The Advancement Team

List of 7 items.

• 

  Dr. Christopher Vasta ’00

  Chief Administrator for School Advancement

  E: cvasta@xbhs.com
  P: (781) 801-1604
  
  Contact Dr. Vasta for:
  • How to find meaning in your giving to Xaverian
  • Major and Planned Giving
  • Questions pertaining to the oversight of the school advancement office
  
  

  Bio:
  Dr. Christopher Vasta ’00 is Xaverian’s Chief Administrator for School Advancement, responsible for developing a program to communicate Xaverian’s mission to all school constituencies and securing financial assistance through a comprehensive development program. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and education from Merrimack College, a Master of Education from Bridgewater State University, and a Doctor of Education from Northeastern University. 
   
  Dr. Vasta has played a role at every level of school leadership, whether in the classroom as a teacher, on the field as a coach, after school as a club moderator, a campus minister, or in the administration as dean of students and the assistant principal for academics. In his current role, he leads a team of advancement professionals who build and sustain a culture of philanthropy in order to ensure that the mission of the school is appropriately funded in both the near- and long-term. 
   
  An important formative experience for Dr. Vasta occurred in the summer of 2004, when he volunteered with the Order of St. Augustine (Augustinians) in San Gimignano, Italy. Dr. Vasta lives in Medway with his wife and four children.

  
  

   
• 

  Mr. Dave Nelson ’02

  Director of Annual and Leadership Giving

  E: dnelson@xbhs.com  

  P: (781) 801-1641

  
  

  Contact Mr. Nelson for:

  • Questions about annual giving
  • Fund for Xaverian
  • XB12 Recurring Gift Program
  • Questions about planned giving

  
  Bio:
  Mr. Dave Nelson has been the Director of Annual and Leadership Giving at Xaverian Brothers High School since early 2022. Mr. Nelson arrived at Xaverian with extensive professional experience in sales, having started his career at EMC, and then holding sales or sales management roles at Dell, Nimble Storage, Rubrik, and lastly Snowflake Computing. He also founded Milestone Mind, a leading mental resilience education company, where he had the opportunity to work with organizations such as ExxonMobil, TripAdvisor, the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Fire, and many other individuals and organizations across the country. Also a graduate of Xaverian, Mr. Nelson went on to attend Lafayette College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and sociology. As a Lafayette football co-captain, Mr. Nelson was a 2006 recipient of the ECAC Award of Valor, an annual award to honor Eastern College Athletic Conference student athletes whose courage, motivation, and relentless determination serves as an inspiration to all, and the first recipient of the Lafayette College David Nelson '06 Award of Valor, presented annually to a football player who displays an exceptional amount of heart and courage. In his role at Xaverian, Mr. Nelson continues to build upon the school’s strong annual giving program (the Fund for Xaverian), while working closely with the rest of the advancement team in cultivating new major gifts and stewarding donors.
• 

  Mr. Kevin Loftus '05

  Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement

  E: kloftus@xbhs.com   

  P: (781) 801-1605 

  
  

  Contact Mr. Loftus for:
  

  •  Opportunities to network with fellow Xaverian alumni

  •  Questions about alumni reunions and other events

  •  Information on the Xaverian Parents’ Council

  
  Bio:
  

  Kevin Loftus ’05 is Xaverian’s Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement. Before joining the advancement team, Kevin served as Xaverian’s assistant director of admissions from 2010-2014, and as director of admissions from 2014-2024. In these roles, he has built thousands of relationships with current students, parents, and alumni. In addition to his admissions responsibilities, Kevin has also enjoyed planning events, coaching baseball, leading Global Encounter service trips, moderating student council, and assisting with XLI. 

