PQP Instructors

Dan Trainor

Catholic School Administrator since:
2003

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
There by the grace of God, go I.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Give generously of your time to all, so others will pay you back by acting the same to people they encounter.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Servant Leadership by Ken Blanchard

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, jogging, cars

Cathy DeGooey

Catholic School Administrator since:
2004

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Stay humble. Work hard. Be kind.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
If you want to be happy in life, only you have the power to make it so.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Oh! The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

What are your interests/hobbies?
Travelling, home decorating, yoga

Geoff Edwards

Catholic School Administrator since:
2005

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Be an optimist. Very little can’t be fixed or improved. Besides, consider the alternative!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Consider leadership. Don’t leave things up to someone else when you have your own voice.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Leading from the Heart by Mike Krzyzewski

What are your interests/hobbies?
Coaching basketball, learning about all things tech, any time spent with family

Sean Kelly

Catholic School Administrator since:
2003

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Keep learning   

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Pope Francis - Why He Leads the Way He Leads

What are your interests/hobbies?
Spending time with family, playing music, running

Greg McLean

Catholic School Administrator since:
2007

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Always see the face of Christ in others.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Relationships are paramount to successful leadership. Be aware of your emotional wake.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Jesus, CEO

What are your interests/hobbies?
Drummer for The Big Shiver (local rock band), Special Olympics Swim and Curling coach, weather geek

Norma McDonald

Catholic School Administrator since:
2002

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
You bring yourself to the profession. Be a leader in all that you do.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Put communication and relationship building first, the rest will fall into place.

What was your favourite leadership book?
What Great Principals Do Differently by Todd Whitaker

What are your interests/hobbies?
Snow shoeing, walking the dog, cooking new recipes

Ralph Sharples

Catholic School Administrator since:
2006

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
--

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Find a hobby that has nothing to do with what you do in your day, so you can recharge.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Shepherd Leadership by Blaine McCormick and David Davenport

What are your interests/hobbies?
Travel, sports, home renovations

Frank Bradica

Sheila Piggott

Joe D’AMico

Catholic School Administrator since:
2006

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
A community is stronger and smarter than any one individual.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Take your time when making decisions – you almost always have more time to think about what to do than it appears.

What was your favourite leadership book?
The Power of Servant Leadership

What are your interests/hobbies?
Working with my hands (carpentry, renovations, repairs), reading Science Fiction

Mariah O’Reilly

Catholic School Administrator since:
2012

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Be present!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
It is all about balance!!

What was your favourite leadership book?
Schools that Work by Richard Allington

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, pilates, skiing

Amy Sicoli

Catholic School Administrator since:
2008

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Life is too short to not be happy.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
We are always replaceable at work. We are not replaceable at home.

What was your favourite leadership book?
The Multiplier Effect by Liz Wiseman, Lois Allen & Elise Foster

What are your interests/hobbies?
Cooking/entertaining, being on the beach, running

Joanna Boudreau

Catholic School Administrator since:
2002

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Leave footprints of Love and Kindness wherever you go.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
God gave us eyes to see the beauty in nature….and hearts to see the beauty in each other.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Anything by Daniel Pink – Drive

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, music, sports, arts (dance)

Saundra Reynolds

Catholic School Administrator since:
1998

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Life Long Learning

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Take the time to really listen.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Michael Fullan – Change Leader

What are your interests/hobbies?
Cycling, piano playing, cottage time

Sandra Donaghue

Catholic School Administrator since:
2007

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Live, Love, Laugh, Smile

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Never step down, always step up.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Motion Leadership by Michael Fullan

What are your interests/hobbies?
Yoga, reading, movies (TIFF fan!)

