Celebrating Terry Quinn – New MESA Board Chair

July 1 marked an important transition for the Mercy Education System of the Americas (MESA) Board of Directors as Terry Quinn began his term as board chair, the first lay leader of the MESA Board.

Terry believes all Mercy schools play a critical role in empowering students to becoming merciful leaders. “The most important aspect is that Mercy teaches morals and values,” he said. “Each ministry embeds the Mercy Core Values and Critical Concerns into the daily routine and curriculum. When students graduate from a Mercy school, they know who they are and how they will make a difference in this world.”

An educator since 1975, Terry worked in public education as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years before becoming principal at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in Rochester, New York.

In his new role as board chair, Terry is inspired to seek creative ways to support MESA ministries. He also plans to focus time on supporting school board chairs, whom he says “are critical to the success of our schools.”

As board-elect, Terry has devoted time over the past months to building relationships within the Institute, MESA staff, MESA board and schools. He has also worked closely with Sister Richard Mary Burke, RSM, outgoing MESA board chair. “She is an outstanding individual who has done a terrific job in the birth of the MESA board,” he said. “I have learned a great deal by observing her in this leadership role, and I’m grateful for the time we spent together in this transition.”

Formerly Terry was a part-time consultant for PLC Associates, Inc. and served as a member of the Association Supervision and Curriculum Development. In recent years he was a member of the Education Committee for Nativity Preparatory Academy in Rochester as well as board member and regional director of the New York Middle School Association. Terry has been married to his “soulmate and wife,” Ginny, for the past 47 years—in fact, they started dating when Ginny was a student at Our Lady of Mercy in Rochester. Terry said, “Our three children and four grandchildren are a blessing to us, and we like to spend as much time as possible together.”

On behalf of our international MESA community, we bless Terry as he takes on this new role and thank him for his service to Mercy education.