Committee to Search for New Superintendent of Catholic Schools

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Cardinal Dolan announced Jan. 9 the formation of a search committee to begin the process of naming a new superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of New York.
Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, the current superintendent, recently said that he will retire from his position in April to return to Virginia to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Upon his departure, Deputy Superintendent Michael Deegan will serve as interim superintendent until the search is completed and a new superintendent is installed.
The committee brings together people with broad expertise in Catholic education and overall educational administration and meeting the needs of the divergent communities the archdiocese serves. Cardinal Dolan said he is grateful for those who have accepted his request to serve the Church and the greater New York community in this important task.
The new superintendent will oversee one of the largest school systems in New York state. Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York educate more than 64,000 students in 212 schools across 10 counties.
To conduct a thorough and efficient search, the committee has retained the services of Partners in Mission, a Massachusetts-based consulting firm focused on developing excellence in Catholic school advancement and leadership. Its founder, Larry Furey, will lead the Partners in Mission team. 
Jay Spach, an expert with more than 20 years of experience in organizational development, will serve as chairman of the committee. At the Thomson Corp., he supported the transformation and reorganization of 150 newspapers across North America in the 1990s. In the mid-2000s, he revamped the company’s human resources and finance functions. When Thomson acquired Reuters in 2008, he became senior vice president of organizational development. He now serves an array of clients through his own consulting business.
Applications will be accepted through early March, with interviews to be held in April. Finalists will be selected and recommendations sent to Cardinal Dolan in mid-May.
Interested parties should submit a resume with cover letter and statement of philosophy of Catholic Education to lfurey@partnersinmission.com with ArchNY in the subject line.
Other members of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools Search Committee include:

Staff Members
Michael J. Deegan, deputy superintendent of schools, has served the Church in Catholic education for more than 40 years.
Dr. Noelle Beale, regional superintendent, Catholic School Region of Central Westchester
Maureen McElduff, a former principal who is now an educational consultant in the archdiocese.

Religious Sister
Sister Catherine Rose Quigley, O.P., a member of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill who was a longtime principal and assistant principal at Aquinas High School in the Bronx.

Regional Board Trustees
Glenn Pellino, chairman of the Catholic School Region of Ulster, Sullivan and Orange
Wendy Gittings, a trustee of Catholic School Region of the Northeast/East Bronx

Pastors
Father Arthur Mastrolia, pastor of St. Anthony’s parish in Yonkers and chairman of the board of the Catholic School Region of Central Westchester.
Father Stephen Norton, pastor of St. Benedict parish in the Bronx, and a former principal and president of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers.

High School Representative
Father Joseph Tierney, president of Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and a former director of vocations for the archdiocese

Principal/Teacher Representatives
Maryann Fusco, principal, Holy Rosary School, the Bronx
Tara Braswell, principal, St. Simon Stock School, the Bronx

National Educational Expert
Father Ronald Nuzzi, Ph.D., emeritus faculty, the Alliance for Catholic Education, University of Notre Dame