Our Staff

St. Mary Academy staff is wonderfully dedicated to their students and the school.
This shows such an impressive commitment of time, talent and treasure!

REV. JOHN BELMONTE, S.J., Ph.D.
SUPERINTENDENT OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION
[email protected]

Ph.D., Educational Leadership and Administration - General, Loyola University Chicago
Licensure: Sacred Theology - Scripture, Weston Jesuit School of Theology
Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology, Theology/Theological Studies, Pontifical Gregorian University
B.A., History, Marquette University

Responsible for the Department of Education in the Diocese of Venice in Florida (15 schools and nearly 5,000 students); the Office of Religious Education (61 parishes and over 13,000 children and adults); and The Institute for Catholic Studies and Formation

REV. JERZY (GEORGE) SUSZKO, S.A.C.
PASTOR OF ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC CHURCH

Fr. George Suszko was ordained in Poland in 1989 where he served in the Pallottine parish in Warsaw. After, he worked in the missions in Papua New Guinea for 5 years and before coming to Sarasota, he worked for 24 years in the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland, U.K. Fr. George is a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers), established by St. Vincent Pallotti in 1830 in Rome to revive faith and rekindle love among the lay members of the Church and to respond to various apostolic needs of the time.

Fr. George was appointed as Pastor of St. Martha Parish on May 14, 2022 by Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

MRS. ANDREA ALVAREZ
BUSINESS MANAGER
[email protected]

A.A.S. and B.S., Accounting and Business Management from Berkeley College

MR. RICK FARNSWORTH
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND FACILITIES
[email protected]

B.S., Elementary Education, Troy State University
Certifications: Elementary Education, Computer Science

MS. KIAWANIA HEARD
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES
[email protected]

M.A., ESE/VE, University of Central Florida
B.A., Special Education (LD, EH), University of West Florida
Professional Certification/Endorsement/Training - ESE/K-12, ESOL, Brain-Based Learning, Youth Mental Health First Aid

MRS. KATHY LOPRESTI
REGISTRAR AND ADMISSIONS
[email protected]

MS. CONNIE TAFT
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND MARKETING
[email protected]

Cantor
Licensed Notary, State of Florida
Manatee Community College
Formerly a Licensed Insurance Agent and Retail Management