Marian Catholic High School has announced the election of Dave Bielen and Larry Furey as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the school’s board of directors for the 2025-26 school year.

The elections took place during the spring board meeting held earlier this month on campus.

Bielen succeeds longtime chair Pat Reilly, who led the board with distinction for the past 12 years.

A dedicated alumnus and supporter of Marian, Bielen brings decades of leadership and service to his new role.

His appointment comes as the school continues shaping a strategic vision aimed at preserving and reimagining Catholic education in Schuylkill, Carbon and Luzerne counties.

“It’s an honor to step into this role and continue the legacy of leadership exemplified by Pat Reilly,” Bielen said. “His dedication to Marian has been extraordinary, and I look forward to building on that foundation as we work to ensure a vibrant future for our school.”

Bielen, a 1969 graduate of Marian, earned a degree from Penn State University. He is married to Mary Ann Geusic, a 1970 Marian graduate from Lansford.

Their daughter, Angela Bielen Meiss, graduated from Marian in 1991, and their granddaughter, Julie Meiss, is a member of the Class of 2024.

Bielen spent 56 years in the food industry, retiring as partner and vice president of meat, deli and seafood for Integrity Food Marketing, a brokerage firm based in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

He is an active member of the Church of All Saints in McAdoo, where he serves on the parish finance council.

He also served as a delegate to the Second Synod of the Diocese of Allentown, is a member of the St. Jerome Regional School Advisory Board, and previously chaired its Board of Limited Jurisdiction.

He is a member of the Father Henry Baker Council 2711 and a fourth-degree Knight in the Schuylkill Assembly 0923 of the Knights of Columbus.

His brother, Gregg Bielen, graduated from Marian in 1981.

Furey, a fellow alumnus and founder of a nationally recognized Catholic school advancement firm, joins Bielen in leadership as vice chair.

Originally from Lansford, Furey attended Saint Bonaventure University and began his career with the international accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand (now Price- waterhouseCoopers).

He later became Marian’s first full-time director of alumni and development, serving from 1990 to 1995.

He went on to serve 18 years as assistant head of school for advancement at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts. Furey later founded Partners in Mission, which became the nation’s largest Catholic school consulting and executive search firm.

He led the company until its sale in January 2024.

Now retired and living in Naples, Florida, Furey is the son of the late Larry Furey, former Lansford postmaster and a founder of the Men of Marian, and Ann Kilroy Furey, a former Marian faculty member who now lives on Cape Cod.

His five siblings — Mary Pat, ’75; Kathleen, ’76; Ann, ’78; and twins Michael and Patrick, ’83 — are all Marian graduates.

“I’m thrilled to work alongside Dave and the entire board of directors to advance the mission of Marian,” Furey said. “Our school has a proud history, and together we are committed to strengthening its future for generations to come.”

In addition to Bielen and Furey, the board reelected Sister Rose Mulligan, IHM, ’84, of Immaculata, as secretary, and Bill Stulginsky, ’69, of Newtown Square, as treasurer.

Marian Catholic High School, owned by the Diocese of Allentown and governed by its board of directors, opened in September 1954. It has graduated more than 8,000 students who now live across all 50 states and abroad.

Marian also honors alumni from its predecessor schools: St. Ann’s High School in Lansford; St. Mary’s High School in Coaldale; St. Jerome’s High School in Tamaqua; and Mauch Chunk Catholic High School in Jim Thorpe.