Advisors

Mike Breen

Chair of the Foundation

Michael K. Breen is Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Advisors. Professionally, he is a partner at Price Meese Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C., a prominent law firm based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Mike also serves on the Board of Trustees for Dominican College, a four-year private college in Orangeburg, New York. A citizen of both the United States and Ireland, Mike is active in many Irish-American organizations. He lives in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Kevin M. Haney

Advisor

Kevin is proud to be on the Board of Advisors since its inception and has traveled to the north of Ireland as part of the Board’s outreach to schools there. Kevin holds a Master Degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University and is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New York. Professionally. Kevin is a Director (Design & Construction) for Tishman Speyer, an international real estate development, construction, and management company. He lives in the quiet hills of Northern Manhattan.

Sean V. Hughes

Advisor

Sean is associate director of corporate affairs for an international transportation company. He is active in the community with the New Jersey Ancient Order of Hibernians previously as State Treasurer and now serves as State Vice President and appointed to Public Affairs Director. He is the former President of Fr. Solanus Division 32 in Bergen County, New Jersey. He serves as a Board Member to Mary’s Gift and is very active with Project Children, which provides humanitarian relief to the children of Northern Ireland. He is also active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Northern New Jersey Chapter, American Cancer Society and Irish Network New Jersey. Sean received his B.A. from Bloomfield College, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communications.

Brendan McBride

Advisor

Brendan is pleased to serve as a Board Member of Mary’s Gift. A Senior Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle, the global commercial real estate advisory firm, he is an avid golfer, maintains a single digit handicap and continues to dream of golfing the great courses of the “old sod”. Brendan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. He has continued his education in real estate finance and law at Monmouth University.

Seán Mistéil

Advisor

Seán Mistéil is the founder and principal of Mitchell Kane Associates, a multi-media company in West Belfast, Ireland. Seán is also the Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of the Board of Governors for Coláiste Feirste, the North’s flagship Irish-immersion high school. In addition to volunteering for many other community groups, he also serves as Chairman of the Board for Forbairt Feirste, a non-profit organization promoting Irish language job growth in the North. A life-long Belfast resident and gaeilgeoir, Seán was raised in the Bóthar Seoighe (Shaw’s Road) community, Belfast’s modern-day gaeltacht.

Deirdre Woodbyrne

Advisor

Deirdre Woodbyrne is a media consultant, and Principal of Dolmen Strategies, LLC. In November 2013, she became Executive Director of Irish Network USA. She has managed political campaigns and has served in County Government in Bergen County. Prior to moving to New Jersey, she was a television producer for the U.S. Senate Republican Conference. She served as Deputy Press Secretary/Speechwriter for then U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) where she worked with national media covering the Foreign Relations and Banking Committees. Deirdre graduated from The Catholic University of America with Masters Degree in Irish Studies and a BA in Political Science and Spanish. Deirdre resides with her husband Murph and two children in Ramsey, NJ.