Leadership

List of 10 items.

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  Andrew O'Brien

  Principal & Assistant Head of School 
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  Mr. Andrew O’Brien is a graduate of Bowdoin College, where he majored in Economics and served as Captain of the lacrosse team. He was an all NESCAC player and Honorable Mention All-American Athlete. He earned his masters from Boston College in Educational leadership. 
  
  Later, he taught, coached, and served as the Associate Director of Admissions at Salisbury School going on to become the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Boston College and then the Director of Admission at the Xaverian Brothers School. 
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  Brian Palm

  Assistant Head of School and Director of Operations
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  Mr. Brian Palm's strong interest in student-centered, 21st Century Learning is combined with a facilities management approach that encourages the development of a durable campus with sustainability at its core. Having served as chairman of the science department at both the Brooks School in North Andover and Maimonides School in Brookline, Mr. Palm has been recognized as an NAIS Teacher of the Future, Amgen Award recipient for Science Teaching Excellence, and Siemen’s Award winner for AP Teachers. 
  Mr. Palm is a graduate of Dartmouth College where he earned his degree in Environmental Biology and Geography. He earned a Masters in Science from Oxford University (UK) in Environmental Policy and Management with a focus on energy policy. 
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  Kevin Durazo

  Vice Principal for Grades 9-12 & Vice Principal of Mission
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  Mr. Durazo has a rich background in student formation in middle, high school, and post-secondary education. He worked previously at Boston College, Connecticut College, and Yale University. 
  He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Ministry from Yale’s School of Divinity. 
  
  At Yale, Mr. Durazo was mentored and advised by Rev. Tony Jarvis, the esteemed former Headmaster of Roxbury Latin. Mr. Durazo is an exceptional role model, a man of character, and a thoughtful educator with a deep understanding of student formation.
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  Gloria Riley

  Vice Principal of Academic Affairs
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  Ms. Gloria Riley comes to CM from Elizabeth Seton Academy in Dorchester where she was the Assistant Principal. In this capacity she mentored new teachers, designed faculty observation evaluations, oversaw curricular mapping, and ministered to all students in grades 9-12. She has taught mathematics at every level and served as the Head of Department for Technical Vocational Studies in a Government Secondary School, Montserrat, in the West Indies. 
  
  Ms. Riley is a graduate of Leeward Islands Teacher College (West Indies), earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Edna Manley School in Jamaica and a master’s degree from Savannah College, as a Fulbright Scholar. She is a member of the National Teachers of Mathematics, The Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts, as well as the Catholic Educators Association. 
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  Megan Laughlin

  Vice Principal of Teaching and Learning
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  Ms. Megan Laughlin is a graduate of Boston College, earning a bachelor’s degree in English and Hispanic Studies, as well as a master’s degree in Education.  
  
  

  Prior to joining CM, she began her career as a teacher instructing Spanish at Mount Alvernia High School in Newton, MA. She then worked as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, grade dean and department chair at The Fessenden School in Newton, MA. 
  
  She also completed a fellowship year with the Lynch Leadership Academy and earned a Massachusetts state licensure for principalship. 
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  Michael Dermody '07

  Vice Principal of Grades 7 & 8
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  Michael Dermody ‘07 holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of Notre Dame. 

  
  

  Since returning to CM in 2014, he has held various roles including communications associate, director of student activities, assistant director of admissions, associate director of campus ministry, and director of campus ministry. 

  
  

  He was named the vice principal of the middle school in 2023. He is a member of the Remick Leadership Program, a 25-month graduate program for educators seeking to become transformational Catholic school leaders.
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  Thomas Claiborne

  Athletic Director
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  Thomas Claiborne is a graduate of Boston College, where he earned his undergraduate degree and was a member of the football team. He also holds a master's degree in school counseling from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
  
  Claiborne joined CM in 2019 as a college counselor. In the position, he was the school's liaison with the NCAA and led our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) partnerships. He also created and led Catholic Memorial’s HBCU student visit trips to the DC and Virginia areas where the majority of these colleges reside.
  
  Over his tenure, Mr. Claiborne has collaborated on our advising curriculum, created CM’s Black Student Union, participated in service projects, and oversaw the Brotherhood of Ethnic Scholars
  Together advisory group. 
  
  In athletics, Mr. Claiborne has spent time as the offensive line coach for the football team, the throws coach for the track and field team, and worked alongside CM’s athletic staff on-site supervisors and game day management. 
  
  Mr. Claiborne was named the school's athletic director in 2023.
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  Jack O'Keefe

  Director of Counseling & Student Success 
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  Mr. Jack O’Keefe believes in challenging our young men to engage in thoughtful discernment to discover their own values and develop an appreciation for who they truly are. As the Director of Counseling & Student Success, he fosters adaptable skill growth to prepare each student for his path, linear or not.  Prior to joining Catholic Memorial School, Mr. O’Keefe taught high school English in Missouri and Ontario, Canada. Here on Baker Street, outside of the Counseling Office, he moderates Always Our Brothers & Sisters and serves as an assistant coach for the varsity basketball team.   
  Mr. O’Keefe holds a B.A. from DePaul University, a B.S. from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.  
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  Marie Downey

  Vice President of Finance
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  Mrs. Marie Downey serves as Vice President of Finance and is responsible for all accounting operations for the school as well as spearheading its financial planning and assisting senior management with long­ range financial modeling and strategic planning. Mrs. Downey holds a BS in International Business and Finance from Northeastern University and an MBA from the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts.
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  Stephanie Truesdell

  Director of Institutional Advancement
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  Mrs. Stephanie Truesdell brings nearly 30 years of experience in fundraising for leading institutions including Brown University, Harvard Law School, Milton Academy and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton.
  
  Her consulting practice, with a focus on independent schools, encompasses the development and implementation of strategic best practices in annual fundraising, leadership giving, parent programs, reunions, and capital campaigns. She is a long-time board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.