Bishop Dewane Names Five New Principals for the Diocese of Venice
By Karen Barry Schwarz, Special to the Florida Catholic
Five area Catholic schools will begin the academic year with a new principal at the helm. Bishop Frank J. Dewane has recently named school principals at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Venice; St. Ann Catholic School, Naples; St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Port Charlotte; St. Andrew Catholic School, Cape Coral; and St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring.
“The Diocese of Venice is blessed to have new principals with not only extensive Catholic school leadership experience, but also such great enthusiasm for the faith,” said Bishop Dewane. “I believe these are the leaders who will help our Catholic school students learn to cultivate every dimension of their lives for the glory of God.”
“We look for educational leaders who themselves are exemplary Catholic role models, bearing witness to the Gospel every day,” added Rev. John Belmonte, S.J., Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Venice. “In addition to providing an excellent academic experience, these new principals will help our students to be formed as disciples of Christ, in an unapologetically Catholic environment.”
Three of the newly appointed principals are new to Florida, while two have been promoted from within the Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools.
Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School’s new principal Deacon Michael Pipitone comes to Venice from Wisconsin, where he was principal at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Middleton. Deacon Pipitone has 23 years of Catholic School experience, as both a teacher and principal, and is a Permanent Deacon, ordained to the Diaconate in the Diocese of Rockford in 2018. He is also a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.
St. Ann Catholic School in Naples new principal Micah O’Connor joins St. Ann’s from West Virginia, where she was principal of Our Lady of Fatima School. Ms. O’Connor has more than 16 years of combined education experience as a teacher and principal.
Amy Barron joins St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte from New York City, where she served as both a Catholic School teacher and principal for the last 23 years, most recently as Principal at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, NY.
“I believe that children are our greatest gifts from God,” said Mrs. Barron. “They are tomorrow’s big thinkers, problem solvers and leaders. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life with my family here in Florida and to serve the St. Charles Borromeo School and community. It is my goal to enable the children to stay grounded in their faith yet reach for the stars.”
Two of the new principals were named from within the Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools. St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral will be led by Bambi Giles, who has extensive Catholic School teaching experience, and has served as St. Andrew’s assistant principal for the last seven years. Steven Cullipher will take the reins as interim principal at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring, where he has been a teacher for the last six years, and a parishioner for 10.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Father Jose, the outstanding team of faculty and staff of St. Catherine Catholic School, and to be able to serve them and the students and families of our student community,” said Cullipher.
Four of the five schools with new leadership serve children in grades pre-K through 8th; St. Ann’s teaches Kindergarten through 8th. The five schools represent only a third of the Catholic schools within the Diocese of Venice, which serve about 6,000 students in 15 schools, pre-K through 12th grade.
Catholic education in Florida has grown radically over the last decade, due most recently and in part to the state’s School Choice program, and Diocese of Venice Catholic schools have enjoyed the largest enrollment growth of any Diocese in Florida. All 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic schools are at capacity, many with waiting pools.
According to the National Catholic Education Association’s (NCEA) United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2023 – 2024: Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing report, current numbers indicate that Catholic school enrollment is steady, and families continue to send their children to Catholic schools even when they move from one region of the country to another.
“Catholic schools continue the legacy that has characterized Catholic education for generations,” reported the NCEA. “Academic excellence, a strong sense of community and a faith-filled education for students nationwide.”
Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Venice – Deacon Michael Pipitone
Deacon Michael Pipitone joins Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School with 23 years of Catholic school experience, both as a teacher and principal at the elementary and high school levels. Most recently he was Principal at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Middleton, Wisconsin in the Madison Diocese. Deacon Pipitone earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. He was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois where he began his teaching career at Marian Catholic High School. He is a Permanent Deacon, ordained to the Diaconate in the Rockford Diocese in 2018. He holds a certificate in Bioethics from Holy Apostles College, Connecticut, and is presently completing his Doctorate in Theology from Pontifex University. Deacon Pipitone is married to Jeanna (22 years) and has three children: twin sons, Michael Joe and Luke, who are college sophomores, and daughter Gianna who will be a high school freshman in the fall. In addition to his educational accomplishments and academic pursuits, Deacon Pipitone is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and a former dairy farmer which is where he says he learned the value of hard work.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Port Charlotte – Amy Barron
As a product of Catholic schools, Amy has dedicated most of her career to Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn in New York, where she served for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rider University (NJ, 1996), a Master of Education (Queens College, 2001), and a Master of Education Leadership from Fordham University (Bronx, NY 2018). Amy began teaching 5th grade at St. Brigid School in Brooklyn, NY where she taught science and religion. After nine years at St. Brigid, Amy moved up to teaching on the high school level and for the next 13 years taught biology, psychology and anatomy at St. Joseph High School, an all-girls Catholic high school also in Brooklyn, NY. While at St. Joseph High School, Amy served as Student Advisory Facilitator, Science Department Chairperson, Dean of Faculty, and eventually Assistant Principal. In 2019, Amy took on the Principal role at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, NY where she served for the past five years. Amy has been married for 20 years and met her husband while working at Brigid School (he was the physical education teacher). The Barrons have two teenage daughters (18 and 15). She loves baseball and animals and is looking forward to her family’s new life in Florida.
St. Ann Catholic School, Naples – Micah O’Connor
Micah O’Connor has more than 16 years of combined experience as a teacher and principal. Having previously served as Principal of Our Lady Fatima in Huntington, West Virginia for six successful years, Ms. O’Connor has a proven track record of fostering academic growth and creating a supportive learning environment. Before assuming the Principal role, Ms. O’Connor spent a decade as a dedicated teacher, shaping students’ minds and instilling a love for learning. Ms. O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education, and a Certification in School Principalship from Marshall University, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing professional development and leadership excellence.
St. Andrew Catholic School, Cape Coral – Bambi Giles
Bambi Giles has served as Assistant Principal for seven years at St. Andrew Catholic School and has extensive teaching experience including roles as fifth-grade teacher, middle school English/language arts teacher, and Resource Coordinator. Bambi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with a minor in Health Education from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.
St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring – Steven Cullipher
After a successful career in the theatre and television lighting industry, Steven Cullipher retired from the lighting industry in 2014 and relocated to Sebring and began attending St. Catherine Parish. He attended South Florida State College, receiving an Associate Bachelor of Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management. While attending South Florida State College, he began his career in education, progressing from AVID tutor, to substitute teacher, to instructional paraprofessional, and finally to elementary teacher. In 2018, Fr. Jose Gonzalez, V.F. expressed the need for a third-grade teacher for St. Catherine Catholic School and Mr. Cullipher answered the call. While teaching third grade at St. Catherine, he completed his Master of Education in Educational Leadership at the American College of Education and has served the last three years as Assistant Principal. Mr. Cullipher and his wife have two adult children, one granddaughter, with another granddaughter on the way. Mr. Cullipher states, “I am honored to for the opportunity to work with Father Jose, the outstanding team of faculty and staff of St. Catherine Catholic School, and to be able to serve them and the students and families of our school community.”
