CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF RICHMOND - Key Persons
Betsy Looney, RN, BSN, NCSN, is the part-time School Nurse Coordinator for the Office of Catholic Schools. She started this position in August 2020. Betsy has school nursing experience in grades PK-12. She has over 20 years of experience in the Richmond Diocese as a school nurse at St. Gregory the Great Catholic School in Virginia Beach. Betsy was chosen by the National Association of School Nurses as the 2020 Outstanding Private, Independent, Parochial School Nurse, and was also recognized as the 2020 Virginia Private School Nurse of the Year. Throughout the summer of 2020, Betsy volunteered to help school nurses in the Diocese prepare for the upcoming year.
Outside of the school setting, Betsy speaks at conferences about heart health and food allergies. She also serves as a gymnastics judge for the Virginia High School League and as the President of the Tidewater Gymnastics Association.
Betsy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University where she was Captain of the gymnastics team. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Norfolk State University and is a National Certified School Nurse. Betsy has three children, all who attended Richmond Diocese schools; her youngest is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame where her daughter also works. Her older son, a Lieutenant in the Navy, and her husband are both graduates of Notre Dame.
Job Titles:
- Associate Superintendent of Operations
Dr. Michael Riley has over 20 years of experience in Catholic education. He has worked as a middle school teacher, Assistant Principal, a Principal, and now as the Associate Superintendent of Operations. He has been in the classroom and understands the challenges teachers and administrators face. He believes whole-heartedly in improving student achievement through research-based strategies, encouraging teacher professionalism, continuous process improvement, and cultivating trusting relationships with all stakeholders. He obtained both his Doctorate and Masters in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William & Mary and his Bachelor Degree from Barton College.
Job Titles:
- Interim Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Bigelow began her career as an educator at an all-girls Catholic school in Florida. She earned her doctoral degree from North Carolina State University with an emphasis on Catholic school leadership. She received her master's in educational leadership from the University of South Florida and has presented nationally on topics of leadership and resiliency. Previously, she held positions in school administration in Tampa, FL, and Raleigh, NC. For four years, she served as superintendent of schools in the Diocese of Arlington. Dr. Bigelow returns to the Diocese of Richmond after serving as associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction from 2019-2022.
"What I love about working in Catholic education is the opportunity to help people to grow in their faith and be able to support academic excellence. As a former principal, I always said Catholic school is academics but through the lens of our faith."
Job Titles:
- Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Laura Dvornick Clift has over 30 years of education experience, in both Catholic and public school settings. Her teaching experiences span grades 4 through 8, spending much of her time teaching Language Arts and Mathematics. She has served as a Dean of Students, Educational Consultant, Middle School Assistant Principal, and most recently as Principal of Saint Bridget Catholic School in Richmond. She now joins the Diocese of Richmond as the Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Laura earned a Bachelor of Science in Middle Education from Radford University, her Masters in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia, and her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University. Laura is committed to fostering spiritual, cognitive, social, and emotional growth by emphasizing successful instructional practices, program effectiveness, and organizational efficiency. It remains her passion to create safe and caring learning environments and a culture of success that inspires excellence in staff, students, and the entire Diocesan community.
Job Titles:
- Data Coordinator for the Office
Natasha Feher is the Data Coordinator for the Office of Catholic Schools. She has been with the diocese since August of 2016. She graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Theology and has worked in catholic education for most of her career. In 2012, Natasha moved to Richmond with her husband, Steve, and their three children.
Job Titles:
- Continuous Improvement Coordinator
Ray Honeycutt currently serves the Catholic Diocese of Richmond as the Continuous Improvement Coordinator. He is the retired Superintendent of Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Office of Catholic Schools; a position he held from August 2016 to June 2019. Prior to that he worked one year as Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction with the diocese.
Ray has 11 years of Catholic school experience; five at the diocesan level and six as principal of Saint Bridget Catholic School. Before coming to Catholic schools, Ray worked 35 years in public K-12 education in positions including: teacher, school counselor, principal and central office administrator.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Virginia Tech and a Master of Education from Virginia Commonwealth University in School Counseling and Administration/Supervision.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Assistant for the Office
Rosemarie Burrill is the Administrative Assistant for the Office of Catholic Schools. She started this position in January 2020.
Before joining the OCS, Rosemarie served as the Director of Operations/Finance for the Kelly Cares Foundation in South Bend, IN. While at the foundation, she was responsible for developing community relationships, event planning and operations, grant procurement and disbursement, and management of the KCF office. She also served as Secretary for The Board of Directors. She loved working for the foundation as they supported cancer and education initiatives.
Prior to her work at the Kelly Cares Foundation, Rosemarie was a special education teacher/consultant for over 20 years. She worked with public and catholic schools within their Intermediate School District. She continues to have a passion for working with kids and helping them to be their best version of themselves.
Rosemarie graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.S. in Education with a Major in Special Education (Learning Disabilities/Emotionally Impaired), a minor in Social Sciences and a M.A. in Administration with an emphasis in Sports/Education.
Rosemarie relocated from Michigan to Virginia in January of 2019 with her husband for his new career with their Lab/Hound dog Sadie. She and her husband, Joe, have three adult children. They are parishioners at St. Joseph Church in Petersburg and live in Chesterfield.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Early Childhood Coordinator
Wendy Lipscomb is the Early Childhood Coordinator for the Office of Catholic Schools. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Business and a concentration in Marketing. After 15 years in this field, she made a career change into the field of early childhood education. She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood as both an educator and an administrator. 20 of those years were spent within the Diocese of Richmond, at St. Mary's Catholic School where she spent her time in the classroom, and then at The Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School assuming the role of educator then Director of the Early Learner Program, where she remains to date.
As a member of the state appointed Early Childhood Advisory Committee, representing the Virginia Council for Private Education, Wendy has the opportunity to advocate for policies that ensure the success of our youngest learners relative to their academic and social-emotional development.