The Brothers of the Sacred Heart of New Jersey and New York announces the appointment of Mr. Nicholas Melito as president of Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, New York. Mr. Melito, a 1976 graduate of McClancy, will serve a two-year term, beginning with the 2020-21 academic year. Mr. Melito will succeed Brother Joseph Rocco, S.C., McClancy class of ’66.
Mr. James Castrataro will continue to serve as principal of the school.
Mr. Melito began his professional career at McClancy in 1998 as a teacher of Global Studies. In 2000, he became the head coach of the varsity baseball team. He was appointed to the school’s administrative team in 2006 as assistant to the president. His primary responsibilities in that role included director of Buildings and Grounds as well as director of Admissions. He oversaw the completion of a substantial Federal Aviation Administration funded soundproofing and air conditioning project at the school. In 2015, Mr. Melito was inducted into the McClancy CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) Hall of Fame. He will assume his new role on July 1, 2020.
“I have a great love for the school and our students, dating back to my own days at McClancy,” said Mr. Melito. “I look forward to advancing the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in this new leadership role, and I am humbled to be able to serve the McClancy community.”
On September 8, 2019, Mr. Melito will be inducted into the Coindre Leadership Program (CLP). Named for Father Andre Coindre, the founder of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the formation program for lay leaders in the province’s schools is designed to deepen an understanding of the educational charism of the Brothers and prepare participants to mentor future leaders. Just recently, as part of the CLP, Mr. Melito participated in an extended pilgrimage program to the birthplace of the Brothers in Lyon, France.
“The province is very grateful to Brother Joseph for his many years of dedicated service to McClancy and his energy in furthering the educational charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart at the school he has loved so much,” said Brother Ronald Hingle, S.C., provincial for the Province of the United States. “He has affected in such positive ways the lives of countless students.”
Brother Joseph served as school president for 15 years. His many achievements include the growth of the Office of Advancement; the inauguration of the school’s first capital campaign; the staging of many Tyro musical productions; the expansion of the school’s music program, especially as director of the chorus; the improvement of the technology infrastructure; the introduction of new school security initiatives; and the launch of a new strategic plan. Brother Joseph leaves McClancy with a strong student enrollment and a sound financial base.
In addition to his tenure as President of McClancy, Brother Joseph also served 20 years in a combination of roles including school principal, assistant principal for Academics and as teacher of Spanish and Religion. He has also previously held leadership roles in the Brothers’ province, serving as provincial for nine years and as Provincial Councilor for 18 years. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Province School Leadership Conference in 1989.
