Board Development Institute

The Board Development Institute (BDI) provides Catholic school leaders and active board members with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to manage high-functioning Catholic school boards. 

A generous Healey Education Foundation grant supports the BDI, the nation's most comprehensive Catholic board formation program.

Going beyond basics, the BDI empowers school leaders and board members to::

  • Advance a school’s Catholic educational mission through effective board meetings and committee practices
  • Recruit board members with in-demand talent, experience, and expertise
  • Ensure board sustainability through effective recruiting and succession planning
  • Monitor key performance indicators that fortify a school’s competitive strength, unique value proposition, and financial well-being
  • Support institutional advancement in critical areas of enrollment, development, marketing, and donor relations
  • Create a board culture that drives generative thinking and visionary strategic planning

At a Glance


7-Month Board Development Program


Asynchronous Online Learning Experiences &
Monthly Virtual Cohort Sessions


Eligible for a Roche Center Executive Micro-Credential

Objectives

  • Learn effective board management and visionary board leadership with virtual learning components and cohort engagement.
  • Receive access to a library of board formation resources and best practices, ready for immediate implementation with your board.
  • Gain exposure to board experts from leading Catholic schools and best-in-class nonprofits.
  • Join a community of Catholic schools and board leaders from across the country supporting your board’s development. 
  • Earn a Boston College Executive Micro-Credential upon completion of the program.
  • Enter a Roche Center network of 200+ transformative educational leaders.

Explore our Learning Experience topics to see how your board can strengthen and enhance its high-functioning practices.


BDI Blue Ribbon Boards
When the school leader and more than half of the board members have completed the Board Development Institute (BDI), the Roche Center recognizes your board’s excellence in formation and effectiveness.

BDI Information

Print

Audience

  • Application is open to current Catholic school leaders and Catholic school board officers and members.
  • Presidents/principals/heads of schools and their board chairs are encouraged to participate as school leadership teams.

2025-2026 Dates

  • Virtual Kickoff:  October 2025
  • Monthly Community Learning Zoom:  Monthly virtual sessions, November through March

Costs

  • $299 per school leader or board member
  • $599 for a school leader/board team of up to four participants
  • Board members are encouraged to personally assist with the cost of the program.
  • We are committed to lifting barriers. Scholarships are available. If the subsidized tuition presents a challenge to you, contact Chris Martin at christopher.martin@bc.edu.

Join

  • Ready to join? Complete the BDI Registration Form
  • Want to nominate a Board member for participation? Nominations and registrations are considered on a rolling basis.
  • Review for the fall cohort begins June 15, 2025.

BDI Facilitators

Dan Ferris
Dan Ferris
 Program Director of the Executive Leadership Academy
X
Dan Ferris

Dan Ferris

Program Director of the Executive Leadership Academy

Dan comes to the Roche Center from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) where he served as Director of Accreditation and School Improvement for the Commission on Independent Schools. Before his time with NEASC, Dan was the superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Providence and an assistant superintendent for the Diocese of Arlington. Although, arguably, his best years were in the classroom as a humanities teacher, he has dedicated most of his career to championing Catholic school mission viability, leadership development, and institutional sustainability as a school-based and diocesan leader. Dan has master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and The Catholic University of America, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Christopher Martin
Christopher Martin
 Associate Program Director of the Executive Leadership Academy
X
Christopher Martin

Christopher Martin

Associate Program Director of the Executive Leadership Academy

Chris returns to Boston College, where he previously spent six years working in Career Services and University Advancement. Prior to joining the Roche Center, Chris worked at the Healey Education Foundation implementing new Catholic school governance structures in the Archdiocese of Boston and leading comprehensive assessments of Catholic elementary schools around the country. Through Healey, Chris successfully coached more than 80 school and board leaders on governance and board management best practices, while helping develop strong operating principles aligned with church teaching and on the ground needs of schools. Chris has nearly 15 years of direct service work with Catholic schools, including 4 years as a senior administrator leading fundraising efforts and alumni engagement at a Catholic high school and 3 years serving as vice chair of the board for a Catholic high school in Boston. Chris earned his MA in Education Administration, his MA in Pastoral Ministry and his BA in Human Development and Philosophy, all from Boston College.
Executive Leadership Academy - Cohort 1

"The Board Development Institute offers us an unparalleled opportunity to connect with a diverse group of leaders, professionals, and experts in governance and nonprofit sectors, equipping our board members with a comprehensive understanding of board dynamics, leadership, and strategy."

- Michael McGhee & Mara Marczyk, Holy Spirit High School, Abescon, NJ

Back To Top