Leadership

President of the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur

The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur has named Veronica Collins Harrington the first lay president in the school’s sixty-four year history. Harrington will succeed Sister Mary Anne Broughton, SNDdeN, who will transition to the role of Executive Director of Mission at the Academy in Villanova, Pennsylvania, effective July 1, 2008.

Harrington’s arrival at the Academy of Notre Dame continues her commitment to all-female Catholic education. In her most recent role, as principal at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, she “witnessed young women, who, exposed to rich spiritual traditions and guided by caring faculty as role models, emerged as self-confident leaders ready to transition to college and assume majors in crucial fields such as math, science, and economics.”

“The Board of Trustees is confident that Veronica Collins Harrington has the experience, the skills and the enthusiasm necessary to lead the community of the Academy of Notre Dame while preserving and nurturing our core mission at this critical and exciting time in our history,” says Cary Toner, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and alumna parent.

Harrington brings to the Academy twenty-four years of experience as an educator and administrator. Since 2003 she has served as the Upper School Principal at Ursuline Academy, a private Catholic girls’ high school in Wilmington, Delaware. While at Ursuline, Harrington guided the school through the Middle States Accreditation process and served on the administrative team.

Prior to Ursuline Academy, Harrington served as the principal at Villa Joseph Marie High School in Holland, Pa., the Coordinator of Educational Services for READS in Philadelphia, and an educator for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for thirteen years.

Harrington, a Philadelphia native, received a B.S. from Gwynedd-Mercy College and her M.Ed. from Cabrini College, where she also pursued and received secondary principalship certification. Additionally, she has remained current in her field with professional development at the University of Notre Dame (2003) and Harvard University (2004).

Of her appointment, Harrington states, “The opportunity to use my talents and skills in furthering the Notre Dame commitment to excellence in education permeated by the values of simplicity, integrity, dedication, and service is a great honor.”

High School Principal of the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur

The leadership team at the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur continues its transformation with the appointment of Dr. Joseph F. D’Angelo to the position of high school principal, effective July 1, 2008.

Dr. D’Angelo has dedicated his entire professional career to Catholic education, having spent the past 22 years at LaSalle College High School in Glenside. While at LaSalle, he has chaired the English Department, served on faculty committees, and been a member of the administrative team.

While serving as Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, he developed curricula, supervised instruction, handled all scheduling, and directed the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Dr. D’Angelo was also a member of the board of trustees, serving on the long-range planning committee which assisted in executing LaSalle’s first capital campaign.

Dr. D’Angelo pursued his undergraduate and graduate degrees locally at St. Joseph’s University, Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Doctorate in Educational Administration and Elementary and Secondary Principal’s Certification. His doctoral dissertation was on “The Hidden Curriculum in a Girls Catholic High School.”

Of his appointment, Dr. D’Angelo states, "Notre Dame is a school with a long tradition of excellence in preparing young women for lives of service, faith, and life-long learning. I hope to build upon that legacy and with the help of the faculty, students, and parents take the school into its next 150 years."

Junior School Principal of the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur

Miss Regina Phalan holds the position of Principal of the Junior School at the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, which became effective July 1, 2002. Ms. Phalan has served the Notre Dame community faithfully in a variety of roles upon coming here in 1982. She began as the Dean of Students and English teacher and continued in that capacity until the fall of 2000, when she assumed a one-year interim position as principal of the high school. In 2001, Ms. Phalan assisted President Sr. Regina Finnegan, SND, as Coordinator for Strategic Planning. With the appointment of former Junior School Principal, Sr. Mary Anne Broughton, SND, as Head of School, Ms. Phalan was named Principal of the Junior School.

Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Ms. Phalan worked in two schools of the Sisters of the Holy Child: Holy Child Sharon and St. Leonard’s Academy. Ms. Phalan attended college locally, earning her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Rosemont College and a masters degree in English from Villanova University.