Dr. Daniel Cheely
Co-Chair
Dr. Daniel J. M. Cheely is Co-Founder and Director of the Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture in University City, Philadelphia. He is also Executive Director of the Program for Research on Religion & Urban Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cheely completed his Ph.D. in History at the University of Pennsylvania and his A.B. at Princeton University. He and his wife Cason count themselves profoundly blessed to have been introduced to Regina Angelorum Academy in the school’s earliest years. They are now proud to have had three children graduate from the school, with three others continuing to grow here, and one more on the pathway.
Mr. Vincenzo La Ruffa
Co-Chair
Vincenzo La Ruffa is President of Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London based private investment firm focused on financial services and technology. Vincenzo serves as a trustee of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, the Collegium Institute of Catholic Thought and Culture at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Montfort Academy. He is also Chairman of the Neumann Forum. Vincenzo received degrees in classics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Matthew O’Brien
Treasurer
Matthew O’Brien graduated from Princeton University in 2003. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. He taught as a lecturer at Rutgers University and was a post-doctoral research fellow at Villanova University. He joined O’Brien Green and Co. 2012 and was named President of the firm in June 2020.
Mrs. Gina Meigs
Secretary
Gina Meigs is a wife and mother of two sons, and two precious grandchildren. Her youngest son was a student at Regina Angelorum Academy when it was established in 2007. The experience of having a student at Regina Angelorum Academy fostered deep respect and admiration for the work beginning done to educate children within a Classical Catholic educational environment. Gina joined the Board of Regina Angelorum in 2017. Together with her husband Larry, through The Meigs Family Foundation, they have been supporters of Catholic education in the Philadelphia area helping families have the opportunity to send their children to Catholic Schools.
Mr. James Coffey
Jim Coffey serves as Senior Vice President of Development for The Papal Foundation, which assists the Pope with a mission outreach around the world. He has helped to lead mission trips to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. In addition to Regina Angelorum, Jim serves on the Board of Trustees of The National Catholic Community Foundation, The Gilbert Keith Chesterton Society, American Federation Pueri Cantors, and Cardinal O’Hara High School. Jim and his wife Felicia are active in St. Denis Parish in Havertown, PA where they have raised five children.
Mr. Thomas Coffey
Tom Coffey is a graduate of Cornell University, BS and the University of Southern California, MA. He lived and worked in Europe for 7 years as a young adult. In 1989 he returned to his native Philadelphia and started his own business, United Floral Service, Inc. which he continues to lead. He is married to Suzy and the father of three children and 8 grandchildren. He is a lifelong Catholic and has been involved in many charities and organizations over the years.
Mr. Tony Hayden
Anthony J. Hayden currently serves as Principal and CEO of Maguire Hayden Real Estate Company, a privately held, fully integrated commercial real estate investment and operating firm based in Conshohocken, PA. The company primarily acquires, repositions, and manages office, industrial, and flex properties in the Mid-Atlantic region. As a Principal, he is responsible for identifying opportunistic real estate investments in the high-growth Mid- Atlantic region. Mr. Hayden has been active in real estate acquisition, leasing, and brokerage for over 25 years. Mr. Hayden is a graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University, where he received a full basketball scholarship. As Captain, he led the team to the NCAA tournament in 1999, playing against Michigan State in the opening round. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Mrs. Barbara Henkels
Mrs. Barbara Henkels, and her late husband, Paul, have been tireless advocates for Catholic education. A mother of 10, Barbara established the Regina Academies, a Philadelphia area network of Classical, Catholic elementary schools. She is a founding board member of Ave Maria University in Florida. Henkels has served on numerous Catholic boards including those of Cabrini College, St. Thomas Aquinas College, and International Legatus. She is a past recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice papal medal and the Philopatrian St. John Newman Medal.
Mr. Christian Petrucci, Esq.
Christian Petrucci has been a member of both the Regina Angelorum Academy Board of Trustees (Co-Chair, 2014-2016 and Chair, 2016-2020) and the Regina Academies Board since 2012. Christian has also been very involved in development at the school since joining the Regina community, especially in event planning and promotion.
Christian is the founder of the Law Offices of Christian Petrucci, primarily concentrating in workers’ compensation. He holds a BA in Italian and minor in computer science from the University of Rhode Island, and he obtained his Juris Doctor in 1995 from Widener University Delaware Law School. He holds licenses to practice law in both Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, where he clerked for the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Together with his wife, Kimberly, Christian is the father of six children. Christian’s other activities include serving on the Board of Generation Life, on the Executive Committee for the Republican Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth, and on State Committee.
Mrs. Thuy Tait
Thuy, a refugee from Viet Nam, grew up in the Philadelphia area and holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her J.D. at the University of Virginia. Thuy has been solving legal problems for Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. She is currently Assistant General Counsel – Litigation at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., which provides essential industrial gases and related equipment in over 50 countries, including sustainable applications that convert abundant natural resources into high-value power, fuels and chemicals. In this role, Thuy manages and provides strategic direction for all types of contracts and disputes, particularly those involving complex commercial or antitrust considerations, both in the U.S. and abroad. Thuy also engages with cross-functional teams in internal investigations and crisis management.
Thuy serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Air Products Foundation. Prior to her legal career, she worked briefly on Wall Street as an investment banker. Thuy and her husband, Wayne, joined the RAA community in 2012. All four of their children have attended or currently attend RAA.