The District of San Francisco New Orleans (SFNO) has announced that two new members will be joining the District’s Office of Education (OOE) team, effective July 1, 2022.
Maria Ribera
Andrew Kuffner
Maria Ribera, current Senior Executive Consultant for Catholic School Management, Romeoville, IL, has accepted the position of SFNO Director of Board Formation. Andrew Kuffner, current President of La Salle Catholic College Preparatory, Milwaukie, OR, has accepted the position of SFNO Director of Formation for Mission.
In making the announcement on behalf of the Brothers and the District, Office of Education Director Michael Daniels stated, “I look forward to welcoming Andy and Maria to District service. We are fortunate that they will build upon the strong foundation of mission-centered leadership as modeled by Janet Ruggiero and Greg Kopra. We are blessed that Maria and Andy bring their own distinct gifts and backgrounds to these roles and I look forward to their contributions to our Lasallian mission.”
Ribera will succeed Janet Ruggiero, who in December announced that she will retire at the end of the 2021-22 year. Kuffner will succeed Greg Kopra, who also announced in December that he will retire at the end of the 2021-22 year. Both Ribera and Kuffner will be based out of the Mont La Salle District Office of Education and will work remotely from Oregon.
Maria Ribera began her career in education with roles in teaching and administrative leadership at the Children’s Art Academy of Humbolt State University, Arcata, CA; San Francisco University High School, CA; and St. Bernard High School, Eureka, CA. She is best known to SFNO as a member of Catholic School Management (CSM) , a division of Christian Brothers Services. Her 20-plus year tenure at CSM has included serving as Vice-President, President, and Senior Executive Consultant. She has advised Catholic schools across the United States in the areas of governance, leadership and strategic planning. As Senior Executive Consultant, Ribera has advised SFNO ministries Mullen High School and Justin-Siena High School on strategic planning initiatives.
Ribera holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH; a Master of Science in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology from Nova Southeastern University, Lakeland, FL; and a Graduate Certificate in School Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. As of 2020, she and her husband, Dr. Michael Paddack, are happily living in and enjoying Ashland, OR. They are the proud parents of Anna and Eliza.
Ribera said of her appointment, “I have always been thankful for the opportunities I have had during my career to work with Lasallian school communities, and I am very excited to continue and expand this involvement within the SFNO District. The ongoing commitment of the Brothers to their schools, combined with the wisdom of securing the future by supporting the work of governance and the development of Trustees, are all to be greatly commended. I am deeply honored to be able to contribute to and serve the Lasallian mission in this capacity.”
Andrew “Andy” Kuffner has been a Lasallian Partner since 1996 when he began his career at La Salle Catholic College Preparatory in Milwaukie, OR. Over the years, he has served there in a variety of roles, including stints as physics teacher, retreat program director, soccer coach, Dean of Students, Vice Principal for Academics, and Principal. In 2018, he assumed the combined leadership role of President Principal, and in 2020 stepped fulltime into the President/CEO position.
Kuffner graduated from the Lasallian Leadership Institute in 2003, participated in the District Mission Assemblies of 2002, 2011 and 2016, was voted by his peers as Lasallian Educator of the Year in 2013, and was President of the Lasallian Association of Secondary School Chief Administrators from 2018-2020. He also serves as a board member of the Educational Leadership Network at the University of Portland since 2013. Kuffner holds a BS in Education with Physics and Math endorsements, a Professional Administrator License in Educational Leadership, and an EdD from the University of Portland, OR, as well as a Master of Science in Educational Policy and Administration from Portland State University, OR. He lives in Portland, with his two daughters, Emma, LSCCP ’18 and Mollie, LSCCP ’20, who are attending college in California.
Upon his appointment, Kuffner shared: “I am honored to have this opportunity to continue to serve this Lasallian mission that I love so much, expanding my vocation to the District level. As someone who had been deeply formed by the Christian Brothers, I am humbled by the breadth and depth of the Lasallian charism and see great potential for it to be animated by the educators of today, and those who will steward and shepherd this mission in the future.”
SFNO Visitor-Designate Brother Nick Gonzalez, FSC offered his congratulations and welcome to Ribera and Kuffner, saying, “Pragmatic Lasallian formation of our Trustees, Board Chairs, and school staff remain a priority for our District. Ms. Ribera and Dr. Kuffner add a wealth of experience, skills, and knowledge to enhance our Office of Education. SFNO is blessed.”
The SFNO Director of Board Formation focuses primarily on training all new Trustees of each of the District’s schools, and accompanying Board Chairs and Vice Chairs in their leadership. These trainings and the subsequent support are rooted in Lasallian formation and in the tenets of Policy Governance ®. The Director also leads the administrative duties of the Lasallian Education Corporation (LEC), the non-profit corporation organized for the purpose of oversight of the District’s school corporations.
The SFNO Director of Formation for Mission focuses on many facets of Lasallian mission formation for teachers, staff, and administrators in District schools. An important facet of the Director’s work is the orientation of all new teachers, staff, and administrators to the Lasallian charism and educational mission. Ongoing formation of more veteran Lasallian educators is also a focal point of the Director’s work. The Director consults regularly with school leaders and guides those responsible for mission formation within their schools.
According to Daniels, Ruggiero and Kopra, along with the rest of the OOE team, will assist with Ribera’s and Kuffner’s transition period into their new roles.
