Tom McInerney is the CEO and co-founder of Bluff Point Associates, a private equity firm based in Westport, Connecticut. Prior to Bluff Point, Tom was a general partner of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe for 24 years, was President and CEO of Momentum Technologies, and was a group Vice President of Automatic Data Processing’s (ADP) Brokerage Services Division and as a group Vice President of ADP’s Financial Industries Services. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Dama Telecommunications Corp. A graduate of St. John’s University, Mr. McInerney attended New York University Graduate School of Business. He began his career at the American Stock Exchange. He was a member of the board of trustees for St. John’s University for 13 years and chair for 5 years. In 2001, Mr. McInerney received an honorary doctorate of commercial science. He has served on numerous public and private company and non-profit boards. He and his wife Paula have five children, thirteen grandchildren and reside in Westport.
David Cappiello is Owner and President of Capitol Hill Group, LLC, a Connecticut government and community relations firm. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Cappiello held the position of Vice President of Development and Communications at Ability Beyond, a Bethel, Connecticut based non-profit serving people with disabilities in over ninety communities throughout Connecticut and New York. Prior to joining Ability Beyond, he served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Connecticut Senate Republicans in 2009, and as Campaign Manager for U.S. Senate Candidate, Linda McMahon. He served five terms as Connecticut State Senator representing the 24th District towns of Danbury, Bethel, New Fairfield and Sherman. First elected in 1994 to the Connecticut House of Representative from Danbury’s 138th District, Senator Cappiello served two terms before being elected to the State Senate. Prior to his service in state legislature, he was elected to the Danbury Common Council in 1993. Mr. Cappiello currently resides in Newtown with his wife and two children.
George Coleman currently serves as an Early Childhood System Development Specialist at Cooperative Educational Services (CES) and holds graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. He is also an adjunct professor of history at Western Connecticut State University.
Prior to serving at CES, Coleman spent his 24-year career with the Connecticut State Department of Education, where he was twice named Acting Commissioner of Education. He retired in October 11, 2011. While at the SDE, he also held the position of Deputy Commissioner of Education, Associate Commissioner of Education, Chief of the Bureau of Curriculum and Teaching and Chief of the Bureau of Early Childhood Education. Mr. Coleman joined the State Department of Education in 1987 as Kindergarten and Primary Grades Consultant. Coleman is credited with helping to establish the state’s rationale for full-day kindergarten investment and with procuring the first state grant to support full-day kindergarten. Coleman also drafted the School Readiness Legislation and funding-level commitments, which now exceed $200,000,000.
Lisa earned a J.D. from Duke Law School. She holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing from Fairfield University. She practiced law in Connecticut as a civil litigator and since then has volunteered her time in various capacities. Lisa has worked on a variety of committees to raise money for schools through annual fund campaigns and fundraising events. Her volunteer work for the Catholic Church has included translating documents for the Martyrs Project and serving as a catechist for 11 years. She served on the gala committee for Foundations in Education for the last 2 years. Lisa currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Fairfield University and as an ambassador with the Parents Leadership Council of Fairfield University. Lisa also currently serves as a member of the Visiting Committee for Pediatric Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Tim FitzPatrick is Chief Investment Officer for Parsons & Whittemore in Rye Brook, NY and Portfolio Manager at The Whittemore Collection, Ltd. Prior to joining Parsons & Whittemore, Tim worked as a Leveraged Finance Trader at The Seaport Group and Morgan Stanley in New York. Tim received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Georgetown University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. Tim has served on the Foundations in Education Finance Committee since 2017 and joined the Board of Trustees in February 2020.
He and his wife Christa, a real estate agent at Halstead, have three children and live in Darien.
