HNEM Leadership
Sponsorship by Holy Names Educational Ministries links the eight ministries to the Catholic Church and to the Sisters of the Holy Names. Ensuring that these ministries continue to embody the Gospels as well as the Charism, mission and values of the Sisters of the Holy Names is now the responsibility of the Canonical Stewards, who serve as the Board of HNEM. They are appointed by the Province Leadership Team for a renewable term of two or three years.
Together, the Canonical Stewards form what is called the Sponsors Council, composed of both lay persons and Sisters of the Holy Names. They are supported by an Executive Director and an Executive Assistant.
The Sponsors Council of Holy Names Educational Ministries
Top Row: (L-R) Arthur Raimo, Elizabeth Swift, Mary Mansell, Lynne Kennedy Mullen (Executive Director), Gregory Schopf
Missing: Sr. Linda Patrick, SNJM
HNEM Staff
Lynne Kennedy Mullen, Ed. D
Executive Director, Holy Names Educational Ministries, San Leandro, California
Lynne was born and raised in San Francisco and has been part of Catholic education nearly all her life. She attended Catholic schools from first grade through college, graduating from Holy Name Elementary School and Presentation High School, both in San Francisco, and Santa Clara University. She has taught at the elementary and middle school levels and served as Youth Minister and Campus Minister at the high school level. In June of 2022, she completed twenty years as a Catholic elementary school principal for a total of thirty-six years ministering in Catholic education in two dioceses. Lynne has served in multiple leadership roles in her time as principal, including chairing accreditation visits for Catholic schools and leading professional development sessions for the Diocese of Oakland. Education: Ed.D Educational Leadership for Social Justice, California State University East Bay, California; B.A. English Literature, Santa Clara University; M.A. English Literature, San Francisco State University; Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, San Jose State University; Administrative Services Credential, California State University East Bay; Certificate in English as a New Language, University of Notre Dame. She served as a Member of the Board for almost two years before being hired as Executive Director of HNEM in 2024.
Kathy Perren
Executive Assistant, Holy Names Educational Ministries
Kathy has worked for non-profits and universities and community colleges across the country. Education: B.F.A. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York.
Canonical Stewards
Cynthia Canning, SNJM
Educational Ministries Board Member, San Leandro, California
Sister Cynthia Canning is the Chair of the Holy Names Educational Ministries Board. She previously taught in elementary and secondary schools for 14 years in California, including five years as a teacher at Ramona Convent High School in Alhambra and seven as teacher and/or principal of Holy Names High School in Oakland. From 1982 to 1994 she served on the SNJM Leadership Team in the former California Province, including six years as Director of Ministries and six as Provincial. She was President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, California region, for three of those years. In 1994 Sister Cynthia, Sister Rosemary Delaney, and Sister Margaret Kennedy founded Next Step Learning Center in Oakland, a nonprofit organization serving older youth and adults who have not yet achieved their high school diploma. For more than 21 years, Sister Cynthia and Sister Rosemary served as Next Step’s Co-Directors. Additionally, Sister Cynthia has served on the Boards of Holy Names University, Holy Names High School and Ramona Convent Secondary School and on the Personnel Placement Board for the Diocese of Oakland. Education: Master’s Degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Francisco.
Maureen Delaney, SNJM
Provincial, SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province, Educational Ministries Board Member, Portland, Oregon
Sister Maureen has served as Provincial leader of the SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province since 2016. Sister Maureen attended Holy Names High School in Oakland and after becoming a Sister, taught at St. Augustine’s, Our Lady of Lourdes, Old Saint Mary’s and St. Francis de Sales schools in Oakland. She became active in supporting community leaders in West Oakland and did that work for years, including her time on the staff of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. In 1987, she visited the Mississippi Delta, which led to her return to the Delta to start the Outreach Department of the Tutwiler Clinic. That led to the founding of the Tutwiler Community Education Center, where Sister Maureen led educational and recreational programs for nearly 30 years. Education: B.A. Holy Names College.
Marcia Frideger, SNJM
SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team, Educational Ministries Board Member, Oakland, California
Sister Marcia Frideger is currently a member of the SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team. Sister Marcia was educated by Holy Names Sisters at St. Anselm’s Elementary School, San Anselmo, CA and Marin Catholic High School. She taught junior high grades at St. Ignatius Elementary School and seven years at Holy Names High School in Oakland, CA. For twenty-one years, Sister Marcia taught courses in Management, Organizational Behavior, and Business Ethics at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Holy Names University in Oakland. She served on the Province Leadership Team from 2011-2015. Education: B.A. in English from Holy Names University, Oakland, CA; Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT; and a Ph.D. in Management from the University of California, Irvine.
