Joseph Barry appointed director of development at The De La Salle School in Freeport

Joseph Barry was recently named the director of development at The De La Salle School in Freeport — a private, Catholic middle school for boys — assuming his new position on July 15.

Barry replaces previous director Donald Holden, who left De La Salle for other opportunities.

The school, at 87 Pine St., serves boys from the fifth through the eighth grades, and is dedicated to providing quality education to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with a current enrollment of 63 students across those parameters.

“I am proud to join the team at The De La Salle School,” Barry, a resident of East Patchogue, said. “Quality Catholic education helped shape me to be the leader I am today.

“By serving as director of development, I am excited to work with the community to attract support to ensure the next generation of caring gentlemen receive the highest quality education, helping them in a non-tuition driven, independent Catholic middle school to overcome economically disadvantaged situations,” he added.

Barry’s new role will involve fundraising efforts, building relationships with organizations, securing philanthropic support, and identifying and applying for grants that meet the school’s criteria.

The school emphasizes academic excellence and the development of strong moral and spiritual values — deeply rooted in the teachings of Saint John Baptist de La Salle — and the curriculum is designed to nurture students’ intellectual, emotional and social growth, preparing them for success in high school and beyond.

With small class sizes and individualized attention, the school strives to ensure that every student receives the guidance and resources necessary to succeed.

In addition, the Catholic middle school places a strong emphasis on character development and community service, encouraging students to participate in various extracurricular activities, including sports, arts and service projects.

The school also provides students with scholarships and financial aid, ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education.

“When I learned about the mission of The De La Salle School to provide an education, a high-quality education, that’s going to change the future for middle school children and help them achieve the success that they need entering into high school, that’s going to allow them to change their course of their life,” Barry said.

“It was something that aligned very well with my personal passion, as well as, you know, making sure that those who cannot afford a high-quality education are provided one that’s going to provide the wraparound services that are going to help the students flourish and succeed in life,” he added.

Barry’s professional career includes serving as chief development officer at Island Harvest food bank in Melville, from 2022 to 2024, where he helped secure the necessary support to sustain the food bank’s mission of fighting hunger.

His efforts at Island Harvest led to substantial food donations and volunteer participation, as well as spearheading new initiatives that opened up new funding avenues.

“I have a deep history in fundraising across Long Island as well as beyond,” Barry said.

Barry also served as vice president of donor relations & engagement at the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, from 2021 to 2022.

From 2013 to 2020, Barry was director of development for the College of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Stony Brook University.

In addition, he served as director of The INN, known as Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead, from 2009 to 2013, where he expanded the organization’s financial resources and managed its operations.

Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in marketing from the University of Dayton in 1995.

He is also deeply involved in his community, serving as a board member and trustee for the South Country Central School District, a partner in the Molloy University Energeia Partnership, and an active member and former president of the Kiwanis Club of Patchogue.

Barry’s wealth of experience in fundraising and his commitment to community service should serve him well in his new role at The De La Salle School, he said.

“I’m very excited about joining De La Salle school and what we can do to expand fundraising, because it is essential to the program as fundraising allows us to educate students here, and these are students who come from a financially disadvantaged households where they require the tuition,” he said. “The majority of the expense for the students is covered by philanthropy and charitable donations.”