Sr. Maureen Reardon, RSM, PhD, chairperson of the Mercy High School Board of Trustees is proud to announce the appointment of Alissa K. DeJonge '95 as President of Mercy High School, effective July 1, 2020.
“I am confident that Ms. DeJonge will bring creative, visionary leadership to her Alma Mater. Her professional career, its achievements, and her experience as a student and chair of the Board of Trustees enable her to understand and live the culture, history and charism of Mercy High School,” Sr. Maureen explained.
Upon graduating as the Class of 1995 valedictorian, Ms. DeJonge attended Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. A member of Phi Beta Kappa College, Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Honor Society in Economics) and Golden Key National Honor Society, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in May 1999. Ms. DeJonge continued her education at Yale University, New Haven, and received a Master of Arts, International and Development Economics, in May 2000. She is currently pursuing a certificate in Advanced Education Leadership at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Professional Education with an anticipated 2020 completion.
Ms. DeJonge has been employed at Advance CT (formerly the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc.) in Rocky Hill, for 20 years. For the past seven years, as the vice president of research, she has been responsible for the company’s business and economic research services and performs extensive research and analysis concerning state and regional issues. Her work includes demographic profiles, regional and fiscal impact analyses, survey research, benchmarking and evaluation.
Ms. DeJonge has been a guest on radio programs and various TV networks around the state and has been quoted in newspapers locally and nationally, including the Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report. In addition, she has presented workshops and seminars to statewide, regional and international audiences and has been a guest lecturer at various higher education institutions.
Ms. DeJonge was a member of the Mercy Board of Trustees from 2003–2017 and served as board chairperson from 2014–2017. She has been a member of the Development Committee and Strategic Planning Committee for Mercy. In 2012 she received the Catherine McAuley Award for service.
She was selected by the Hartford Business Journal as a “40 Under Forty” in 2010 and was named one of “40 Women Under 40 To Watch” by the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund in 2014. She is also currently a Yale University Graduate School fund agent and an advisor to the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. She is past president of the Hartford Area Business Economists and a member of the National Association of Business Economists, the Council for Community and Economic Research, the Northeastern Economic Developers Association, and the Connecticut Economic Development Association.
Upon Sr. Mary A. McCarthy’s, RSM announcement in November 2019 that she would retire as President of Mercy High School after 45 years of service to the school, a national search for her successor was undertaken. Upon the announcement, Sr. Mary stated, "I am thrilled that Alissa DeJonge has been appointed president of Mercy High School. Alissa is a true Woman of Mercy who has always stayed connected to and involved in this Mercy Community. She is committed to Mercy values and she is a strong, capable leader; Alissa will competently and compassionately lead her Alma Mater in the coming years."
"I am excited to be returning to Mercy to serve in this role and to connect with everyone in the community and the surrounding region," Ms. DeJonge said. "I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders for the betterment of our students and the community. I am very thankful to Sr. Mary for laying the foundation for this strong school. Her hard work and dedication through the years is evident in the way that the Mercy High School community exhibits its Mercy values."
When asked about the transition back to her Alma Mater, Ms. DeJonge remarked, “I plan to build upon the positive culture and Mercy values that Sr. Mary, and the faculty and staff have created, to continue to see Mercy thrive. Mercy offers a unique education experience that sets a high standard for developing students, and it is critical that our school continues to serve the community."
Ms. DeJonge and her husband Mr. Luke Dalton (Xavier ‘95) reside in Cromwell with their son Pierce and are members of St. Pius X Church, Middletown, CT.