Margaret Kennedy, SNJM
SNJM U.S.- Educational Ministries Board Member, Alameda, California
From 2016 to 2021 Sister Margaret was on the SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team. Sister Margaret attended Holy Names High School in Oakland, California, where Sisters influenced her vocation. After teaching English and Religious Studies and heading a Catholic elementary school in California, Sister Margaret served on the SNJM California Province Leadership Team and later on the Sisters’ Congregational Leadership Team. Her ministries have included working as administrator of the Convent of the Holy Names in Los Gatos, CA, helping to found and operate the Next Step Learning Center in Oakland, CA, and serving on the administrative staff at Holy Names High School in Oakland. Education: Master’s Degree in Administration from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana; B.A. at Holy Names College (now University); Religious Studies courses at University of San Francisco.
Mary Mansell
Educational Ministries Board Member, Pasadena, California
A long-time educator with a strong commitment to empowering young women to reach their full potential, Mary has worked as a high school teacher, counselor and administrator. She recently retired as Principal of Ramona Convent Secondary School. In addition to her commitment to Holy Names Educational Ministries, Mary serves on the Board of Trustees of South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project, which provides early childhood and parent education and ESL classes to empower families in South Central Los Angeles. She also serves on the Board of St. Philip the Apostle Elementary School in Pasadena and is a past Board member of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center and St. Paul the Apostle Elementary School. Education: A.B. History of Art/English, Stanford University; M. A. Private School Administration, University of San Francisco.
Linda Patrick, SNJM
SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team, Educational Ministries Board Member, Portland, Oregon
Sister Linda is currently a member of the SNJM U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team. Sister Linda was educated by Holy Names Sisters at Holy Redeemer Elementary School and St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon. After receiving her degree from Marylhurst College (now University) she taught middle and upper grades for 23 years in three schools in the Portland area: Holy Redeemer, Madeleine and St. Ignatius. In 1995 she joined the leadership team of her alma mater, St. Mary’s Academy. It was her great joy to serve as Assistant Principal, Student Life for 20 years. Following her years at St. Mary’s she was able to volunteer at her parish, St Andre Bessette, located in downtown Portland, ministering to the many homeless who came to the church each day. Education: B.A. Language Arts, Marylhurst College/University, Master’s in Private School Administration, University of San Francisco.
Arthur Raimo
Educational Ministries Board Member, Holly Ridge, North Carolina
Art spent his entire working life in Catholic education. During that time he served in a variety of roles including teacher, assistant principal, principal and president. The majority of those years were spent at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Maryland where he was campus president for the last 14 years of his tenure there. From 2011 – 2021 he served as president of the Academy of the Holy Names in Tampa, FL. He has been a board member at several schools including Nazareth and Xaverian High Schools in Brooklyn, NY, St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney, MD, and St. Peter Claver School in Tampa. He and his wife Maureen (a 1972 graduate of The Academy of the Holy Names in Silver Spring, MD) have been married for 44 years and have three children and three grandchildren. He currently is retired and living in coastal North Carolina. Education: B.A. History from St. Francis College (NY), and an MEd in Educational Administration from Loyola College (MD).
Gregory E. Schopf
Educational Ministries Board Member, Alameda, California
Greg is a member and former chair of the board of Next Step Learning Center, an adult literacy program in West Oakland, and served for lengthy terms on the boards of Bishop O’Dowd High School, Saint Philip Neri Elementary School, and Alameda World Team Baseball. He is also a past president of the San Francisco Saint Thomas More Society. Most recently, Greg led Nixon Peabody LLP’s Insurance Industry team and was a key member of the Complex Commercial Disputes, International and Trade Secret teams. Greg focused on counseling and representing clients in preventing and resolving complex disputes. He is also a trained Mediator. Before joining Nixon in San Francisco, Greg was a partner with Crosby, Heafey, Roach and May in Oakland and Lillick & Charles in San Francisco. Earlier, Greg taught high school social studies and coached athletic teams at Crater High in Central Point, Oregon and at Notre Dame International School in Rome, Italy. He is currently a regular volunteer at the Pope Francis Legal Clinic in Oakland, CA and a marshal at the Corica Park Golf Course in Alameda. Education: J.D., Hastings College, University of California; Teaching Credentials K-12, Southern Oregon State University; B.A., University of Portland.
Elizabeth Swift
Educational Ministries Board Member, Duvall, Washington
Liz has spent much of her professional life in educational leadership, with the last 28 years as Head of School at Holy Names Academy. She also has a passion for STEM subjects and taught an advanced physics course for her entire administrative career. Liz has served on several boards for local schools and boards for other professional organizations. Education: B.A. Mathematics, B.A. Chemistry, and M.A. Librarianship, University of Washington.