The New School Board of trustees will oversee Stepinac’s operations as an independent high school within the Archdiocese of New York. Stepinac’s charter as an independent high school and its board were approved September 1, 2009 by the New York State Board of Regents. The formation of the board follows the announcement in January of 2009 by the Archdiocese of New York that it was placing the responsibility for governance of its 10 high schools including Stepinac in the hands of each individual school and that each would now be governed by its own board. As a result, for the first time the schools will be self-governing and have direct local control over their own operations. The Archdiocese will continue to own the school properties and buildings and provide financial support for major capital repairs.
Officers
Chairman of the Board
William F. Plunkett Jr. of Tarrytown. A prominent attorney, Mr. Plunkett is a graduate of Stepinac’s class of 1958 and is a founding partner of the Plunkett & Jaffe law firm that in 2006 merged to become the Plunkett & Jaffe Group of the law firm of McKenna, Long & Aldridge. He is well known for his work with numerous government and not-for-profit agencies and groups. He has been honored by many organizations including the National Conference of Christians and Jews and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Executive Committee
Thomas B. Martin of Scarsdale, Vice Chairman. A 1965 Stepinac graduate, he is a registered Investment Advisor and owner of Circle Advisors, a diversified wealth advisory and financial services firm, and is managing director of Circle Consulting Group Inc. He is experienced in executive compensation planning and employment contract negotiations.
Jim Scully of White Plains, Secretary. A 1980 Stepinac graduate, he is a partner in Scully Construction LLC, a leading provider of general contracting services in the tri-state area. He is active in numerous trade and community organizations and is a member of Stepinac’s Alumni Association.
Kevin J. Keane of White Plains, Treasurer. He is Managing Partner of O’Conner, Davies, Munns & Dobbins, LLP, a leading accounting firm in the New York metropolitan area. A 1974 graduate of Stepinac, he is a certified public accountant with extensive experience in all areas of accounting and tax planning services. He specializes in dealing with closely held businesses and their owners. He is active in numerous business and community organizations.
Trustees
Maggie Kolman-Mandle of Briarcliff Manor is a partner in The Research Firm, a full service market research company serving Fortune 500 companies. She is the mother of two recent Stepinac graduates and her brother is also an alumnus. From 2002-2004 she served as President of the Lady Crusaders, a group composed of the mothers of Stepinac students that provides support to the school.
Sister Lucille Coldrick has been a member of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion for 50 years. She has been deeply involved in education as both a teacher and an administrator. She taught at The Academy of Our Lady of Good Council in White Plains and served as its principal for seven years and was principal of Preston High School in the Bronx from 1991-1998.
Monsignor Anthony Marchitelli, President of Stepinac, has had a long career in education. He came to Stepinac in 2003 after having served as Principal of John F. Kennedy High School, Somers for seven years. For 17 years, he was a member of the faculty at St. Joseph-by-the-Sea, Staten Island where he also served as Dean of Discipline, Athletic Director and Swim Coach. He attended Cathedral College, Douglaston, Queens, where he earned a B.A. Degree and St. Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, where he obtained a Divinity Degree in Theology. He was ordained in 1976.
Father Thomas Collins, former Dean of Students at Stepinac, is a 1979 graduate of Stepinac. Following his ordination as a priest in 1992, he joined the faculty of the school and was later named Dean of Students. In 2007 he joined the school’s Office of Development. In addition to his work at Stepinac, he celebrates Mass at Resurrection Church in Rye, Holy Rosary Church in Hawthorne and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in White Plains.As the composition of the new board demonstrates, Stepinac alumni maintain strong ties to the school throughout their lives.
The loyalty of our alumni will serve the school well as it moves forward in this new era. Already there has been an outpouring of alumni support for the school that will provide a solid foundation upon which to build. Independence is a challenge that our board joined by our administration, faculty and staff are well prepared to meet.”Stepinac has a 60-year history of providing educational excellence coupled with strong Christian values. Its impressive list of graduates offer the ultimate testimony to the school’s success in its mission. Stepinac has been chosen as one of the nation’s Top 50 Catholic High Schools. It was founded in 1948 by Cardinal Spellman who saw the importance of the New York Archdiocese having a high school for boys in Westchester. Since its founding the school has provided affordably priced, high-quality, Christian-based education for thousands of students across the region. Stepinac prides itself in having shaped the lives of successful men and counts among its alumni many successful individuals in business, education, religion, government, sports, entertainment and others fields. Ninety-eight percent of Stepinac graduates go on to college.