Michael Hanlon, CPA of North Haven, is the Chief Financial Officer of the Diocese of Bridgeport, responsible for the overall financial management of the Diocese of Bridgeport and the stewardship of fiscal resources in support of the mission and goals of the Diocese. He oversees financial and related functions including budgeting, accounting, investments, real estate, and Diocesan entities including parishes, schools and fundraising. Hanlon came to the Diocese as a principal of BlumShapiro in Shelton. While at BlumShapiro, Hanlon managed the Shelton office not-for-profit practice providing professional services to entities including human service agencies, community and private foundations, voluntary health, welfare and religious organizations, arts and cultural organizations and membership organizations. Prior to joining BlumShapiro he also served on the City of New Haven Police Department from 1977 to 2000. His extensive professional and volunteer associations included board leadership positions on North Haven Youth Soccer Club, and the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, South Central District and Christian Community Action, New Haven. He is an adjunct professor of Accounting at Post University.
Leslie Lopez currently serves as Executive Director of Development for the Dominican Academy in New York City. Leslie is a lawyer (JD) and a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), earning her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and Bachelor of Science from the College of New Rochelle. Over the past 20 years, Leslie advised local and global organizations to transform lives through education, healthcare, and alleviating food insecurity. Organizations include Maryknoll, School Sisters of Notre Dame, The Wellspring Foundation, and The Religious Institute at Sacred Heart University.
Before nonprofit management, Leslie provided legal consultation in international business, real estate, and business development. Leslie resides in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Andrea Maldon, CPA currently serves as Chair of the Foundations in Education Finance Committee and retired after nineteen years at Lone Pine Capital LLC, a privately owned hedge fund in Greenwich, CT. Maldon joined Lone Pine in 1998 as Controller, became Chief Financial Officer and most recently served as Managing Director of Internal Investor Services. Maldon graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science.
Prior to Lone Pine, Andrea worked at Bowman Capital Management as an Accounting Manager for two years. Prior to Bowman Capital, she served as an auditor at Ernst & Young, LLP for three years.
Anne McCrory is the Chief Legal and Real Estate Officer and Corporate Secretary for the Diocese of Bridgeport, supervising litigation, real estate, contracts, immigration, and various compliance and corporate governance matters. Anne served as Diocesan Chancellor from 2012-2014. Prior to her work for the Diocese, Anne served as Managing Attorney for UIL Holdings Corporation, and as an associate with Hunton & Williams in New York and Washington, D.C. Anne is a Trustee and member of the Finance Committee of Albertus Magnus College in Hamden, CT and is the Treasurer and former Chair of the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. She serves on the Diocesan Finance Council, Real Estate Committee, Review Board, Annual Red Mass Committee and the Assumption School Advisory Board. She received her B.A., cum laude, and J.D. from Boston College. She and her husband, Hugh, reside in Fairfield and are parents of four children.
Tom McDevitt is the Founder and Managing Partner of Edgewood Capital Advisors. Prior to founding his company, McDevitt held senior real estate capital markets positions at Salomon Brothers, Citibank, Meenan McDevitt & Co. and Société Générale. He currently serves on the Boards of five Neuberger Berman Crossroads Funds.
McDevitt holds an A.B. from Harvard College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He has served on several nonprofit boards including A Better Chance of Wilton, Community Nursery School of Wilton, and the Wilton Riding Club. He is also a member of the investment committee for La Salle Academy in Providence, RI.
McDevitt and his wife are the parents of three children and reside in Wilton.
Dr. Julia McNamara became President of Albertus Magnus College in 1982, with a concurrent appointment as Professor of French. She served in this position until her retirement in 2016. From 1992 to 1998, Dr. McNamara was Chair of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Board of Trustees and currently serves as its Vice Chair. She is also Vice Chair of the Yale-New Haven Health Services Corporation, also having served as its Chair from 2001 to 2014. She was a member of the Board of NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc. and served as lead director from 2004-2011. She currently serves on the Board of the NewAlliance Foundation. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, the United Way of Greater New Haven and the Shubert Theatre. In 1990, she became the first woman to serve on the Committee of the Proprietors of the Common and Undivided Lands, which has overseen the New Haven Green since 1638. She decided to step down as of June 30, 2017. Dr. McNamara served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities until 2016. She joined the Foundations in Education Board in 2015.
