St. Peter School Governance & Advisory Structure

St. Peter School is operated as part of St. Peter Parish within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The Pastor (or Administrator) of St. Peter is responsible for all ministries and activities within the parish.  

The Pastor (or Administrator) delegates responsibility to the Principal for oversight of the daily operation of our school, its faculty and staff, and its academic offerings. The Pastor (or Administrator) and Principal avail themselves of the counsel and resources of the parish staff, applicable Archdiocesan offices, and the St. Peter School Consultative Board.  The Pastor established the Consultative Board to assist him and the Principal in the governance of the school. Governance is concerned with overall strategy and institutional policy and is distinct from “Ownership” and “Administration” which are roles fulfilled by the Archbishop of Boston (through his appointed Pastor) and the Principal, respectively.

The Consultative Board is a volunteer body of at least nine members from the school and parish communities as well as from the general community.  It offers its counsel in areas of planning and policy, development, finances, marketing/communication, and mission effectiveness to support the viability and success of our school.  Consultative Board members are appointed by the Pastor and Principal to serve up to two consecutive three year terms and meet approximately eight times per school year. Through its counsel, committee work, and active participation in school-sponsored activities, the Consultative Board promotes, supports, and champions St. Peter School to the fullest extent possible.

2021 – 2022 St. Peter Consultative Board Members

Mr. Daniel Appugliese is a Vice President on the Digital Workplace team at Fidelity Investments.  He grew up in Belmont and attended St. Peter School (K-8), graduating in 1992.  He currently lives in Watertown with his wife Lisa for 16 and two children enrolled at St. Peter.

Mrs. Wendy Burns, Vice-Chair of the Consultative Board, is a Professional Photographer, St. Peter School Parent Association Co-Chair (2019-2021), parent of two St. Peter School students, and is serving in her second year on the Board.

Mr. Philip Cooper, is a parent of a St. Peter School student and two St. Peter School graduates, and is serving in his sixth year on the Board.

Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Cardena, Secretary of the Consultative Board, is an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of the Laboratory for Systems Mechanobiology in the Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He received a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine and Pharmacological Sciences from Yale University. He is the parent of two St. Peter children and is very active in our community. 

Dr. Thomas Haferd, is Principal of St. Paul’s Choir School, a former St. Peter School parent, and is serving in his fourth year on the Board.

Mr. Craig Johnson is a Senior Vice President and Group Creative Director at Hill Holliday where he has worked on many of the agency’s biggest clients including Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Santander Bank and Optum Health. Craig and his family are committed urbanites and live in Cambridge. He is a graduate of Northeastern University.

Dr. Eirene Kontopoulos, Chair of the Consultative Board, is a parent of a first grade St. Peter School student, served as the chair of the Search Committee which recently selected Patrick Boyden as principal, and is a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, managing a $3 billion portfolio of biotechnology investments. 

Mrs. Kathleen O’Connell, is a retired Advancement Officer, a former St. Peter School parent, is serving in her fourth year on the board, and has served on the board on two previous occasions in the last 20 years.

Mrs. Kathyr Ranger, is a Human Resource Business Partner, St. Peter School Parent Association Co-Chair (2019-2020), parent of one St. Peter School student, and is serving in her second year on the board.

Mr. Michael Reidy, is a Leadership Consultant, parent of two St. Peter School graduates and is serving in his fifth year on the board.

Mr. John Sortino, is an Entrepreneur, St. Peter parishioner and is serving in his fourth year on the board.

Mrs. Rebecca Susi is a St. Peter parent for over seven years to Amelia and Jack (Grade 4). She is active in the community as room parent as well as previous co-chair of the Parent Association. She owns and operates three restaurants in Cambridge. She lives with her husband and two children in Somerville. 

Ex-Officio Members (serving because of their official positions, on a non-voting basis)

Mr. Thomas W. Carroll, Administrator, St. Peter Parish

Mr. Patrick Boyden, Principal, St. Peter School

Mr. Mark Smith, Dean of Student Life, St. Peter School

Mrs. Eve Encinas-Loncar, Director of Advancement, St. Peter School