What comes to mind when picturing an Alumni Philanthropy Officer? Probably not an advocate for the homeless, environmental law research scholar, or outdoors enthusiast, right? But Mr. Marty Farrell, Bishop’s new Alumni Philanthropy Officer, is all these things and more. So whether you are already familiar with this new addition to Bishop’s, or just being introduced, there is lots to be learned about him!
Q: What were your life experiences and work before Bishop’s?
Yea, absolutely. So I went to a private sixth through twelfth grade school outside of Philadelphia called Malvern Preparatory School. It is loosely associated with Villanova University. Then I went to St. Joe’s University in Philly for undergrad. I was an English major as an undergrad. After undergrad I then went and worked for three years doing fundraising and community relations at a shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, where I had volunteered as an undergrad. So I worked there full time for three years. Then after that, I wanted to get my law degree, so I went to University of Oregon in the fall of 2020. I got my law degree there, passed the California Bar, practiced for a very short period of time, did not like it, and wanted to get back into advancement and development type work, specifically in a school setting. So that is ultimately what led me to come to Bishop’s. And prior to this, I was living in L.A. where my now wife was a psychiatric social worker for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is now working at the San Dieguito school district. So that is what led to the shift of us moving down here to San Diego.
Q: What made you interested in working at Bishop’s, and why at the Alumni Philanthropy Officer position?
I think what really stood out to me about Bishop’s was the sense of community here. It really feels like a place where everybody has a place, everybody belongs, and people — between students, staff, and faculty — go out of their way to make everyone feel like they belong…And then I think what drew me to this position specifically is very similar to what drew me to Bishop’s as a whole, and that is the sense of community. I am working as the Alumni Philanthropy Officer on the Alumni Engagement Team over in the Advancement Office, and a lot of alumni engagement really has to do with building community; making sure that the community that exists when you’re here on campus doesn’t just end when you graduate, but continues on after you graduate and is fostered by the School after you’ve graduated to maintain that community throughout the rest of your life, not just your time at Bishop’s. So I think that the focus of this department, this team and this role, on that sense of building, maintaining, and fostering community is what really drew me to the position.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish at Bishop’s as the Alumni Philanthropy Officer?
That is a great question. I think that what I hope to achieve is strengthening those ties. Ensuring that we’re strengthening the ties and building those ties with people who maybe have become disengaged over the years since they’ve graduated and and making sure that we build and strengthen those ties for people like people in your shoes who are going to be graduating soon, and making sure that we build, maintain, and foster that relationship with people in your class, people in classes beyond you, beyond their time of Bishops.
Q: Earlier you mentioned your work with Philadelphia’s homeless population. Is working with the homeless in San Diego something you are interested in doing?
I would love to. I think that volunteer work is incredibly important. I think that I personally feel most fulfilled and most alive when I am working for something that’s bigger than just myself. And as you mentioned, it’s a huge issue here in San Diego, and I think that in my experience working at that shelter, a huge barrier to solving those issues was a lack of understanding and a lack of connection with the population that was being directly affected by it. So I think volunteering in positions where you get that direct interaction with people, and you are able to see people for who they are…is something I would love to continue doing.
Q: When you were at Oregon Law School, you did lots of research at the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center. Could you explain what that research was about, and why it interested you?
I went to University of Oregon because I wanted to pursue a law degree, but I also had an interest in environmental issues, but specifically environmental justice issues — kind of where environmental laws and regulations and environmental issues intersect with civil rights and human rights. That interest was sparked by a volunteer program I participated in when I was an undergrad where we would go and work in different areas of the Appalachian region every spring and see water contamination issues that were happening there as the result of factories and large runoff that was occurring in the drinking water sources in those areas. So that was what led me to really want to pursue that law degree at University of Oregon, because they have a strong focus on environmental issues. So that was what most of my substantive work focused on when I was there, like all of my clerkships and classes and things focused on environmental issues.
Q: Just like with homelessness, is environmental justice and action something you hope to stay involved with in San Diego?
Definitely. I think that especially in San Diego, clean water is such a huge issue. If you spend any time in the ocean, if you surf, or if you open water swim (which I do, horribly, a little bit) you know how big of an issue stormwater runoff in the ocean is. So I think that, again, that is an area where I would love to, in my free time, still volunteer and engage with because there are solutions to that problem, but it takes a collective effort to address those issues. I think that because people do spend so much time living and recreating in these areas that can be impacted by environmental issues, they feel that sense of connection with the actual issue, and I think they want to address that issue, which is pretty cool.
Q: More generally, when you are not at Bishop’s, what do you enjoy doing with your free time?
What I enjoy doing in my free time, which being in San Diego has made even better, is that I run, swim, cycle, hike, and camp all the time. Those are pretty much the things that I do in my free time. So being in San Diego has been amazing because the weather allows you to do all those things all times of the year. Being in San Diego, being in a place that has this beautiful climate and weather and lets me get out and do all those things on a frequent basis with little interruption, has been nice!
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say?
I’m just so excited to be here. It’s been such an awesome community so far and I have gotten to meet so many people on campus, and I’m looking forward to getting to meet more people.