Michele Mitola currently serves as Vice President, Strategic Planning and Development at the Children’s Scholarship Fund in New York City, a non-profit that provides children of low-income families in areas nationwide with tuition assistance in grades K-8. Mitola began her career working in the New York State Senate in Albany and worked in Washington, DC, both in the federal government and non-profit sectors. She moved to the New York City area to work for a Fortune 25 company, and, prior to joining the Children’s Scholarship Fund, served as Vice President for Public Affairs at Forum Strategies and Communications, where her clients included several major corporations and national organizations. Mitola earned her law degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and undergraduate degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York. She is a member of St. Pius X Parish and resides in Fairfield, CT with her husband John and two children.
Joe Purcell joined Morgan Stanley in 2010 and was a Vice Chairman of the firm’s Financial Sponsors Group prior to his retirement in August 2023. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Joe was an investment banker at JPMorgan for 15 years; first as a member of that firm’s High Yield group and later in the Financial Sponsors Coverage Group. Joe served as a Supply Officer in the United States Navy from 1980 to 1989 in a variety of assignments. Post active duty, Joe continued to serve in the US Navy Reserves and retired with the rank of Commander. A 1980 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, and a 1991 graduate of the Harvard Business School, Joe is former Co-Chair of the Morgan Stanley Veterans Employee Networking Group, a Board Member of the Navy League’s New York City Council and a former Board Member of Caroline House, a non-profit serving immigrant women and children. Joe has three grown daughters and resides in Westport, Connecticut with his wife Lisa.
Joseph Rahtelli, CPA is the Assistant Controller of Investment Management Finance at Lone Pine Capital LLC in Greenwich, CT. Prior to joining Lone Pine in 2014, he worked at Ernst & Young, LLP as an auditor in their Wealth & Asset Management division for three years. He graduated from Marist College in 2011, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration- Finance.
Joseph resides in Ridgefield, CT with his wife Kaitlyn and two children (Carmine and Caroline).
Geoff Raker is a Partner and Head of Healthcare Investing at Tailwind Capital. Prior to joining Tailwind, his career included positions with Warburg Pincus in healthcare investing, Morgan Stanley in healthcare banking, and Bain & Company as a strategy consultant in the healthcare field.
A graduate of Brown University and the Harvard Business School, Geoff and his family are members of St. Paul Parish in Greenwich.
Bernard E. Reidy is Managing Director and National Philanthropic Sales Executive for U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Prior to joining U.S. Trust, he served as Head of Endowment and Foundation Sales and later was named Co-Head of Institutional Sales at Commonfund. Previously, he was a Senior Vice President with Boyd Watterson Asset Management and its parent company, Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, where he led institutional sales and relationship management for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic territories. Bernie earned his B.S. in Finance from Stonehill College. He serves as a trustee of the New York St. Patrick’s Day Foundation and of Foundations in Education for the Diocese of Bridgeport. He is also a member of the advisory board for St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown, Connecticut. He is a former member of the advisory board for Immaculate High School in Danbury, Connecticut.
Allison Reiling earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages from Providence College. After college, Allison worked at IBM in various HR roles, with her most recent role being within the HR Finance division. Allison currently is the Executive Director of the Lautenbach Family Foundation where she manages over 35 scholarships and relationships with various educational institutions. Additionally, Allison is a part of the School Volunteer Association in Bridgeport tutoring elementary school children. She has been actively involved in her children’s schools, Greens Farms Academy, Fairfield Prep and Fairfield Country Day. Allison resides in Fairfield with her husband, Chris, and her three children (Jack, Ella and Lila)
Barbara Ripp graduated from Marymount Manhattan College, with a BA in Sociology and early childhood education. She transitioned from teaching to social services after receiving a Masters from Keane University. Across her career, she worked as a Case Supervisor for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), a tutor at Edna Mahon Correctional Facility and a Child Advocate for the Association for Children of New Jersey in Newark.
Since moving to Connecticut 12 years ago, Barbara retired from CASA. She has served on the Board of Malta House for six years, involved in all aspects of this home for homeless pregnant women and women with young children. As a member of the Order of Malta, she participated in Prison Ministry and as a Mentor in the Shepherds program. Barbara is proud to report her mentee graduated from college in 2020, after four years at Kolbe. Barbara also volunteers with Walking with Purpose and helped bring this National women’s scripture study to St Michael’s Parish in Greenwich. She has been a group facilitator for the past five years. Barbara lives in Greenwich with her husband Peter with whom she sponsored the Christopher Ripp Early Learning Program, which provides after school programming for preschool children and their parents. The program launched in 2019 at St. Peter’s School in Danbury, Connecticut and is slated to expand to All Saints School in Norwalk, Connecticut this coming school year.
