Board of Trustees

Portland, ME

B.S. State University College At Buffalo
M.A. University Of San Francisco
M.A. Loyola University Chicago
M.Div. Santa Clara University
Th.M. Santa Clara University

Fr. Bob Pecoraro S.J. entered the Society of Jesus in 2000 at the age of 33.  He holds masters degrees in Applied Philosophy, Divinity, Spirituality, and Educational Leadership.  Fr. Pecoraro has spent much of his time working in secondary education as Vice-President of Mission and Identity at Canisius High School and President of Xavier High School in Chuuk, Micronesia.  Since 2001 Fr. Pecoraro has been a spiritual director focusing on Ignatian Spirituality and directing various retreats.  Before arriving at Cheverus, Fr. Pecoraro was an adjunct faculty member teaching a course entitled Transformative Leadership for the 21st Century Church and on the Spiritual Direction Team at Christ the King Seminary, the major seminary for the Diocese of Buffalo.

Executive Management Consultant
Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Growth Investment

Long Island, Maine

B.A. Bowdoin College

Mr. LaMontagne is an accomplished private equity sponsored technology company executive with more than 27 of experience in the national security technology market. Most recently, he served as the CEO of Novetta, a national security advanced analytics technology firm with approximately 700 employees. Mr. LaMontagne led Novetta’s strategic sale process in 2016, whereupon he transitioned his duties as CEO in March 2017; he remains as an advisor to the company. Prior to his career in the technology industry, Mr. LaMontagne served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer specializing in China and East Asia political and economic affairs with a posting at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China from 1993 to 1996. Mr. LaMontagne is a Mandarin linguist and graduated magna cum laude from Bowdoin College majoring in Government/Legal Studies and Classics. Committed to service to his community, he served on the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, DC, and has been active in supporting his college alma mater, Bowdoin.

He also serves as a member of the finance committee supporting the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Long Island, ME. Mr. LaMontagne and his wife, Lynn, have raised five children on Long Island.

Richmond, ME

Mr. Brawn has direct investing experience across the energy and industrial landscape including power, upstream oil & gas, renewables, chemicals and other related verticals. At BP Energy Partners, he is responsible for transaction sourcing, due diligence, deal structuring, execution, operational improvement and portfolio company oversight. Mr. Brawn is actively involved with the management of portfolio companies and currently serves as a director of Blue Roads Solutions.

Prior to joining BP Energy Partners, Mr. Brawn spent nine years at MatlinPatterson, a private equity investment firm focused on distressed-for-control investing. At MatlinPatterson, he was responsible for sourcing, due diligence and deal execution. He also worked extensively with portfolio company management teams to analyze capital investments, rationalize costs and guide corporate strategy. Prior to MatlinPatterson, he was an Associate and Analyst at Jefferies & Company.

Mr. Brawn received a B.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Babson College and is a proud member of the class of 2002. Natives of Topsham and Bowdoin, respectively, Nathan and his wife Amanda regularly return to Maine to vacation, visit family and friends, and support the Cheverus community

CS Hyde

Portland, ME

B.A. Texas Christian University,
M.B.A. University of Hartford

Catherine Hyde is the owner of CS Hyde, an import business that imports goods from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Originally from Midland, Texas, Catherine has a B.A. from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where she majored in French and minored in Japanese. She received an MBA from the University of Hartford in Paris, France. Catherine lived in Germany for 15 years where her two children were born and raised. The family moved to Texas in 2009 where she served on the Board of the Museum of the Southwest serving as Secretary and Vice President before moving to Maine. Ms. Hyde was very involved in the parent’s association at Trinity School, an Episcopal school in Midland, Texas. She and her husband moved to Portland in 2016 and have a son who is a member of the Cheverus Class of 2020.

John T. “Jack” Butler, SJ, has been Vice President for University Mission and Identity at Boston College since 2010. Father Butler previously served as director of Manresa House at B.C. and director of vocations for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus from 2007-2010.  Fr. Butler, who has worked at Boston College since becoming a campus minister in 2002, worked in prison ministry with violent offenders before coming to B.C.