Linus O’Neill

Catholic School Administrator since:
2007

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Every journey begins with a single step.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Always treat others with the same courtesy and respect that you would like to be treated.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, hiking, baseball

Bruno Pullara

Catholic School Administrator since:
2007

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Always stay true to yourself/be yourself.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Pope Francis - Why He Leads The Way He Leads

What are your interests/hobbies?
Sports (golf, hockey and football), spending time with my family, educational leadership

Emi Bakaic

Catholic School Administrator since:
2008

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Breathe in Jesus, blow out love.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
People first, paper second.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Intentional Interruption by Katz

What are your interests/hobbies?
Running, reading, cooking 

Riccardo Agostino

Catholic School Administrator since:
2009

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
I cannot control the wind, but I can adjust my sails.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Be present and serve your school community with a positive and influencing aura and growth mindset.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Shepherd Leadership: Wisdom for Leaders from Psalm 23 (McCormick & Davenport)

What are your interests/hobbies?
Jogging, baking/cooking, gardening

Stephany Balogh

Catholic School Administrator since:
2005

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Choose to see the good!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Get to know your people – be visible and accessible.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Pope Francis - Why He Leads the Way He Leads by Chris Lowney

What are your interests/hobbies?
Travel, decorating, learning

Herminio Pires

Catholic School Administrator since:
2002

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Make the world a better place.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Don’t sweat the small stuff.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Shepherd Leadership by McCormick and Davenport

What are your interests/hobbies?
Running, outdoor activities, classic cars

Nancy Dinolfo

Catholic School Administrator since:
2003

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Start each day with a grateful heart. Gratitude changes everything.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Leave something better than you found it. Water the flowers they will continue to grow and take over the weeds.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Shepherd Leadership, The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, Lean In

What are your interests/hobbies?
Interior decorating, event planning and décor, yoga/meditation

Tim Yawney

Catholic School Administrator since:
2003

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. - Leo Buscaglia
Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. - Og Mandino

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Your leadership is not shaped and your legacy is not defined at the end of the road but rather by the moments shared, the decisions made, the actions taken, and even the mistakes overcome throughout the many phases of your career. - Glen Llopis

What was your favourite leadership book?
Moral Leadership: Getting to the Heart of School Improvement by Thomas Sergiovanni

What are your interests/hobbies?
Professional reading, running, golf, health

Brent Condari

Catholic School Administrator since:
2008

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Make a Difference

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
The worse thing to do is to do nothing at all.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Team of Rivals

What are your interests/hobbies?
Exercise, politics, athletics

Denise Fraser

Catholic School Administrator since:
2007

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Excellence is not based on achievements, but on attitude. So, mediocrity is not okay.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
When thoughtful and purposeful pressure is applied, coupled with authentic support, you will affect change as a leader.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Having Hard Conservations by Jennifer Abrams (practical and ‘hands on’)

What are your interests/hobbies?
Yoga, travelling, reading

Gino Pizzoferrato

Catholic School Administrator since:
2002

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Dream deep for every dream precedes the goal.

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Every question deserves an answer but good and proper answers take time.

What was your favourite leadership book?
Shepherd Leadership: Wisdom for Leaders from Psalm 23

What are your interests/hobbies?
Reading, golfing, the outdoors for recreation and downtime

Maria Giampa

Catholic School Administrator since:
2003

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Listen and attend with the ear of the heart - St Benedict (6th C wisdom)

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Be present, be grateful, be joyful and laugh a lot.

What was your favourite leadership book?
The Wounded Healer - Henri Nouwen and The Little Engine that Could

What are your interests/hobbies?
Arts (visual, photography, music, film), reading, kite flying

Sean Gregory

Catholic School Administrator since:
2006

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Be present – live in the moment. 

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Expect nothing, appreciate everything and surround yourself with positive people.

What was your favourite leadership book?
What Great Principals Do Differently (T. Whitaker), Fierce Conversations (S. Scott)

What are your interests/hobbies?
Family, golf, cottage life

Laurel Looby

Catholic School Administrator since:
2002

What is your mantra/slogan for life?
Work hard, be kind and love Jesus

What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Work hard, be kind and love Jesus

What was your favourite leadership book?
Redeeming Administration: 12 Spiritual Habits for Catholic Leaders by Ann M. Garrido

What are your interests/hobbies?
Spending time with family/friends, travel, baking