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 welcome address.

List of 1 items.

  • 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.
Not pictured: Mr. Van Brooks '06, Mr. Chris Clunie '02, Mr. David M. Hartman '84, Mr. Philip Lazzati '80, Mr. John Leahy Jr. '75, The Hon. Albert Matricciani Jr. '65, Mr. Kevin McDonald '78, Mr. Mark Rohde Sr. '72, Mr. Steve Smith '76, Rev. Stephen Spahn, S.J., Rev. Bill Watters, S.J.


2023–2024 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
Mrs. Maru Fava
Mr. Bryan Gately '79
Mr. David M. Hartman '84
Mr. Philip Lazzati '80
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. Mark Rohde Sr. '72
Mr. Terry Sawyer
Mr. Joel Seledee '83
Mr. Steve Smith '76
Rev. Stephen Spahn, S.J.
Rev. Bill Watters, S.J.

Leadership Team

List of 10 members.

  • Photo of Stephen Abrams

    Mr. Stephen Abrams 

    Chief Admissions & Enrollment Management Officer
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 684
    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 Brendan O'Kane

    Mr. Brendan O'Kane 

    Director of Ignatian Mission and Identity
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 236
    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