A graduate of St. Thomas University with a degree in theology and philosophy, Fr. Butler received a master’s degree in systematic theology from Providence College before entering the Society of Jesus in 1991. He studied at Fordham University and then at Loyola University Maryland, where he received both a master’s and a Ph.D. in pastoral counseling. He also holds an STL in spiritual theology from the former Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

Michael Cianchette leads several affiliated businesses in southern Maine, having previously served as Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Paul R. LePage.  He holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Reserve as an Intelligence Officer, with decorations including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Rifle and Pistol "sharpshooter" qualifications, among others.  Michael writes a weekly opinion column for the Bangor Daily News and also serves as a Director of the Maine Turnpike Authority and Trustee of the Maine Historical Society.  He is a 2002 graduate of Cheverus, and went on to earn a BA in Economics and Political Science from Boston College and a JD/MBA from Suffolk University.   Michael lives in Cumberland with his wife Michelle and their children. 

Amber Collins is an attorney practicing in the areas of family law, divorce, and civil litigation. Amber has served as a Family Law Helpline volunteer for the Volunteer Lawyers Project since 2009. She has been a regular member of the Katahdin Counsel Program, composed of attorneys honored annually by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court for their pro bono service. Amber received her BA from Colby and JD from University of Maine School of Law. Amber served as the 2019 Cheverus Commencement speaker.

Brian J. Conley, SJ, currently serves as the superior of the Jesuit Community of Maine, as a Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Portland and as chaplain to the faculty and staff at Cheverus High School. Brian entered the Society of Jesus in 1992 and was ordained to the priesthood in June 2001.

Braintree, MA

Margaret Florentine (Meg) is an Ignatian Educator who served as a teacher and administrator at Boston College High School. In 2003 she became the Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education for the New England Province and served in this role for the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus until 2018. Meg has also served as a trustee on the Boards of the JSEA, the Jesuit Schools Network and several Jesuit schools including the Cheverus High School Board of Trustees.  Meg and her husband reside in Braintree, Massachusetts.  

Mr. Giancotti has worked as a Financial Advisor since 1994. He has been with UBS Financial Services Inc. in Portland, Maine since 1999, and is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Portfolio Management Program. Prior to working for UBS, he worked for Morgan Stanley. He holds a degree from the University of Southern Maine in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Accounting. Marco coordinates the planning and investment disciplines for clients as well as oversees the administration of the team. Outside of work he spends his time with his wife Kristen and three children, Sophia ’16, Marco Jr ’18, and Nicolas ’21.

Principal,
Novaya Real Estate Ventures

Norfolk, MA

BS, Babson College
MS, Babson College

Mr. Hawthorne is a Principal at Novaya Real Estate Ventures (Boston, MA), overseeing the firm’s real estate portfolio strategy and equity capabilities of roughly 50 assets across New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern United States.  He is responsible for managing the relationship of the firm's limited partner investors, joint venture partners, and communicating to prospective investors.  Additionally, as the portfolio manager of the Novaya Open-End Fund, he directs strategy and portfolio construction for the firm's long-term investment vehicle.  

Prior to joining Novaya, Shawn previously served as the Asset Manager of the U.S. portfolio at Pembroke Real Estate, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments. Shawn also spent nearly six years at KPMG LLP, in the audit and advisory team servicing publicly traded mutual funds and private equity clients.  

Shawn holds a B.S. in Business Management and an M.S. in Accounting from Babson College and is a 2002 graduate of Cheverus High School. Shawn lives in North Easton, Massachusetts with his wife and two children and enjoys skiing and snowboarding. 

