MSA Appoints Harris & Smyth to Board
Mount Saint Agnes Academy (MSA) recently appointed H.F. Declan Harris and Michael G. Smyth to the School’s Board of Governors.
Mr. Harris, a former graduate of MSA (1988), is currently the Director of The Education Centre (TEC), which focuses on disenfranchised Middle and Senior School students. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz and two MsC’s; one in Special Education (Learning Disabilities) and the other in School Administration from The College of New Rochelle. Prior to returning to Bermuda and taking up his current position with TEC in 2001, Mr. Harris was the Director of the Frank Biondi Education Center in Yonkers, New York; a federally sponsored substance abuse/rehabilitation school programme. Before that he was a Self-contained Special Education Teacher at Leake and Watts Services; a residential treatment facilitation for emotionally disturbed adolescents also located in Yonkers, New York.
Mr. Harris is certified by the Bermuda Educators Council and also holds several New York State Certifications including: Special Education K – 12, School Administrator and Supervisor (S.A.S.), School District Administrator (S.D.A.), School Building Leader (S.B.L.) and School District Leader (S.D.L.). He has served on numerous committees with his principal colleagues while at the Ministry of Education and has had direct collaboration with several agencies such as Child and Adolescent Services (CAS), Family Services, The Family Centre, Court Services and numerous others.
“ After graduating from MSA I furthered my education abroad and gained valuable experience both in the private and public sector before returning home in 2001”, states Mr. Harris. “My career in pedagogy has been a truly humbling experience, having witnessed the hardships of so many young men and women both locally and overseas. “The opportunity to be appointed to the MSA Board comes with a great sense of pride”, he continued. “When approached, I jumped at the chance to have a voice in an environment where faith and learning meet and where the entire MSA Family wants to see every student success, regardless of their talents or the obstacles they may encounter. I’m looking forward to contributing to an already diverse learning environment with my special education expertise.”
Michael Smyth, a Chartered Accountant has held the position of President of BW Group since 2003, having joined the Company seven years prior. He holds a BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland and achieved his certification as a Chartered Accountant in 1993 from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Prior to his current position, Mr. Smyth worked as an Accountant/Auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers both in London and Bermuda.
Mr. Smyth is an active member of Bermuda’s Catholic Community and has taken the lead in organising the Annual Bishop’s Luncheon for Catholic Business People since 2007. He is also the Accountant and a member of the St. Anthony’s Parish Finance Committee.
“As someone who has benefited from a Catholic Education, I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to Catholic Education in Bermuda”, Mr. Smyth expressed. “I have been fortunate to be part of the MSA extended family for a number of years, starting in 1996 when my wife, Angela, was employed as a teacher at MSA. Also, my children have been students at MSA since 2004. MSA has a proud history of providing faith-based education to Bermuda’s Catholic Community and I am looking forward to contributing towards the School’s continued success.”
Chairman of the Board of Governors, Garry A. Madeiros, commented on the appointments of Mssr. Harris and Smyth, “I speak on behalf of the entire Board in welcoming Declan and Michael to our Team and am very pleased that both accepted the invitation to join us. We are blessed to have a strong, diverse and passionate Board and the expertise that these two gentlemen bring will further enhance our ability to ensure that the students at Mount Saint Agnes continue to receive a quality education that is enhanced by experiencing the lived values of the Catholic Faith and Culture.”
The current Board of Mount Saint Agnes Academy includes: Steven Antonition, Juanita Blee, Chris Coelho (Treasurer), Lorna Dixon-Marable, Declan Harris, Kerry Judd, Joe Kelly, Most Rev. Bishop Robert J. Kurtz, C.R., Garry A. Madeiros (Chairman), Tonya Marshal (Deputy Chairman), Susan Patschak, Colleen Sinclair (Secretary), Michael Smyth, Marisa Stones and Father Paul Voisin.
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