Board of Directors
All the members of the S.C.O.P.E. Board of Directors are volunteers. There are no paid staff or executives. Many of the board members have traveled throughout Central America and the Developing World, including El Salvador. The operating costs of this charity are kept to a minimum, such as the annual costs of a P.O. Box, website, and filing fees with the IRS, the respective state governments including Virginia and others, and with the Non-Profit Sector associations and watchdog organizations like GuideStar.org. To date, all legal and founding work has been done pro bono or been paid from the personal contributions of its board members. The goal is to care, guard, preserve and grow the principal funds of the S.C.O.P.E. Foundation and distribute the interest to the Santa Luisa School to keep it open and viable to serve the needs of the children of San Salvador.
Rev. Brendan G. Lally, S.J.
Founder of the S.C.O.P.E. Foundation, President
Rev. Brendan Lally, S.J. is the former Rector of the Jesuit Communities of Scranton and St. Joseph’s University. He has have served as Spiritual Director at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and Director of student immersion programs in Mexico at Scranton, and the University of Scranton Faculty-Staff “Bridges to El Salvador Program” in San Salvador. Presently, he is beginning an assignment as Delegate for Senior Jesuits in the East Coast Province of the Society of Jesus in the USA.
“The SCOPE Foundation has been an opportunity to do something specific for the children of the poor, and it has enabled me to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in El Salvador who need to know that they are not alone.”
Christopher Banks
Vice President
Christopher is an alumnus of the University of Scranton. A former member of Jesuit International Volunteer Corp, he served at the Maris Stella Elementary School at Sacred Heart Parish on Koror, Palau. After his time on Palau, he returned to Scranton where he was invited to serve as a co-director of the International Service Project to Mexico. He currently serve as the President and CEO of the Autism Society of America.
“As a new member of the Board of Directors with the SCOPE Foundation, I am excited by the opportunity to provide for the children of El Salvador and to give a little bit back for all I have received through my international service experiences.”
Lynn King Andres
Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Lynn is a University of Scranton alumna with a degree in communication and a business minor. She serves as the Director of the Parents’ Executive Council at The University of Scranton where she focuses on obtaining valuable resources to advance the University’s mission while helping families realize their philanthropic goals. Lynn and her family have a long commitment to both international and domestic service. She serves as a music minister at her parish. Lynn and her husband Chris, live in Tunkhannock PA and are the proud parents of three grown sons.
“Saint Ignatius of Loyola tells us that love is shown more in deeds than in words. Supporting the work of the SCOPE Foundation will give me the opportunity to love the children of El Salvador in a tangible way. I am honored to work with Father Lally and the talented, committed SCOPE Board Members to provide a transformational education for our sisters and brothers.”
Paul Johnson, Esq.
Secretary
Paul is an alumnus of the University of Scranton and Villanova University Law School. Following Law School, he worked with the Legal Aid Society of Mercer County in Trenton, New Jersey, on residential housing, homelessness and shelter litigation, as well as aiding clients in securing financial assistance from government sponsored entitlement programs. Presently, he is a shareholder with the law firm of Marshall Dennehey specializing in civil litigation.
“Fr. Lally constantly lives a spirituality of simple unceasing gratitude with a profound awareness of and respect for the marginalized and underserved. I came to the SCOPE Board several years ago to try to put that spirituality in practice in my life.”
Jason Bartlett, PhD.
Board Member
Jason is an alumnus of the University of Scranton where he first encountered the International Service Program to Mexico and the Jesuits. His senior year culminated with a pilgrimage to the Artesanado de Nazareth. His summer among these children provided a powerful experience that continues to shape his life and faith to this day. Since his time at Scranton, he has held a number of positions in Student Affairs and Mission at Providence College, Saint Joseph’s University, and Fordham University. He currently serves as the Director of Residence Life at St. John’s University.
“Inspired by the legacy of Saint Oscar Romero, my work with SCOPE has become a small way in which I can continue to share my gifts and talents with others and help to “plant the seeds that one day will grow.”’
Matthew Bernard, MS
Board Member
Matt Bernard graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelors and masters degree in Counseling. He is currently the Director of School Counseling and teacher of AP Psychology at Scranton Preparatory School in Scranton, PA. He is also an adjunct instructor of counseling at the University of Scranton. Matt and his wife, Rebekah participated in the ISP Mexico delegation in 2000. Matt also participated in service-immersion programs in Ecuador and El Salvador, and for many years has lead a service program for Prep students to the McKenna Center, a homeless outreach program and shelter, in Washington, DC.
