Board of Specified Jurisdiction

At Our Lady of the Assumption School, strong leadership and thoughtful stewardship help ensure that our mission continues to thrive for generations to come. In 2020, OLA—working in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston and in partnership with the Healey Education Foundation—adopted a Board of Specified Jurisdiction (BSJ) governance model, replacing the school’s former Advisory Board structure.

This governance model was designed to strengthen OLA’s future by providing strategic leadership, accountability, and long-range planning in support of the school’s Catholic mission. The Board works in close partnership with the Principal, Vice Principal, and Pastor to help guide the school’s continued growth and success.

What the Board Does
As OLA’s governing board, the Board of Specified Jurisdiction is responsible for setting policy and making key decisions that support the long-term health of the school. This includes oversight of major areas such as:

• School budget and tuition
• Enrollment and marketing strategy
• Facilities and campus planning
• Advancement and development efforts
• Long-range strategic planning
• Mission-centered growth and sustainability

The Board’s work is both practical and visionary. Members help ensure that OLA remains financially strong, mission-focused, and positioned to serve students and families well into the future.

A Collaborative Model of Leadership
The Board of Specified Jurisdiction is made up of at least nine appointed members, each serving a three-year term. Board members bring a wide range of professional expertise and a deep commitment to Catholic education, and they work alongside school and parish leadership to support OLA’s priorities and goals.

In addition to serving on the Board, members also chair committees in key focus areas and invite participation from the broader OLA community. This structure creates meaningful opportunities for parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners, and friends of the school to share their time, talents, and resources in support of OLA’s mission.

Investing in OLA’s Future
The continued strength of Our Lady of the Assumption School depends on the partnership of a committed community. Through the work of the Board and its committees, OLA is able to draw on the expertise, energy, and generosity of those who care deeply about the school and its future.

Together, this leadership structure helps ensure that OLA remains a school where students are known, challenged, supported, and rooted in faith, while also preserving the excellence, stability, and vision that families have come to expect from an OLA education.

We are grateful to the members of our Board of Specified Jurisdiction for their service, leadership, and dedication to the students, families, and mission of Our Lady of the Assumption School.

Meet Our Board

Reverend Paul E. Ritt
Pastor

Reverend Paul E. Ritt is the Pastor of Ave Maria Parish in Lynnfield, which includes Saint Maria Goretti Church, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, and Our Lady of the Assumption School.

Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1981, Fr. Paul’s first assignment was, fittingly, at OLA. After two years, he left to pursue his doctorate in Theology at The Catholic University of America. He went on to build a distinguished teaching ministry that continues today, including 13 years teaching seminarians and serving as the first director of the Master of Arts in Ministry Program for laity at St. John's Seminary. He also teaches theology to lay men and women at the St. John’s Theological Institute for the New Evangelization in Braintree.

In addition to his parish leadership, Fr. Paul serves as the Vicar Forane for 14 parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston’s North Region, supporting clergy, visiting parishes, and helping to strengthen the life of the Church throughout the region.

Eric Rich
Board Chair

Eric Rich serves as Director of Lending at First Priority Credit Union, where he oversees residential mortgage, commercial, and consumer lending. He brings nearly 30 years of lending and executive leadership experience, with prior roles at GMAC Mortgage and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Eric earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and management from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

A resident of West Peabody, Eric has been an active OLA parishioner since 1993 and has served both the parish and school in a variety of leadership roles, including on the Parish Pastoral Council and the OLA School Board. He and his wife, Tara, are proud OLA parents, and their daughter Devin attended OLA from Pre-K through Grade 8 before continuing her studies in nursing at Endicott College. Eric values the strong academic and faith foundation OLA provides and is committed to helping ensure that future generations of students benefit from the same experience.​

Kate Sheehan
​Board Vice Chair

Kate Sheehan is the Senior Vice President of Foreign Exchange Risk & Product at First Republic Bank and brings more than 30 years of experience in international banking, with previous leadership roles at First National Bank of Boston and Toronto Dominion Bank. She is a graduate of the Cork Institute of Technology in Cork, Ireland.

A Lynnfield resident and longtime OLA parishioner, Kate and her husband Jerry have been part of the OLA school community since 2000, when their oldest daughter entered first grade. Their family’s connection to OLA spans many years, and Kate credits the school with helping shape the values, confidence, and academic foundation that supported her children’s success. Her leadership on the Board reflects both her professional expertise and her deep commitment to the OLA community.

Phyllis West
Enrollment Chair

Phyllis West serves as Associate Chief Nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she oversees nursing operations across multiple specialty areas. She earned her BSN and MSN from Salem State College and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Simmons University.

Phyllis has been an active member of the OLA community for more than two decades and has served the school in a variety of volunteer leadership roles. As Chair of the Enrollment Committee, she helps guide initiatives focused on growing enrollment, broadening OLA’s reach, and welcoming families from a variety of backgrounds into the school community.

Phyllis and her husband Michael are proud OLA parents of two sons, both of whom began their educational journey at OLA in Pre-K. She credits OLA with playing a significant role in their academic growth and faith formation, and she is passionate about helping other families discover the same strong foundation for their children.

Cynthia Donovan
Principal

Cynthia Donovan is the Principal of Our Lady of the Assumption School and has dedicated more than 26 years to Catholic and public education. She taught at OLA for more than 16 years before spending time teaching in a lower-income public school setting, where she also earned her Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in School Leadership. In 2017, she returned to OLA as Principal.

Mrs. Donovan’s connection to OLA runs deep—as an educator, school leader, parishioner, and parent. She and her husband Kevin are the proud parents of three OLA alumnae, and during her daughters’ years at the school, Cynthia also served as both Vice President and President of the OLA PTO. Her leadership is rooted in a genuine love for the school community and a steadfast commitment to nurturing each child academically, spiritually, and personally.​

Len Morrison
Advancement Chair

Len Morrison oversees career and professional development for graduate students at MIT and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education. Over the course of his career, he has led career services at Bentley University, Northeastern University, and Babson College. Earlier in his professional life, he served as Vice President of Commercial Real Estate at Shawmut Bank. Len holds a BA from Bates College and an MBA from Northeastern University.

A Lynnfield resident and active parishioner since 1988, Len has generously served OLA and the parish in a number of volunteer roles over the years, most recently as Vice Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council. He and his wife Liz are proud parents of three daughters, all of whom began their OLA journey in Pre-K. As Advancement Chair, Len brings both professional insight and a personal understanding of OLA’s value to families, helping to support the school’s long-term growth and sustainability.