  
  

  Kevin feels he owes many of his favorite memories, valuable life lessons, and best friends to his time at Xaverian. He learned from legendary teachers like Brother Ray, Mr. McNamee, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Morse, won a baseball state championship under the coaching of Mr. Lambert, experienced XLI with Mr. Conley and Mr. Gill, and of course, learned how to give a proper handshake from Mr. Lalli. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Corporate Communications from Westfield State University. He resides in Weymouth with his wife and two children.
• 

  Mrs. Pam Fothergill, P ’07

  Director of Data Management and Operations

  E: pfothergill@xbhs.com 

  P: (781) 801-1635

  
  

  Contact Mrs. Fothergill for:

  • Questions about Volunteer opportunities
  • Scholarship Program

  • Fashion Show
  
  

  Bio:

  Mrs. Pam Fothergill, P ’07 has been a member of Xaverian’s advancement team since 2006. After witnessing her son’s rewarding experience at the school, she knew that she would be happy if her own experience working at Xaverian was even half as good (thankfully, she says it has been every bit as good!). With a passion for building relationships with parents and ensuring that all families have access to a Xaverian education, Mrs. Fothergill has brought her background in banking and accounting to roles like Gift Processor, Advancement Services Manager, and Director of Stewardship and Advancement Services. She currently serves as Xaverian’s Director of Data Management and Operations. You can often find her at advancement events like the gala, reunion, and the FXS reception, greeting guests at the registration table and making sure everything runs smoothly. She has proudly coordinated the annual fashion show for the past eight years. She currently lives in Franklin with her husband. 
• 

  Mrs. Linda Calabrese, P ’20

  Advancement Services Manager
  E: lcalabrese@xbhs.com    
  P: (781) 801-1622
  
  

  Contact Mrs. Calabrese for:
  • Assistance with making a gift to Xaverian (mail, credit card, wire transfer, ACH, stock transfer, gift in-kind)
  • Questions about your giving history
  • Tax receipt requests
  
  

  Bio:
  Mrs. Linda Calabrese, P ’20 holds a BBA in Accounting from Siena College. She began as an advancement volunteer and was hired as the coordinator for the 2019 Gala. Since 2019, she has served as the Advancement Services Manager. She is responsible for processing all gifts received, as well as generating acknowledgement letters and tax receipts. She works with Xaverian’s business office to track the department’s revenue and expenses, and records registrations and sponsorships for a number of Xaverian’s major events. She is a member of Xaverian’s Staff Formation Committee and the Faculty and Staff Retreat planning committee. Mrs. Calabrese is a longtime member of St. Mary’s Parish in Holliston, where she served for thirteen years as the moderator of the WINGS (Women in God’s Spirit) Ministry. 
• 

  Mrs. Meghan Russell, P ’28

  Event Coordinator

  E: mrussell@xbhs.com

  P: (781) 801-1648

   

  Contact Mrs. Russell for:

  •  All Advancement event questions

  •  Volunteer Opportunities

  
  Bio:

  Mrs. Meghan Russell, P ’28 joined the Advancement team in 2024 as the Events Coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Geology from Amherst College and an MBA from Boston College. She began as an advancement volunteer, working on fundraising events such as the Golf Classic, the Fashion Show, and the XBHS Gala. Mrs. Russell is also an active parent volunteer at her children’s elementary school, Jackson Walnut Park School, having served mostly recently as the President of the Parent School Association. Prior to joining the team, she has worked in residential real estate and Advancement for Catholic Charities of Boston. She is excited to continuing building our strong community through events and ensuring a Xaverian education is accessible to all.
• 

  Mrs. Marissa Gelso, P ’19, ’21

  Advancement Office Assistant
  E: mgelso@xbhs.com 
  P: (781) 801-1636
  
  

  Contact Mrs. Gelso for:
  • Questions concerning the advancement calendar
  • Data updates; including address changes, employment, advance degrees marriages, births, deaths, etc.
  • Alumni Class Notes
  
  

  Bio:
  Mrs. Marissa Gelso, P ’19, ’21 has a passion and enthusiasm for Xaverian and its mission that began when her sons started attending the school. An extremely active parent, she was a consistent volunteer for the advancement office, serving as the Fashion Show Chairperson, Hospitality Committee Co-Chair, Bulletin Board Committee Co-Chair, and for the admissions office, serving as an Admissions Ambassador. Mrs. Gelso first joined Xaverian’s staff in 2017, aiding the admissions team during four enrollment seasons. She enjoyed connecting with prospective parents and students, and sharing her own family’s experience with Xaverian education. In August of 2021, Mrs. Gelso joined the advancement team. She currently serves as the Advancement Office Assistant. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining constituent data, providing support for events, and managing seasonal displays.