La Salle Academy’s new president
Lee Fryd, Vicki Schneps, Lilly Deng and Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright
—all in support of La Salle Academy.
The new president’s background includes
degrees in liberal studies, education
and educational leadership as well
as New York permanent certification in
school district administration. He has
taught math to junior high and high
school students and most recently he was
part of the leadership team for Lasallian
ministries and communities in Eastern
North America, headquartered in Monmouth
County, New Jersey.
“I have a wonderful career in a variety
of settings,” says Brother Thomas, “with
students from affluent to economically
challenged backgrounds,” and he has
worked in many parts of the country.
Brother Thomas particularly touts
having started a non-tuition middle
school in Freeport, LI, with a Black and
Latino population that saw all its students
completing high school within five
years of leaving middle school. (The previous
statistic for that population was 43
percent high school completion rate).
Earlier this month, Brother Thomas’
friend Joan MacNaughton organized a
meet and greet for potential donors that
included alumni, board members, 76th
District Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright,
and others from the greater New
York community.
This paper’s publisher Vicki Schneps
and friends, and former NYPD police
commissioner Ray Kelly and Veronica
Kelly, his wife, joined others in
the school’s cozy fourth floor Joseph F.
D’Angelo ’48 Literacy Center to learn
more about the school, its history and
mission.
Affable Brother Thomas greeted the
small assembly and introduced two students
who shared their experiences at the
school.
Steven Dumeng, a Hell’s Kitchen resident,
transferred from another school
which, he said, didn’t have any clubs. He’s
now availing himself to the multitude of
clubs the school offers. This senior spoke
of how open and available teachers are to
help and also how he hopes to continue
Alumni George Santana speaks with Bro. Thomas and senior Steven Dumen
Bro. Thomas and his good friend Joan MacNaughton with alumni and ca
didate for NYC Civil Court Judge George Santana and Assemblywom
Rebecca Seawright.
his education in Boston. Senior Carlos
Flores wants to study audio recording at
NYU and recalled La Salle’s impact and
how it has made him the man he is today.
A cadre of the most polite students
sisted with the event, making sure gue
found their way, with junior Anthony R
sario on keyboard musically greeting
arriving guests with a medley of class
music.
As president of La Salle Acade
Brother Thomas embraces his new r
to make sure the school has a futu
overseeing the stewardship of finance
well as reaching out to the greater po
lation. He’s here to encourage benef
tors, to support the work of the princi
and curriculum development and to
lose sight of its Catholic consciousnes
“My passion is in the belief that e
cation is the most transformative w
to affect positive change,” says Brot
Thomas, the ardent educator that he
And, “that the key to fulfillment and s
cess is to acknowledge one’s gifts a
how they can be used for other’s benef
Brother Thomas’ biggest challenge
in sharing the La Salle story with ot
potential students, and past and pot
tial benefactors so, “We can have m
of each.”
Bro. Thomas and Joan MacNaughton (center) with Martin Cottingham, Ray Kelly, Carl Gambino and Anna Murray.
Schneps Media December 26, 2019 19