Notre Dame High School

New Leadership Team

The following individuals comprise the new Executive Board and Association of Christian Faithful. Each member will chair or co-chair one of nine committees of the Governance Board, namely Nominating, Academic & Faculty Affairs, Student Affairs, Financial, Building & Grounds, Development, Technology, Alumni Relations and External Relations. These committees will actively recruit members from the Notre Dame family to participate in the school’s advancement. These Board members have already devoted over 60 years to serving on the Board of Governance, various committees and as integral members of the year-long, 2005-2006 Strategic Planning process which involved the interactive participation of over 300 individuals from throughout the NDHS community. These dedicated individuals are poised to advance Notre Dame’s mission and have a combined total of 260 years of affiliation with NDHS as alumni, alumni parents and/or current parents.

Patrick K. Callero, a 1970 graduate of Notre Dame High School, will chair the Technology Committee. Callero is the managing partner of a 24-person, five partner CPA firm in Niles. Three other partners are also Notre Dame alumni (Guido Girolami ’70, Michael Callero ’73 and Michael Angelini ’74). Pat, one of twelve Calleros to attend Notre Dame, earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Joseph ’s College in 1974 and has been a CPA since 1977. His firm deals with small to medium businesses, helping them manage day-to-day operations, taxation issues and general consulting. Pat is a member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society and has also testified as an expert witness in the California courts on construction cost overruns. He is a past member of St. Viator High School Financial Committee. Pat and his wife, Debbie, reside in Arlington Heights and are the parents of four grown sons, coincidentally two of whom are married to two of Bob Flood’s daughters.

Eugene M. Faut will chair the Alumni Relations Committee which is concerned with alumni outreach and participation in school activities. Faut is a 1959 graduate of Notre Dame High School, current Vice President of its Alumni Association and founder of the successful Lifetime Learning Seminar series. A 1963 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Faut retired after 36 years in sales and sales management in the computer industry. Faut, who is a member of Transfiguration Parish in Wauconda, is also currently a member of both the Illinois Region Board of Friends of the Orphans in Arlington Heights and Fellowman International in Chanute, Kansas.

Robert Flood is a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame High School and father of Mike ‘01 and Bobby ‘07, will chair the Building & Grounds Committee. Flood, his six brothers (Kevin ‘69, Brian ‘73, Tom and Mike ‘78, Jim ‘83 and Dan ‘89) and their parents Bob and Patricia were 2006 recipients of the Cornerstone Award for Faith. At Notre Dame, Flood assisted in the formation of the Athletic Club, chaired the Facilities Committee and assists with enrollment outreach. He is a graduate of Kansas Benedictine (1970) in Atchison, Kansas, where he has served on their Chicago Board of Governors for eight years. Flood is a partner in Flood Brothers Disposal, a waste management company, with three other cousins. He and his wife Susan have been married for 30 years and have seven children and four grandchildren. They are active members of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish in Arlington Heights.

Joseph Gurdak is the current chairman of the Notre Dame High School Executive Board and an alumni parent (David ‘91 and Daniel ‘95). A 1966 graduate of DePaul University and recipient of the 2006 Cornerstone Award for Service, he is a certified public accountant and financial executive who runs Gurdak & Associates in Park Ridge. Aside from serving on Notre Dame’s Executive and Governance Boards, Gurdak has also served on the boards of various charitable organizations. Married to Diane, Gurdak has been involved in numerous fundraising projects at Notre Dame and Mary Seat of Wisdom Parish. He has also worked with the Knights of Columbus and served as a Grand Knight where he was involved with an annual drive to help individuals who were mentally challenged.

Anthony Mandolini will co-chair the Nominating Committee that will present to the Executive Board nominations for individuals to be elected to the Governance Board. He is a 2006 recipient of the Cornerstone Award for Service. He and his wife Lorraine are parents to Gregory ‘73, Mark ‘74, David ‘77 and Anthony ‘79. A 1954 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in accounting, Mandolini is a retired partner of the international accounting and consulting firm KPMG where he was Director of the Government Services Practice. After his retirement from KPMG, Mandolini was appointed to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Chicago Transit Authority. A past president of the Illinois CPA Society, he also served on the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and was president of the Chicago Civic Federation. In addition to his long affiliation with Notre Dame High School, Mandolini has been on the boards of the Holy Family Preservation Society, St. Joseph and St. Mary Seminaries and is a Life Trustee at the Chicago Theological Union. He is currently a board and audit committee member of the Big Shoulders Fund.

Peter Newell will chair the Student Affairs Committee which will concern itself with a continuing assessment and appraisal of student services with a focus on athletics and student clubs. Newell followed his brothers (John ‘65 and Paul ‘69) to Notre Dame High School and graduated in 1967. While at NDHS, he was a member of the 1966 state championship varsity football team. Newell attended the University of Michigan (‘71), was named to the All-Big Ten Team (Defensive Tackle) in 1970 and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1971. Retired after 32 years with Smith Barney/Citigroup Global Market in Chicago, Newell has delivered the keynote address at the school’s annual Alumni-Senior Breakfast. A volunteer with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School’s Corporate Internship Program and on the Board of Directors of Ruth Lake Country Club, Newell has also served as Past President of the University of Michigan Club of Chicago, the Chicago Bond Club and the Children’s Home and Aid Society of Illinois. He has been married for 30 years to Nancy and is father to Peter, Kevin and Brian.

