Brescia assumes St. Joseph Academy presidency

Robert Brescia has become St. Joseph Academy's first lay president.

A native of Connecticut and a lifelong Catholic, Brescia succeeds Charles Imbergamo, who served as president for the last three years of his 10-year tenure at SJA. Brescia assumed his new duties on July 1.

Brescia earned a bachelor's degree in government at Norwich University in Northfield,
Vt., and master's degrees from Boston University in computer information services and international relations.

He recently completed a doctorate in executive leadership studies from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he graduated with distinction, an honor bestowed upon only four other graduates in the past 20 years.

Brescia will work in collaboration with SJA Principal Lucy Williams to further the school's mission to provide a Catholic college preparatory education in the Marist tradition.

"The administration and faculty of St. Joseph Academy are ready to work closely with Dr. Brescia to maintain the vibrant spiritual life and successful academic program that have long been our tradition," Williams said.

Irma Pye, of Harlingen, a Saint Joseph alumna and current school directory member, served on the school's president search committee. Pye credits Brescia's "keen business mind, exceptional interpersonal skills, and an interest in educating young people in a Christian environment" for making him the perfect candidate for the academy's next president.

Imbregamo said Brescia's appointment comes at a crucial time.

"I am confident in the leadership that Dr. Brescia will bring to the academy," he said. "As the post-Vatican II church moves toward continued collaboration with lay men and women in leadership, so do those of us who work in the field of education. We have a noble cause - to educate those who will serve this community in the future."

Imbergamo will continue his work in Catholic education in Corpus Christi.