Cumberland, ME

B.S. Bentley University

Carl J. “CJ” LeFevre ’89 is the co-founder and co-owner of Pyramid Checks and Printing, a manufacturing company, as well as the co-owner of checksforless.com and Precision Direct. CJ co-owns these businesses with his brother Chris LeFevre ‘92. In addition, CJ owns and manages various residential and commercial properties and business ventures in the Portland area. CJ is a graduate of Bentley University. He and his wife Mori have two children, Lindsey ’20 and Logan, and together as a family they enjoy traveling, skiing, and spending time at Sebago Lake with family and friends.

densu international, Legal Counsel, Employment 2021-present
Success Academy Charter Schools, Legal Counsel 2018-2021
US District Court, Eastern District of PA, Judicial Law Clerk
Rawle & Henderson, Associate Attorney

He is the Managing Partner and Senior Vice-President for United Insurance at their largest location in Portland where he is responsible for all agency operations as well as sales production and management.  He is a 1996 graduate of the University of Maine, where he earned a B.A. in English. Mr. McGonagle is a 1992 graduate of Cheverus High School and has been an active member the School Alumni Council since 2015.  He currently serves as President of the University of Maine Southern Maine Alumni Chapter and Secretary of the Maine Association of Grocers and Food Producers. He is also a member of the Southern Maine Landlord Association. In his spare time Tim enjoys skiing, golf, traveling in the family motorhome and real estate investing. Tim and his wife Bridget reside in Yarmouth with their children, John, Mollie, and Sadie.

Superior, Fairfield Jesuit Community 2021-present
Associate Pastor, Church of St. Francis Xavier (NYC) 2019-2021
Tertian, Society of Jesus 2018-present (Portland, OR)
Priest/Teacher, Yap Catholic High School Jan 2010 - Present (Colonia, Yap, FSM)

Associate Professor, 
Boston College

Boston, MA

BS, University of Scranton
MDiv, Santa Clara University
MST, Santa Clara University
PhD, Boston College

Cyril P. Opeil, SJ, is originally from northeastern PA and attended the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA where he graduated with a BS in Electronics Engineering in 1982. Following college, he worked for two years at Westinghouse Electric designing computer controlled radar equipment for the US Air Force.  In 1984, he entered the Society of Jesus in the Maryland Province.  From 1988-90 he taught Physics and Chemistry at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC.  Fr. Opeil, SJ studied theology at the Santa Clara University-Jesuit Theology School where he received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology.  In 2004, he received is PhD in experimental physics from Boston College and continued his research as post-doctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.  In 2006 Fr. Opeil joined the Boston College physics faculty and in 2012 was promoted to associate professor.  His current research interests include thermoelectric materials as an alternative energy source and the thermal/physical properties of meteorites.  Currently, he serves as a trustee of Canisius College, Buffalo, NY and is board chair of the Addiction Treatment Center of New England, Brighton, MA.

Director 
CohnReznick Capital

Portland, Maine

BBS, George Washington University

John is the Vice President of Business Development & Investor Relations with CohnReznick Capital and is based in the New York office. He joined the team in New York as its seventh employee, focusing primarily on renewable energy corporate and asset M&A, corporate capital placements, project finance, and investor relations.  John leads CRC’s business development and investor relations efforts. Since joining the firm in 2013, John has participated in advising on over $1 .5 billion of transactions, totaling over 700MW of solar projects and 2.7GW of wind projects. John’s financing and M&A experience includes utility-scale & distributed solar, wind, energy storage and geothermal assets. John is the Founder & Executive Director of Juniors in Energy Finance (JiEF), the largest national nonprofit networking group for early-career energy finance professionals. Under his leadership, the organization has advanced to over 600 members from bulge bracket banks, major boutique banks, notable hedge funds, private equity firms and major energy firms. Prior to CohnReznick Capital, John was a member of CohnReznick’s Renewable Energy Consulting Group, advising corporations and governments on implementing behind-the-meter renewable energy systems and purchasing programs. Most notably, John worked for the State of Connecticut, NRG Solar, Toyota, Virgin Group and co-authored The Economics of Grid Defection with Rocky Mountain Institute. John received his B.B.A. in Business, Economics and Public Policy from The George Washington University where he served as Student Association President.

