2403 West Eighth Street
Erie, PA 16505
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After an extensive national search, Villa Maria Academy has named Sr. Mary Drexler, SSJ, as principal of the school.

"I am pleased to welcome Sr. Mary Drexler back to administration at Villa Maria Academy and we look forward to her sharing her talents and gift of spirituality with our faculty and students,” said Geri Cicchetti, president of VMA. “She is a great fit because she understands our core values and our mission.”

Sr. Mary, a 1963 graduate of Villa Maria Academy and former VMA Assistant Administrator, is currently the Campus Minister at Penn State-Behrend, a position she has held since 1999. She has also been the Diocesan Coordinator for Catholic Campus Ministry since 2002.

As principal of VMA, Sr. Mary’s major responsibilities will be to facilitate a strong academic curriculum and effective student discipline. As a Sister of St. Joseph, Sr. Mary represents in person the Sisters’ charism and mission to the Villa students.

Sr. Mary earned both a BS in Elementary Education from Villa Maria College and a Masters of Education in Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She also has a Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization from Boston College.

A former teacher, Sr. Mary taught at several Diocesan elementary schools and was a theology teacher at Villa Maria Academy from 1981-1983. She was promoted to the position of Assistant Administrator at VMA from 1983-1993. In 1993, she studied for a year at the Catholic Theological Union in Washington, DC, and returned to Erie to teach part-time at VMA and to be the part-time Novice Director for the Sisters of St. Joseph. From 1990-2002, she was the Vocation Director for the Sisters of St. Joseph.

While Campus Minister at Behrend, she developed several new programs, including Soup for the Soul, ADVENTures, and weekly Lenten programs, Baccalaureate service, and Meal in the Upper Room. She also coordinated joint Catholic Campus Ministry programs with several area colleges.

Sr. Mary noted, “I believe that my most recent experience in campus ministry has helped me broaden my skills in communication, leadership and spirituality, and I look forward to leading Villa Maria Academy as its next principal.”

Sr. Mary’s appointment is effective July 1. This coincides with the term of incoming board president Michael Edwards, CEO of Marquette Savings Bank. Edwards joined the board in July 2004 and most recently served as Chairman of the Finance Committee. Edwards stated, “I look forward to working with Sr. Mary as the newest addition to the Administration at Villa Maria Academy.”

Sr. Mary takes the helm from interim principal Sr. Carol Morehouse. During Sr. Carol’s tenure since March, the Villa Girls’ Swim Team secured their first District 10 title, the Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams were in playoff games, and “The Sound of Music” was performed before record crowds under the direction of David Matthews.

Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 1892, Villa Maria Academy is a Catholic, private, coeducational secondary school. Through its leadership, environment and programs, Villa Maria Academy empowers young people to recognize their God-given uniqueness and talents, to acquire knowledge and skills for success in a global society, and to engage the future with optimism, generosity and confidence.

With ninety-two percent of this year’s senior class going to college, students were accepted to prestigious schools such as Rutgers, Purdue, Case Western Reserve, Michigan State, University of Kentucky and Denison, just to name a few. VMA has a 114 year history of academic excellence, having provided a values-based education to more than 8,000 alumni. “The fact that Villa has stood strong for over a century underscores the value of a Catholic education that has endured the test of changing times,” Cicchetti added.