About

Leadership

Meet the President

Rev. Dennis M. Baker, S.J. was formally announced as Loyola Blakefield's President in October 2023 and officially began his tenure on January 1, 2024. His appointment came after a rigorous search process conducted in partnership with DRG Talent, a national leader in talent consulting and executive searches for schools and nonprofits. Fr. Baker’s educational leadership experience includes service as President of Xavier High School in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia from 2016-2021, during which he led the institution through a devastating tropical drought and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fr. Baker’s focus on fundraising and the fiscal management of the school resulted in an unprecedented injection of capital projects that delivered a variety of innovative offerings, including a new computer lab, the construction of a new Jesuit residence, and the renovation of the student chapel.

His global experience also extends to his Jesuit Tertianship in Africa as part of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar in South Africa from September 2022 to April 2023. He also served as Director of Engagement and Planned Giving at Xavier High School in Manhattan from August 2021 to August 2022.
 
A knowledgeable and respected member of the broader Jesuit educational network, Fr. Baker currently serves as a Trustee at the University of Scranton and Holy Cross High School. He is a former Trustee at Fairfield University and Regis High School in Manhattan. His educational experience includes five years as a classroom instructor at Saint Peter Roman Catholic School in Lewiston (NY), Canisius High School, and Xavier High School in Manhattan.

View Fr. Baker's Fall 2024 Welcome Address.

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  • More About Fr. Baker

    Fr. Baker attended Fordham University, where he earned a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Philosophy. He also holds an M.S. degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, a Master of Divinity degree from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and an M.Ed. from Columbia University Teachers College. He was ordained in 2015.
     
    Raised in Upstate New York, he is a 1998 graduate of Canisius High School, a Jesuit college preparatory school for boys. An avid sports fan, Fr. Baker is also an experienced scuba diver who has surveyed wonders from shipwrecks to sharks in the Pacific, Florida Keys, South Africa, and countless other locations across the globe.
 
(Pictured from left to right)
Row 1: Ryan Cawley '06, Jennifer Busse, Victor DeSantis '78, Cynthia Shonaiya, Dan Cahill '81 (Chair), Fr. Dennis Baker, Steve Smith '76 (Vice Chair), Terry Sawyer, The Hon. Albert Matricciani '65, David Hartman '84
 
Row 2: Mary Beth Lennon, Kevin McDonald '78, Michael Dorsch '84, Chip Cooke '92, John Leahy Jr. '75, Victor Norris '77, Bryan Gately '79, Chris Clunie '02, Joel Seledee '83, Fr. Stephen Spahn
 

2024–2025 Board of Trustees

Chairman
Mr. Dan Cahill '81

President

Rev. Dennis M. Baker, S.J.

Board Members
Ms. Terri Becks
Mr. Van Brooks '06 
Mrs. Jennifer Busse
Mr. Ryan Cawley '06
Mr. Chris Clunie '02
Mr. Chip Cooke '92
Ms. Natasha Dartigue
Mr. Victor DeSantis '78
Mr. Michael Dorsch '84
Mr. Bryan Gately '79
Mr. David M. Hartman '84
Mr. John Leahy Jr. '75
Ms. Mary Beth Lennon
The Hon. Albert Matricciani Jr. '65
Mr. Kevin McDonald '78
Mr. Percy Moore
Mr. Victor Norris '77
Mr. Rodney Oddoye
Mrs. Michele Peterson
Mr. Terry Sawyer
Mr. Joel Seledee '83
Mrs. Cynthia Shonaiya
Mr. Steve Smith '76
Rev. Stephen Spahn, S.J.

Leadership Team

List of 10 members.

  • Photo of Stephen Abrams

    Mr. Stephen Abrams 

    Chief Enrollment Officer and Director of Community Engagement
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 684
    Bio
  • Photo of Louis Charest

    Mr. Lou Charest 

    Director of Ignatian Mission and Identity
    Bio
  • Photo of Chantal Cross

    Mrs. Chantal Cross 

    Director of Human Resources and Auxiliary Services
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 652
    Bio
  • Photo of Blake Henry

    Mr. Blake Henry 98

    Director of Athletics
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 298
    Bio
  • Photo of Brian Maraña

    Mr. Brian Maraña 00

    Upper School Principal
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 526
    Bio
  • Photo of Stephen Morrill

    Mr. Steve Morrill 

    Director of Technology
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 460
    Bio
  • Photo of John O'Hara

    Mr. John O'Hara 96

    Middle School Principal
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 528
    Bio
  • Photo of Robert Robinson

    Mr. Robert Robinson 

    Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 674
    Bio
  • Photo of Adam Trice

    Mr. Adam Trice 

    Chief Advancement Officer
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 694
    Bio
  • Photo of Susanne Yancisin

    Mrs. Sue Yancisin 

    Chief Financial Officer
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 660
    Bio
500 Chestnut Ave. Towson, MD 21204
communications@loyolablakefield.org
(410) 823-0601