Christopher T. Nowotarski, who is a 1976 graduate of Notre Dame High School, will co-chair the Nominating Committee. Father to Nicholas ’08, Nowotarski received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from DePaul University (1980) and J.D. from DePaul University of Law (1983). President of Christopher T. Nowotarski, P.C., he is an attorney specializing in the Insurance and Financial Services Industries Regulatory matters and has extensive experience in estate planning and probate practice. Nowotarski is also Vice President of the Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation, Secretary of Exeter Title Company, Secretary of Alliance, FSB, Director at Large of the Polish American Congress and a Director on many other corporations. In addition, Nowotarski serves as outside Consul for the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Polish Women’s Alliance of America. He has also acted as legal counsel, chief negotiator, special counsel and advisory for the President of the Polish National Alliance of the United States of N.A. He serves on the National Fraternal Congress of America Law Committee and Solvency Committee and is General Counsel for the Chicago Metal Finishers Institute. Married to Janet, Nowotarski is also father to Kristen, a freshman at Resurrection High School, and Steven and Emily who attend St. Emily grammar school.

Rev. John P. Smyth will head the Development Committee to provide leadership and develop policies for programs and activities which will generate greater understanding and support for the Corporation and school. Fr. Smyth is a 1953 graduate of the now closed DePaul Academy. He is also a 1957 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. An outstanding basketball player at the collegiate level, Fr. Smyth was picked as the number one draft choice of the then St. Louis Hawks team in 1957. However, Fr. Smyth decided against a career in basketball and chose instead to become a Chicago Archdiocesan priest. After attending St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Fr. Smyth was ordained in 1962 and took an assignment at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines. For over 40 years, Fr. Smyth ran Maryville Academy and helped hundreds of children in need. He also sent many to attend Notre Dame High School. On March 1, 2007, Fr. Smyth was appointed President of NDHS by the Executive Board. He is a tireless advocate for the Dons and his leadership is inspiring to all.

Patricia E. Tennant will chair the Academic & Faculty Affairs Committee that will concern itself with NDHS’ educational policies and plans. Tennant is the parent of two Notre Dame High School graduates (Michael ‘01 and Patrick ‘04). She is the Executive Director of Treasury & Security Services at JPMorgan Chase in Chicago. A 1977 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration (Finance), Tennant also received her M.B.A. from Northwestern University ’s Kellogg School of Management in 1986, with majors in Finance and Management. At NDHS, Tennant has also been a past President of the Parents’ Association and a Chair of the Spirit of Notre Dame Dinner Auction, the school’s largest fundraiser, for five years. She resides in Morton Grove with her husband, Frank, and their sons.

Paula Waters is vice chair of the Executive Board and will chair the External Relations Committee which will concern itself with public relations and enrollment policies. Waters is an alumni parent (Morgan ‘05) and the 2006 recipient of the Cornerstone Award for Service. An Executive Vice President in the Chicago office of Edelman, an independent global public relations firm, she has more than 25 years of communications experience in corporate, non-profit and consulting environments in both the United States and Europe. Waters is viewed as one of the country’s leading healthcare strategists and has participated in many of that industry’s mergers over the past decade. She spent 10 years in research in government, university and corporate settings. A Chicago native and civic leader, Ms. Waters holds a City of Chicago mayoral appointment as chair of a Sister Cities committee and is member of the program’s executive board. She has served as pro bono counsel to the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Chicago United Way , the Istituto di Cultura Italiano, Horizon Hospice, the Museum of Contemporary Art and other charities. She serves on the board of the L.E.K. Group, a management consultancy. Ms. Waters holds a B.A. in Biology and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University. She also earned an M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to Morgan, Waters is also parent to Brendan, Eve and Adrienne.

Ex-Officio
Charles J. McNulty will chair the Financial Committee which is charged with overseeing the business affairs of the Corporation. McNulty is the current Vice President of Finance at Notre Dame High School, was an ex-officio member of the Governance Board and the Finance & Facilities Committees and the financial liaison to the Priests of Holy Cross Provincial Office who co-chaired the Strategic Planning Financial Task Team. He is the grandparent of Matt ‘10. A 1967 graduate of DePaul University, McNulty is a certified public accountant who began his financial career at the national certified public accounting firm of Ernst & Ernst and, by the time of his move to Notre Dame, had become the Executive Vice President of a multi-billion dollar real estate company. In 1999, McNulty brought his 32 years of financial expertise and experience to Notre Dame to direct the bid process and construction of the George Holley Science Wing as well as assume responsibility for the fiscal management of the school. Under his direction, Notre Dame was able to secure bond financing for the new building and major renovations of other areas. He has been married to Pat for 41years and is the father of five and grandfather of ten.