Cardinal O'Hara appoints chief operating officer

The board of trustees of Cardinal O’Hara High School, a coeducational private Catholic-Franciscan high school in the Town of Tonawanda, recently announced the appointment of Michael Baumann to the role of chief operating officer.

“Creating and filling the COO position was a critical first step in realizing our vision for the future of our school,” said Michael Rizzo, president of the board of trustees.

Baumann, a 1982 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara, returns to his alma mater after a 34-year career in public education, most recently as superintendent of the Newfane Central School District.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to my roots, and give something back to the school community that gave so much to me,” Baumann said

A former school counselor at West Seneca West High School, Baumann held administrative posts in the Maryvale, Frontier and Sweet Home districts before working in Newfane.

In the newly created COO position, Baumann will oversee and coordinate the advancement and admissions office, the business and maintenance operations, as well as work closely with Cardinal O’Hara Principal Joleen Dimitroff on developing and expanding the educational program at the private high school that first opened its doors in 1961.

“The entire Cardinal O'Hara community is thrilled to welcome Mike Baumann to our administrative team. As a graduate, he comes with extensive experience and expertise in education, coupled with his love and dedication to O'Hara,” Dimitroff said.

“Cardinal O’Hara has a rich tradition of fostering academic excellence, critical thinking and creativity,” Baumann said. “I’m excited to see us expanding our programming to meet the needs of every student who wants a faith-based high school education.”

Baumann’s appointment begins Aug. 1.

Cardinal O’Hara also recently announced that, this fall, it would begin offering special education programs for students with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, making Cardinal O’Hara the only private high school in Western New York to do so.