Dan Dunn ’74 – Why I Support Bishop Fenwick…

Over the past three decades Dan Dunn ’74 has been a leader in our alumni community supporting his alma mater with his time and philanthropy. He served on the Board of Trustees for 12 years, with four as Chair. Along with his wife Katie, he has made a substantial donation to the Fenwick Future Campaign to make critical investments in our magnificent 60-acre campus.

Currently, he sits on our Institutional Advancement Committee and is a member of the 1959 Heritage Society, a program that ties estate planning to future bequests to the school. And he is a mainstay on the committees for his class and athletic reunions.

While at Fenwick, Dan was a successful multi-sport student athlete as a member of the baseball, track, and cross country teams. He served as team captain for the track and cross country teams, and helped lead the 1973 cross country team to a Division 5 State Championship. Dan was selected as a Salem News Student Athlete while at Fenwick.

“Supporting Fenwick has been a priority for my family,” Dan explained. “Much of that relates to a desire to give back for what Fenwick has offered to my life, including family, career, and other success. In 1970, my parents could not afford the cost of a Fenwick education. The Sisters of Notre Dame welcomed my enrollment, and that of my brothers Billy and Jimmy. We will be forever grateful.”

Dan’s Fenwick education propelled him to earn his Bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and a PhD in Economics from the University of New Hampshire. After completing his college education, Dan joined the research faculty at Harvard University’s School of Public Health. While at Harvard during his 14 year tenure, Dan had several senior roles in a number of projects including the development of a new physician payment program for the United States Medicare Program. After his many years at Harvard, Dan and his partners built a healthcare analytics company that eventually became part of Optum, a major US healthcare company. Dan retired from Optum in 2015 as the company’s Senior Vice President of Business Solutions. Through giving back, he has found that the commitment to the mission that was presented when he was a student has only grown through the years.

“I continue to be inspired by the Fenwick community,” Dan explained. “I recall once turning to a fellow Board of Trustees member and asking ‘These students are amazing! Were we anything like this?’ Fenwick’s faculty and staff are also an inspiration – their dedication and care for our students and our school.”

While Dan continues to give, he would like to challenge his fellow Crusaders to pay it forward so Bishop Fenwick can carry its proud legacy into the future.

“Remember your time at Fenwick,” he said. “Think of how our school has contributed to your life. Be grateful. Make it possible for students and families to also experience a Fenwick education. Our communities need a school like Fenwick. Our world will only benefit.”

Thank you Dan for all that you do for Bishop Fenwick. Your leadership exemplifies the words on our school crest –“Bonitas et Fidelitas!”

If any member of the alumni community is interested in learning more about making a gift to the school, or is interested in becoming more involved, please contact Fenwick’s Director of Institutional Advancement, David Vigneron, at dwv@fenwick.org