“The SCOPE Foundation provides a tangible way to better the lives of young people who perhaps otherwise would not have the opportunity to know the transformative grace that comes with an education centered on God.”
Anne Marie Collins, MS
Board Member
Anne Marie is an alumna of the University of Scranton for both undergraduate and graduate school. She returned for her graduate work after a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corp in Detroit, Michigan working with vulnerable youth and as a community organizer. She has worked for almost 30 years with families experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and currently serves as the Vice President/Executive Director of Drueding Center.
“I learned about Saint Oscar Romero through Fr. Lally and later heard a first-hand account from a Jesuit novice who was supposed to be at the UCA that fateful night in November 1989.
Serving on the SCOPE Board provides me with an opportunity to finally do something tangible to support the future of El Salvador through education.”
Matthew Greeley
Board Member
Matthew is an alumnus of the University of Scranton and achieved a masters in pastoral care in ministry from Loyola University in Maryland. He served as a Jesuit Volunteer for two years in Tacna, Peru, at the Cristo Rey Center for the Working Child and did a volunteer year at the Artesenado de Nazareth with the Salesians in Mexico City, a special place with deep ties to the University of Scranton family. He’s since worked in Spanish language communications, hosting a Spanish language television program through the Diocese of Trenton called Cristo Para Todos which aired on Philadelphia’s Telemundo and New York’s Univision. Matthew currently serves as campus minister and religion teacher at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, N.J.
“The mission and connections fostered by the SCOPE Foundation speak loudly to me. It’s a grace-filled opportunity to build community, solidarity and love with communities with whom we might not otherwise feel connected. What a gift!”
Grace Holcomb
Board Member
A University of Scranton alumna with a BA in history, Grace currently serves as vice president for mortgage communications at Truist Bank and is based in Richmond, VA. Prior to her many years with Truist, Grace has worked in state government, higher education and not for profit, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Fordham University, and the Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation. She has also been a long-time supporter of Richmond’s Sacred Heart Center, an outgrowth of the local Jesuit parish, Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart Center serves Latino families and individuals though collaborative partnerships offering educational, medical, consular, and tax preparation services as well as food assistance and referrals to help meet basic needs.
“I’m in awe of all that Fr. Lally has accomplished in his long support of the children and the entire Santa Luisa community. Being asked to serve in this way is both a privilege and a call to action. I look forward to making a difference wherever I can, no matter how large or small the task may be.”
Paul Leclair, Esq.
Board Member
Paul is an alumnus of the University of Scranton and the Georgetown University Law Center. He is an attorney in Rochester, NY where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation. Paul was recently named a Fellow of the New York State Bar Foundation, and is a past recipient of the Monroe County Bar Association’s Humanitarian Award for his work in creating the SOLACE program to assist members of the legal community in need. Paul and his wife Rebecca are presently developing inner city opportunities for boys’ volleyball to create educational opportunities for players in memory of their late son, Dane. Together, they have raised four children who continue to keep them smiling.
“I am new to SCOPE’s Board. I have never worked internationally in mission service, so am very eager to learn. Fr. Lally is a remarkable guiding light, and I was happy to receive his warm invitation to participate.”
Marilyn Pryle
Board Member
Marilyn graduated from the University of Scranton with degrees in secondary education and reading education, and as a student, joined the International Service Program (ISP) to Mexico. After graduating, Marilyn taught for two years in Kathmandu, Nepal, as a Jesuit international volunteer. These experiences have shaped her teaching and writing career, as she works to promote global citizenship and justice in classrooms and communities. In 2023, she was a Fulbright Teacher for Global Classrooms Fellow to India. Marilyn currently teaches English at Abington Heights High School in Clarks Summit, PA, and also works with refugee families in the Scranton area.
“The opportunity to help students at Santa Luisa Elementary School through the SCOPE foundation is one that touches upon my passions for education, global citizenry, service, and justice. I first worked with Fr. Lally as a college junior, and that experience changed the trajectory of my life and work. I am grateful for the chance to contribute to his mission in this way and to help children in El Salvador.”