CULLMAN, Ala. – The Board of Directors of St. Bernard Preparatory School this week announced a series of leadership appointments it said “will strengthen the school’s academic, spiritual and operational foundation as it enters the 2026–2027 academic year. These advancements affirm the school’s ongoing commitment to its Catholic identity, Benedictine tradition and college-preparatory mission.”
Fr. Paschal Pautler, O.S.B. has been named president of St. Bernard Prep. As chief executive officer, Fr. Paschal will ensure excellence across every dimension of the institution, lead institutional advancement and capital initiatives, steward the school’s operational and capital budgets and serve as the primary liaison between the monastic community and the school.
The Board has established a new vice president position to provide senior executive leadership in enrollment management, marketing, communications and parent support. Rachael Stover has been named the school’s first vice president.
In this new role, Stover will lead comprehensive enrollment management for both residential and day programs, direct the school’s marketing and brand strategy, oversee public relations and community engagement and serve as a strategic partner to the president. “The creation of this position reflects the Board’s commitment to strengthening the school’s outreach, growing enrollment and deepening engagement with families and community partners,” said the school.
Fr. Joel Martin, O.S.B., who has served the school faithfully as president and former headmaster, has been appointed interim headmaster while the Board conducts the search for a headmaster. In this role, Fr. Joel will lead the academic program, oversee curriculum and instruction and shape the daily life of the school in alignment with its Catholic and Benedictine tradition.
Fr. Dominic Lee, O.S.B. will continue to serve as assistant headmaster, providing important continuity in student life and residential leadership. In this role, Fr. Dominic directs the residential boarding program and student life, overseeing discipline, campus events and the day-to-day welfare of students.
Phuong Nguyen will serve as guidance counselor. After a period of service as headmaster, Nguyen and the Board agreed that his exceptional gifts — in academic advising, college counseling and passionate student advocacy — are best deployed in the work of the Guidance Office.
Searches underway for headmaster and athletic director
The Board of Directors has launched wide ranging searches for two key positions: a headmaster to lead the school’s academic program and faculty, and an athletic director to lead the school’s athletic programs and student-athlete development.
Looking ahead
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank all our school administrators, faculty, staff and the entire St. Bernard community for their readiness to serve and support St. Bernard Preparatory School. SBP’s future is full of hope as we continue our mission of cultivating a love of learning and a life of virtue in young men and women,” said Br. Brendan Seipel, O.S.B., chairman of the board.
Curricula vitae of St. Bernard administrators
Fr. Paschal Pautler, O.S.B. is a Benedictine monk and priest of St. Bernard Abbey. He received his grade-school education from the Nashville Dominican Sisters at St. Rose Academy in Birmingham before attending St. Bernard Preparatory School, entering the monastery immediately upon graduation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, with minors in Business Administration and Latin, from Belmont Abbey College, as well as a Master of Divinity from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. Ordained a priest in 2023, he has served for three years as development director for St. Bernard Abbey and Preparatory School.
Rachael Stover is a marketing professional with a passion for strategic communications, brand development and community engagement. She studied business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Auburn University, building a foundation in marketing, organizational strategy and leadership, and her work centers on using marketing to strengthen institutions and connect them to the communities they serve. Rachael is also deeply committed to Catholic education and the culture and values that define exceptional schools, having served in advisory and volunteer roles with St. Alphonsus School, Western Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, and contributed to the Marketing Board of Magnolia School during its launch.
Fr. Joel Martin, O.S.B. is a Benedictine monk and priest of St. Bernard Abbey. A native of Fitzgerald, Georgia, he attended local schools before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in Atlanta. After entering St. Bernard Abbey, he studied at St. Meinrad School of Theology, where he received a Master of Arts in Theology and a Master of Divinity. He was ordained a priest in 1991 and has served St. Bernard Preparatory School as teacher, headmaster and president since the fall of that year. Within the monastery, he serves as sub-prior, novice master, choirmaster and vocation director.
Fr. Dominic Lee, O.S.B. is a Benedictine monk and priest of St. Bernard Abbey. Hailing from Huntsville, Alabama, he holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Mathematics and Philosophy from Belmont Abbey College, as well as a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, Italy. Ordained a priest in 2022, he serves St. Bernard Preparatory School as an instructor of mathematics and as assistant headmaster. Within the monastery, he serves as master of ceremonies and in the monastic formation program.
Phuong Nguyen is a dedicated educator, academic counselor and committed Catholic with over 20 years of experience supporting students through guidance counseling, classroom teaching and school administration. He has worked as a guidance and academic counselor in school districts across California, drawing on this expertise throughout his career to support students’ academic planning, college and career readiness and overall school success. He went on to serve as assistant principal at Alhambra High School, where he focused on academic operations and student support, and later as principal of Century and Independence High Schools for six years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Arts in Educational Counseling from National University, along with both counseling and administrative credentials.
