Board of Trustees

Peggy McCormick Platz

Director

Ursuline Education Network
9806 Delray Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45242
513-309-7588
peggy@ursuline-education.com

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Peggy has dedicated her professional career to Catholic education. Ursuline educated at St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, Peggy has a BS in Music Education from St. Mary-of-the Woods College, IN.

For sixteen years she was a music teacher both privately and in local Catholic elementary schools. The following seventeen years were spent at St. Ursula Academy where Peggy was the coordinator of Community Service and Service-Learning. In 2021 Peggy received her Masters of Organizational Leadership degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Having served on the UEN Board for two years, Peggy was named Associate Director in 2022 and assumed the role of Director in 2023.

Carrie Wentzel

President

Assistant Principal, Dean of Faculty
Sacred Heart Academy

Louisville, KY

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Carrie Wentzel is an Assistant Principal at Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Kentucky.  She serves as the Dean of Faculty.  Carrie has been at SHA for eighteen years and spent the first ten years in the classroom as a mathematics teacher.  Although she cherished her time in the classroom, she enjoys collaborating and working with the teachers on their development as educators.  Her love for Ursuline education stems from her own high school experience at SHA where she experienced first-hand the benefits of being educated in an Ursuline school.  She believes strongly in the mission of educating young women.

Michele K. Bernot

Vice President

Assistant Principal
Beaumount School
Cleveland Heights, OH

Mimi Bason

Chief Development Officer
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
Dallas, TX

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Mimi began her Ursuline journey in kindergarten, attending St. Angela Hall in Toledo, OH from 1962-1970. She later attended McAuley High School, led by the Mercy Sisters, and enjoyed the all-girls Catholic education experience. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Toledo.

Mimi came to Ursuline Academy of Dallas in 2000 as the Bookstore Manager, beginning the same month her daughter, Valerie Bishop, began her freshman year at Ursuline. In 2006, Mimi became the Director of Annual Gifts and served in this role for ten years. She served on the UEN Board from 2011-2016.

The next seven years were spent leading development teams at Dallas-area nonprofit organizations, including Girls Inc. In July 2023, Mimi returned to Ursuline Academy of Dallas as the Chief Development Officer. She leads a team that is responsible for all fundraising, donor engagement, and alumnae relations. She is passionate about Catholic education and the benefits of an all-girl environment. Her interests include cycling, hiking, cooking, and traveling.

Sr. Meghan McCardle OSU

Vice-Principal
Academy of Mount St. Ursula
The Bronx, NY

Dr. Trisha Medeiros

President
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, Delaware

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Dr. Trisha Medeiros has served as President of Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware since 2017.  Prior to her appointment at Ursuline, Trisha worked at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey where she was Head of the Upper School.  Additionally, she was Founder and Director of the Stuart Center for Girls’ Leadership (now National Center for Girls’ Leadership) for which she currently serves on the Advisory Board.  Trisha is a Trustee at Salesianum School is Wilmington, DE.  She has worked in independent schools and universities for over 25 years as a librarian, faculty member, and administrator.

Dr. Colleen Melnyk

President
The Ursuline School
New Rochelle, New York

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Dr. Colleen Melnyk is the President of The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, New York.  She believes all educators must challenge and inspire each student to develop to her full potential, and empower her to take personal responsibility for making a difference in the world. Dr. Melnyk has been an educator for more than 30 years. She believes the mission of Catholic education is more important and more relevant than ever. Therefore, it is critical that the activities of Catholic school teachers and leaders increase and sustain the vitality of Catholic schools. She was a member of the inaugural, core team of the Carnegie Foundation’s Improvement Leadership Education and Development Initiative (iLead). The iLead network is committed to the use of Improvement Science to develop leaders, address local problems of practice, and promote equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Dr. Melnyk lives in Yonkers, New York, and loves to read, walk, and spend time with her family.

Joni Mullen

Ursuline Academy
St. Louis, MO

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Joni Mullen started teaching in public schools with the hopes and dreams of someday teaching in a Catholic school. She taught a variety of grade levels throughout her teaching career and through the grace of God found her way to Ursuline Academy, St. Louis when her youngest child started grade school. She taught theology for eleven years at Ursuline Academy and then she was Assistant Principal for four years. She is currently the Director of Mission Integration and global education and she feels blessed to be a part of this special community and mission. In the past, she has served on the St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish Board of Education and the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities. She is enjoying working together with the UEN Board of Trustees.