Henry Rondon currently serves as Assistant Executive Director at The Connecticut Association of Schools and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CAS-CIAC). He joined CAS-CIAC in July of 2019 after serving 22 years in education. Rondon is the sports liaison for Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Ice Hockey, Baseball and Softball for CIAC. He also works with student activities groups such the Student Equity Advisory Board and the Student Athletic Advisory Board.
Prior to joining CAS-CIAC, Rondon spent 21 years at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, where he served as a teacher, coach, club moderator, athletic director, dean of students and ultimately principal, a position he held for five years.
Rondon is a New York City native where he attended Cardinal Hayes High School. He is a 1996 graduate of Sacred Heart University where he played both baseball and basketball and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Sixth Year in Administration Degree. Rondon served as the assistant coach for Sacred Heart University’s men’s basketball team and the head coach for the University of Bridgeport’s women’s basketball team. Henry currently volunteers with the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport and is a member of the Academy’s Board of Trustees.
Rondon resides in Ansonia, CT, with his wife Colleen and two sons Henry and Samuel.
Jennifer St. Victor-de Pinho is a former member of the Core Management Team at Bridgewater Associates. Prior to Bridgewater, Jen worked at GE Capital Americas where she worked on Debt Capital Market matters and served as the Tax Director for BD (Mergers and Acquisitions). Prior to GE, Jen was at UBS AG covering Credit Fixed Income US tax matters globally. Jen received her undergraduate degree from Haverford College in Pennsylvania, her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. and her masters in tax law from New York University. Jen has served on the Foundations in Education Gala Committee since 2018 and joined the Board of Trustees in February 2020.
Jen lives with her husband Chris and son Gray in Ridgefield Connecticut. Chris is Managing Director & Global Head of Tax, UBS Group.
Paula Summa brings many years of experience in various financial and general management positions at IBM. During her career, Paula has held positions as CEO of IBM Digital Sales and CFO posts in IBM’s Global Geographic Units and Global Financing, Latin America Unit and Small and Medium Business Units, as well as other financial executive roles. Paula holds a BA and MS in Accounting, as well as an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Pace University. Paula was a member of the Pace University Lubin School of Business Advisory Board and currently serves as a member of Foundations in Education’s Finance and Innovation and Leadership Grant Committees. Paula joined the Board of Trustees in December 2021.
Paula and her husband live in Rye, New York.
Sister Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., an Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was appointed Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan and began her new role on July 17, 2023. In this position she is responsible for the education of students in 170 Catholic schools in Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Westchester and the upper counties that comprise the archdiocese.
Before becoming Superintendent of Schools, Sr. Mary Grace served as President of Cor Jesu Academy located in St. Louis, Missouri. In her tenure as President, Sr. Mary Grace served as the Chief Executive Officer and provided overall leadership and vision for the integration of faith and learning. Sr. Mary Grace served as the Provost for Education, Evangelization and Catechesis and the President of Saint Thomas Seminary in the Archdiocese of Hartford, where she was responsible for the continuum of Catholic education and formation for all the faithful of the archdiocese and the supervision and coordination of the offices which served Catholic schools. From 2006 through 2015 she served as Superintendent and later Secretary of Catholic Education and Faith Formation in the Diocese of Bridgeport. She has also been an elementary and secondary school teacher and administrator in seven arch/dioceses throughout the country in parochial, diocesan, and congregation-sponsored schools and just completed her service as a provincial councilor for the Mary, Queen of Apostles province of her religious community.
Sr. Mary Grace holds a B.A. in English from Albertus Magnus College, an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Saint Louis University and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration/Church Leadership from Fordham University. In addition to serving as a trustee of Foundations in Education and boards related to her role as superintendent, she serves on the executive committee of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Board of Directors.
