The St. Mary’s Board of Trustees voted to extend the contract of Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan for four years.

“John Dolan has demonstrated decisive leadership during an unprecedented time,” Board Chair William Mosakowski said. “His steady management of the school contained the impact of the pandemic on the student experience and the future of our school. St. Mary’s actually came out of the crisis stronger than before COVID hit. This is a clear sign of solid leadership.”

Dolan and the leadership team successfully led St. Mary’s through the challenging times of the pandemic, while achieving improved student academic results, strong fundraising, and impressive enrollment growth.

The St. Mary’s leadership team – Dolan, Associate Head of School David Angeramo, Director of Athletics and Campus Operations Jeff Newhall, Chief Operating Officer Lindsay Lockwood, and Executive Director of External Affairs Jamie Gigliotti – which was formed in 2018, has championed several successful strategic initiatives. These include a focus on access and affordability, finding new sources of revenue to invest in St. Mary’s mission, making the school financially sustainable, and aligning resources to the mission of delivering a powerful Catholic educational experience. 

“We will continue the work of finding ways to think differently about improving the lives of the students we serve, creating new and exciting academic programs, improving the ways we deliver and support student learning, and our role in ensuring that a truly unique and committed Catholic education continues to be affordable and accessible,” Dolan said.

Recent gifts totaling more than $2 million have been designated to support Lynn students to ensure they can access a St. Mary’s education. Building endowment for the school will remain a priority through 2028.

“We want to continue to deliver the kind of experience that reflects the vision of the board, faculty, students and parents,” Dolan said.

Before coming to St. Mary’s in 2018, Dolan worked in administration at Simmons College, Le Moyne College, Drexel University, LaSalle University, the Catholic Foundation and the University of Denver.

Dolan earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Benedictine College, a master’s from the University of Denver, and a doctorate from Drexel University.