Kathy Hammond

VP of Student Life
Saint Ursula Academy
Cincinnati, OH

Mary Kate Tracy Robidoux

Ursuline Academy
Dedham MA

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Inspired by her faith and a call to service, Mary-Kate Tracy is grateful to hold the position of Director of Mission at Ursuline Academy in Dedham, MA.  An Ursuline alumna, she has served in a variety of positions over the past fifteen years and taught every grade level from fifth grade through Seniors as a theology teacher, department chair, campus minister and principal.  She is dedicated to giving back to her local community and is an active member of her parish in Massachusetts. 

Stacy Shoulta

Director of Mission and Theology
Mount Merici Academy
Waterville, Maine

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A 1984 graduate of Angela Merici High School in Louisville, Kentucky, Stacy continued her Ursuline Education at Brescia College now Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky.  She has lived and taught multiple ages in various states from Maine to Louisiana. Most recently, she has been a classroom teacher for 13 years at Mount Merici Academy in Waterville, Maine.  In the 2022-2023 school year she feels privileged to be named full-time Director of Mission and Theology. An active member of her parish, Stacy enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters who are alumni of Mount Merici Academy.

Ms Julia Waters

Headteacher
Ursuline High School
London, England

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Julia has been an Ursuline Headteacher for 18 years. She is currently Headteacher of the Ursuline High School an Outstanding 11-18 Girls’ School in London. During this time, she has worked as a systems leader, a National Leader of Education and an Executive Headteacher supporting school improvement in two different Catholic primary schools. For the last 4 years Julia has led a Mental Health Trailblazer of 13 schools working with a team of Mental Health Practitioners in improving provision in schools. Julia has also co led Teach Wimbledon an alliance of 12 schools training teachers in partnership with Roehampton University London. Julia has been President of the AMGS in England [Association of Maintained Girls’ Schools].  She is presently Chair of Catholic Secondary Headteachers in the Archdiocese of Southwark. Pre pandemic she co-produced two books: What makes great Catholic Schools? and Butterflies – Mental Health and Emotional Well-being guide for Parents.

Christy Zurcher

Director of Communications
Ursuline Academy

New Orleans, LA

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Christy Zurcher became an Ursuline girl at the young age of seven and graduated from Ursuline Academy of New Orleans in 2000. In 2004, she received a BA in Communications from Loyola University New Orleans. Christy’s Ursuline roots span three generations with her grandmother, sister and two aunts also graduating from the Academy. Christy returned to Ursuline in 2011 to serve as Director of Alumnae and, in 2018, transitioned to her current position as the Director of Communications. In Communications, she has led the Academy through branding efforts which have received international acclaim from the 2019 InspirED School Marketers Brilliance Awards. Christy is honored to serve on the UEN Board and collaborate with other Ursuline schools.

Lisa Wolfer

Director of Mission Integration
St. Ursula Villa
Cincinnati, OH

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Lisa Wolfer has been a faculty member at St. Ursula Villa in Cincinnati, Ohio since 2005. She is currently serving as Director of Mission Integration and was previously Director of Early Childhood for seven years and a classroom teacher for seven years before that.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree from Indiana University and a Master of Education in Reading degree from Xavier University.

Jennifer Guzman

Junior Academy Director
St. Ursula Academy
Toledo, OH

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A 1995 graduate of St. Ursula Academy Toledo, Jennifer has dedicated her career to Catholic education for more than 24 years. After graduation, she pursued her passion for teaching by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, leading to 12 years teaching third grade. Feeling called to make a greater impact, she earned a Master’s in Educational Administration from Lourdes University, after which she embraced the role of principal in the same Preschool- 8th-grade building in which she taught. In 2019, she returned to her alma mater, serving as the Director of the Junior Academy. Having seen all sides–student, parent of an SUA alum, and faculty/staff member–Jen feels she has a unique perspective of what makes SUA so special. The charisms of St. Angela and the mission of SUA provide direction and purpose in her daily life. She attributes her Ursuline education to her success and hopes to pass along the same support and empowering confidence she received at SUA to current and future Arrows. Outside of school, Jen enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.

Dr. Patricia Boehm

President
Ursuline Academy
Cincinnati, OH