The Campaign for Catholic Schools, a change agent for rebuilding Greater Boston’s urban Catholic schools, is pleased to announce that longtime trustee, Gerald V. “Jerry” Sheehan, has been elected the organizations’ first Lifetime Trustee in appreciation of his extraordinary leadership and philanthropic support of the Campaign. Mr. Sheehan first became involved with the Campaign for Catholic Schools in 2010 shortly after its founding. Since that time, he and his wife, Maureen, have been an integral part of CCS’ growth, ensuring that countless young people from Greater Boston’s most at-risk neighborhoods, especially Brockton and Dorchester, receive a top-notch Catholic education in a safe, caring environment.
Bob Atchinson, Managing Director of Adage Capital Management and Chair of the Board for the Campaign for Catholic Schools, notes, “Jerry decided to help rebuild Greater Boston’s urban Catholic schools, and he has quietly done it all without any fanfare; he just decided it was going to happen. He believed in the vision of our co-founder, the late Jack Connors, Jr., and he’s been a thoughtful and valued leader every step of the way. His tremendous commitment to providing opportunities to underserved children through an excellent Catholic education is exemplary. This is really a case of we couldn’t have built this organization without him, and we are delighted to appoint Jerry as our first Lifetime Trustee for his tireless efforts to rebuild Greater Boston’s urban Catholic schools.”
Travis Rhodes, President of Abrams Capital and Vice Chair of CCS’ Board comments, “We stand on the shoulders of giants, and our promise to Jerry is that we will continue to do his work and will aspire to make a difference – the kind of difference he and his family have made for many decades, especially in the great city of Brockton. On behalf of so many kids and families, thank you.”
A recipient and ardent supporter of Catholic education who grew up in Jersey City, NJ, Mr. Sheehan attended Our Lady of Victories Grammar School and is a 1948 graduate of St. Peter’s Prep (NJ). He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1952. At St. Peter’s and Holy Cross, Mr. Sheehan has been a “beyond the bricks and mortar” lead benefactor, establishing major scholarship programs that provide full tuition for deserving students based on their academic merit and good moral standing. The Sheehans are also deeply committed to environmental causes and have funded efforts that have led to over 10,000 acres in Southeastern Massachusetts being designated as protected conservation land.
For over 60 years, Mr. Sheehan served as president of L. Knife & Son, a fifth-generation family-owned company located in Kingston, MA. Founded in 1898, the company is a national leader in beverage distribution, currently serving customers throughout Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, and Virginia. Under Mr. Sheehan’s leadership, the company grew to become one of the largest Anheuser-Busch and craft beer distributors in the United States and was consistently recognized for both business and philanthropic achievements.
Mr. Sheehan and his wife Maureen, who have been married for 67 years, have eight children and 20 grandchildren. They reside in Duxbury.
Founded in 2007, the Campaign for Catholic Schools (CCS) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving Catholic education in underserved urban communities in Greater Boston. It aims to create sustainable change through a new model that includes school consolidation/renovation, lay governance, strong academics, effective school management, and innovative teacher support. CCS currently co-sponsors and works closely with two large regional academies it created, Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy (Dorchester) and Trinity Catholic Academy (Brockton), which educate 1500 PreK-Gr 8 students, most children of color from low- to moderate-income families. CCS continues to work in targeted ways with other Greater Boston Catholic schools as well.