The Pull of School Life
By Patrick Meehan
Chief Financial Officer, LaSalle Academy
Summers at St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, Rhode Island, were a family affair for the Meehan family. My dad was the longtime CFO, my mom an executive assistant, and my younger sister a summer camp counselor. Starting after eighth grade, I worked summer jobs in the maintenance department alongside my brother. We did odd jobs, including painting, landscaping, moving furniture and housekeeping for the boarding dorms. I also sometimes worked alongside my mom and sister. While I attended a different private school, forcing my dad to forego his remission benefit, I continued the summer work to help alleviate some of the financial burden.
After attaining my bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University, I once again took a summer job at St. Andrew’s, this time as a business office assistant. I intended the role to be a stopgap while I found full time employment; as a finance major, my aspirations leaned towards the bustling world of Wall Street. Fresh out of school, I had plenty to learn, and my experienced father was happy to share these lessons, sometimes in a brusquer manner than he might with others. Thankfully our relationship was such that these lessons, as frank as they were at times, would turn to productive and healthy repartee.
As business officers, we must be honest and accurate in our work, upholding our own high standards and rising above the expectations of our boards, auditors and families.
It quickly became clear that the rhythm of independent school life and the community that comes in a school setting resonated with me deeply. After two memorable years at St. Andrew’s, I accepted the controller position at La Salle Academy, where I have spent the past 11 years.
Now, as the CFO at La Salle for the last nine of those years, I often find myself reminiscing on my father’s lessons. Two in particular stand out. The first is our family motto: “You are who you are when you think no one is looking.” Those words are as foundational to me now as they were when I was a child. As business officers, we must be honest and accurate in our work, upholding our own high standards and rising above the expectations of our boards, auditors and families.
Secondly, as business officers, we often feel called to give our hearts and souls – and frequently blood, sweat and tears – to our jobs. My father’s unwavering dedication to St. Andrew’s set a high bar for my own work. At the same time, he freely admits to the times when he should have given less blood and sweat and fewer tears. Those candid conversations — father-to-son and CFO-to-CFO — have helped me find balance in my own life, inspiring me to carve out time for my children’s soccer practices and home renovation projects. In fact, I’m renovating my parents’ former home, which is now my own — but that’s another story.
Our professional journeys once again coincided at the 2024 NBOA Annual Meeting, where I accepted the Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations on behalf of the Rhode Island Hydro Power Alliance. Unbeknownst to me, my dad, who is now retired, had written a poem for the occasion. NBOA Board Chair Duncan Booth’s reading of the poem was an emotional moment for many at the meeting.
My dad has been writing poetry for eight years, starting after my mom passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. Poetry began as his outlet and a way to him to cope and find peace. It has since morphed into his passion. He’s now written hundreds of poems, many of which are abstract in subject and form — quite the departure from managing financial operations. He's since been published in our local paper and has won prizes at local arts festivals.
When NBOA keynote speaker Bertice Berry joked that I wasn’t emotional during the poetry reading, that it seemed like I’d heard similar words before, I chuckled because it’s true that my dad’s poetry is a constant presence in my life. It’s shared at kitchen table gatherings, big life milestones and everything in between. While I attribute my stoic demeanor to my Irish heritage and a tendency to hold emotions close, I can assure you that I will remember the reading of this particular poem as a proud, significant event in my life, and one which wonderfully represents the joy I’ve found following in my father’s footsteps as an independent school business officer.
Siblings Step Up
By Michael Dyson and Gina Hunt
Gladwyne Montessori School
Growing up, our father was not just a loving presence but also a pillar of integrity for us to look up to. As the CFO of several hospitals in the Philadelphia region, he was known for his ability to turn around institutions facing financial challenges. Shortly after he retired from the healthcare industry, our mom saw a newspaper job ad for the business manager position at The Gladwyne Montessori School and encouraged him to apply.
In 1993, he embraced a new challenge as the school’s first business manager. The career move could have been perceived as a step back in terms of responsibility, and the salary was certainly lower, but my father viewed it as an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a different setting. During his tenure, he developed a close relationship with the head of school, contributing significantly to the school’s financial advancement.
Tragically, our father suddenly passed away of a heart attack in 1997, leaving a void in our family and at the school. Before he passed, he had the foresight to develop a backup plan. On days that he knew he’d be out of the office, Gina, a CPA, would come in and complete payroll as a consultant. This arrangement allowed her to seamlessly step into the role as an interim business manager after our father’s passing, providing stability to the school while they searched for a permanent replacement.
Meanwhile, Michael, also a CPA, was in the process of changing careers. He had just been accepted into a doctoral program in psychology but decided to work part-time when Gina asked him to help bridge the gap in the business office. Little did he know that this temporary role would turn into a long-term commitment, as he almost immediately fell in love with the mission of the school. In 1998, the head of school asked if we wanted to “split” the position of business manager into two part-time positions. This highly unusual proposal proved to be a perfect fit for our lifestyles, as it allowed us to balance our professional responsibilities with our personal commitments. Gina dedicated time to raising her two young children, while Michael earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Immaculata University.
Over the next 20+ years, we dedicated ourselves to the school, each bringing our unique skills and perspectives to the business office. Gina’s meticulous attention to detail and organizational prowess complemented Michael’s strategic thinking and communication skills, allowing us to effectively manage the school’s finances and operations. While one of us oversaw financial reporting and ensuring a clean audit, the other oversaw strategic planning and communicating with the board. Our partnership was not just professional; it was personal and rooted in mutual respect, trust and a shared dedication to the school in which our father believed so wholeheartedly. When Gina retired, Michael took on the role of CFO full-time while continuing to provide outpatient therapy on weeknights.
We deeply miss our father, and the business office is a poignant reminder of his presence. However, the Gladwyne Montessori has become our family in so many ways.
As second-generation business officers, we strive to uphold the values of hard work and dedication that our father instilled in us. He frequently emphasized the importance of integrity, especially when faced with difficult decisions. Whether consulting with the head of school or the board, he conducted himself with discretion, always addressing difficult issues behind closed doors. Even when outcomes did not align with his recommendations, he left discussions with the assurance that he had advocated for his beliefs with sincerity and integrity.
Looking back on the past 26 years can be bittersweet. We deeply miss our father, and the business office is a poignant reminder of his presence. However, the Gladwyne Montessori has become our family in so many ways. Gina’s daughter is a teacher in the primary school while Michael’s wife is a teacher in the toddler program. Over the years, other relatives have worked part-time at the school. Furthermore, we have formed close bonds with people we’ve met through the school and now consider to be family.
Having a strong relationship with a parent in the same field is a tremendous gift, albeit one that we may not fully appreciate until later in life. We think of this gift as replicating and extending like the rings of a tree. We do not take for granted our luck in working together as a family and soak in the wisdom our extended family has to offer.
