Minnesota Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey ‘01 Hits a Home Run at Govs

Minnesota Twins President of Baseball Operation Derek Falvey ‘01 began his baseball journey at Govs before playing at Trinity College, where his playing career ended. Still, his passion for the game and perseverance led him to his dream job in pro baseball. Soon after college,  he headed to Cape Cod Baseball League games to film players, scout, and do statistical analysis which he handed out for free to MLB scouts and executives. These efforts landed him an internship with the Cleveland Indians in 2007.  Quickly rising through the ranks, he gained a reputation for analytics and player development. He joined the Twins in 2016, guiding them to multiple playoff appearances and fostering a collaborative culture built on empathy and authenticity. 

Last month, The Governor’s Academy was honored to host Falvey for Convocation. Academy President Gracie Augustine ‘25 introduced Falvey and led a Q&A before an eager audience of students, faculty, and staff. Later that day, she facilitated a Q&A with a smaller audience of student leaders.

Falvey’s leadership style and natural gift for connecting with people are powerful, earnest, and rooted in gratitude. He expressed appreciation for his family and the teachers and coaches who mentored and guided him as a young man: “I had a unique opportunity at Govs to get to know the staff and my teachers and see them as neighbors and families. I developed bonds and relationships with them that I still cherish today,” he said. “They challenged me to always do my best and take risks.”

“You have a huge opportunity for growth here—college will be different,” he added. “Put yourself in a position where you might fail, learn where your limits are, and push past them. These are the moments that propel you forward.”

Falvey reflected on facing down moments early on in his career of having to lead from a place where he didn’t have a title or authority, nor years of experience, and drew from his first leadership role serving as a proctor in Cottage dorm at Govs: “I remember feeling responsible for others, and you just don’t know what it feels like until you are in that seat, that feeling of ‘imposter syndrome.’ You have to lean into what you’ve learned along the way—gain people’s trust, be curious, humble, and have a growth mindset. Lift others up. That equals success.”

Below are excerpts from Derek and Gracie's conversation:

Gracie: What are some key skills that help build team spirit?

Derek: Trust between teammates, a willingness to be vulnerable. If you ask for help, you open up a space for others to lean in and fill the gaps.

Gracie: How do you encourage your team to persevere when they are struggling?

Derek: Preparation. I’m never going to feel anxious if I’m prepared. I share a plan with my team and ask for feedback—what can we do better? We stick with our process. If we have a good outcome but a bad process, we have to work on that as a team. Success is not linear. 

Gracie: What are some key qualities of an emerging (baseball) player?

Derek: We get many talented players, but the ones who succeed are players who can handle adversity and struggle, and they stick to a routine. They stay flexible but can drown out the noise and push through the setbacks. 

Gracie: How do you navigate disagreeing with someone higher up?

Derek: My process is to be humble, empathize, listen to their rationale, and be willing to change my mind, too. I try to model leaders I admire, seek them out for advice, and take the initiative to polish my skills to add more value. 

Gracie: How do you give feedback in a way that makes a person more receptive? 

Derek: I share what I’m working on for personal growth. I ask every player to do this exercise—it builds trust and honesty and signals that it’s ok to be vulnerable. 

Gracie: How do you deal with perfectionism? 

Derek: It comes from a fear of failure, of failing to experience the joy of the journey. You have to get out of your comfort zone and focus on the process, not the outcome. Focus on what you can control and do that thing best. I always go back to the process. 

Read more about Derek Falvey.