LYNN — The St. Mary’s community gathered Thursday for a commissioning ceremony for Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan and Associate Head of School David Angeramo in the Tony Conigliaro ’62 Gymnasium.
St. Mary’s pastor Father Brian Flynn, Mayor Thomas M. McGee, former Head of School Grace Cotter Regan and former Principal Carl DiMaiti joined elected officials, St. Mary’s trustees, students, faculty and staff for the ceremony.
“Good schools have strong leaders. Great schools have extraordinary, exceptional leaders,” said St. Mary’s Board of Trustees Chair William Mosakowski. “We welcome (John and David), we pray for their success and we pledge them all of our support.”
McGee noted that he went to St. Mary’s Grammar School for eight years, which “helped lead me to where I am today. It was a great experience and I made some great friendships. A school is more than academics. St. Mary’s students are prepared to be active, positive influences in their community.”
City Councilor Brian Field, a St. Mary’s alumnus and parent, recalled there being only about 70 students in the Class of 1994. He credited Msgr. Paul Garrity and benefactor William F. Connell with reversing the school’s fortunes. In praising the choice of Dolan and Angeramo to lead the school, Field quoted John F. Kennedy: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
Longtime teacher Michael Jalbert, who served on the head of school search committee, said the two-headed leadership model is working because Dolan and Angeramo are “forging trust in each other based on authenticity. We are truly in good hands.”
Angeramo, whose mother and father-in-law graduated from St. Mary’s, said the commissioning ceremony was an opportunity to “honor St. Mary’s past, celebrate the present and get excited about the future.”
Dolan asked those in attendance to “pray for the success of St. Mary’s, recommend a (potential) student and support our school.” He noted a favorite motto, attributed to a Benedictine monk: “Forward. Always forward. Everywhere forward.”
Dolan came to St. Mary’s from Simmons College, where he served as senior vice president for enrollment management and athletics. He also worked at Le Moyne College, Drexel University, LaSalle University, the University of Denver and at The Catholic Foundation in Denver. He started his career in 1982 as a high school teacher in St. Louis. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in education from Benedictine College in Kansas, a Master’s from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D from Drexel University.
Angeramo spent 23 years at Salem High School, including 12 as principal. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in math from Dartmouth College, a Master’s in education from Salem State University and a certificate of completion from the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College.
