investigator and consulted on many homicides and major death cases. Sams served in the U.S. Army in Special Forces, Army Criminal Investigation, and S-2 Intelligence. The American College of Forensic Examiners awarded him the distinction of Fellow, as well as Diplomate in Law Enforcement Expert and Diplomate in Homeland Security.
Ashley (Henderson) Zimmerman ’10 passed away on December 22, 2015. She had been an administrator in the MBA program from 2006 to 2011 and was instrumental in the buildup of the online MBA during Saint Leo’s transition from its partnership with Bisk in 2007.