President and Founder
Great Falls Construction

Gorham, Maine

A.A.  Southern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute

Mr. Smith established Great Falls Construction in 1988 after graduating from Cheverus High School and receiving his Associates Degree in Building Construction from Southern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute in South Portland, Maine. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, he has extensive knowledge in all aspects of construction including company oversight, staff management, and project operations. In recent years, that experience and insight have led him to expand his business into real estate development and the purchase and management of several commercial properties.

This devotion to service is the very foundation upon which Mr. Smith built his business.  Mr. Smith married his wife Cindy in 1989. They, along with their five children -- four of which graduated from Cheverus -- are life-long residents of the Town of Gorham and all share a deep commitment and dedication to serving their community. When away from his desk, Mr. Smith can be found participating in benefit 5K races, traveling with Cindy in their motorhome, or participating in his favorite activity -- having fun with his family.

Scott is the President of Appliance Innovation, Inc. in Dallas, TX. He leads a team of
scientists and engineers in the innovation of new cooking technologies. He has worked in
manufacturing, engineering, and product development for over 20 years, and has been
awarded six patents for his work. He received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering and
Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994.

After majoring in small business at Northeastern University in Boston, Steve Train returned to his home state of Maine, answering the call to continue his family tradition of lobstering. The lobstering industry—home to Steve’s brother Dan, his father Ed, and at least four generations of their family—are where Steve knew he belonged. 

And after fishing for more than four decades, he was right. Steve says, “I still usually wake before my alarm excited to start the day because I love what I do.” 

Steve was born in Portland and kept close to his roots—with the exception of his time at Northeastern, he’s lived there and Long Island, Maine for his whole life. A full-time resident of Long Island since 1991, he owns and operates a 46-foot Jarvis Newman lobster boat hauling traps year-round. 

Steve has been working in commercial fishing for his entire professional life: lobstering, shrimping, scalloping, sea urchining, ground fishing, and one winter, fishing for Cod in Alaska on a longliner. 

Currently, Steve is the Governor’s appointee from Maine on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). He served on the board of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association for 16 years, and he’s a past member of the DMR advisory council and the Maine lobster advisory council, serving as chair for several years.

Steve was a selectman in Long Island for six-year— four of them as Chairman—and started a nonprofit land operating company, acquiring more than 100 acres of land on the island for use as open space and public recreational land. He currently serves as president of that board. 

Jim Ward is the founder and president of Patient Advocates, LLC (Gray, ME) a firm that provides support from nurses and medical professionals to patients as they navigate challenging medical decisions. Mr. Ward previously served as vice president for an international publicly-traded consulting firm. Mr. Ward is a graduate of the University of Maine and Boston College School of Law. In addition to his substantial professional achievement, Mr. Ward has been a loyal and dedicated alumnus of Cheverus and is proud to have served three 6-year terms on the Board of Trustees. In June 2013 as Golden Graduate, he was honored to be selected as the graduation speaker.

Provincial Assistant for Formation
Maryland & USA Northeast Provinces of the Society of Jesus

New York, New York

B.A. College of Holy Cross
M.T.S. Weston Jesuit School of Philosophy
M. Div. Loyola University, Chicago
S.T.L. Jesuit School of Theology Berkeley

Fr.  Wronski grew up in Chelsea Massachusetts. He attended Malden Catholic High School where he was taught by the Xavierian Brothers. Fr. Wronski went on to meet the Jesuits of the Society of Jesus when he attended the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.

Fr. Wronski entered the Society of Jesus in August 1994 and recently completed a 10-year tenure as the President of Nativity Preparatory School in Boston.  Nativity is an accredited, tuition-free, Jesuit middle school serving boys of all faiths from low-income families residing in Boston. He is currently based in New York as the Provincial Assistant for Formation for the Maryland & USA Northeast Provinces of the Society of Jesus.