Monica joined the PHL17 team in October of 2018. She is very excited to forecast for her family and friends in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. She grew up in “Everybody’s Hometown” Media and currently resides in Ardmore. She attended Waldron Mercy and Merion Mercy Academy in Lower Merion through 12th grade and rowed on the Schuylkill River for her High School crew team.

Monica earned her Meteorology degree from Penn State University and is a proud Nittany Lion. During her time in college, Monica was a part of Campus Weather Service, Penn State Network TV, THON and Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. After graduation, Monica moved around the country as a meteorologist for stations in Texas, Alabama, Connecticut and Colorado. It was during that time she earned the prestigious Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal from the American Meteorological Society.

If she could be anywhere, it would be down the shore with her family and friends. She loves sitting by the bay in Avalon, walking the boards in Ocean City, eating and shopping in Atlantic City and having a drink in Somers Point. When the weather changes, Monica also enjoys skiing in the Poconos or exploring the many Italian BYOs in the city.

Her favorite cheesesteak is from Jim’s but if you ask her, Philly’s best sandwich is roast pork with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, and horseradish from DiNic’s. She loves upside down pies from Sam’s in Ardmore and Pica’s in Upper Darby.

Frank DiLella is the Emmy Award winning host of “On Stage” on Spectrum News NY1, the news channel’s weekly half-hour theater program.

DiLella’s celebrity interviews, along with his in-depth reporting of the theatrical scene, have helped make him a trusted friend and confidant within the theater and entertainment communities in New York City and around the globe.

Since joining NY1 in 2004, DiLella has interviewed many legendary artists including Tom Hanks, Vanessa Redgrave, Bono, Nathan Lane, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman, Tom Stoppard, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Jane Fonda, Ben Vereen, Angela Lansbury, Lady Gaga, Tony Kushner and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In the spring of 2018, DiLella was honored with an Emmy Award for best News Magazine Program for his Special on the Broadway musical “Come From Away.”

In 2019, DiLella received a New York Press Club Award in the category—Entertainment/TV for his special on the Broadway revival of “Angels in America”.

In addition to filing reports on the Broadway and off-Broadway scenes, DiLella has traveled internationally to cover theater in the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany and Canada.

Over the years, DiLella has acted as a contributing correspondent for the Tony Awards, the Olivier Awards at Royal Albert Hall, Playbill, MANHATTAN Magazine and Broadway Direct, and has given lectures on theater and journalism at Hofstra University and The American Theatre Wing. He has also appeared as a theater correspondent for the BBC, Sirius XM, “The Early Show” on CBS, CTV, and Al Jazeera TV. In 2013, he appeared on NBC’s “Smash,” portraying himself.

In October of 2019, Frank launched the entertainment podcast—“Show and Tell with Frank DiLella” on iHeart Radio.

A strong advocate of theater arts education, DiLella currently serves on the board of The Roger Rees Awards and is a part of the selection committee for the annual Clive Barnes Award and Foundation–which honors talented young professionals in the artistic fields of dance and theater.

DiLella received a degree from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and has since returned to his alma mater as an adjunct professor teaching theater journalism.

Once upon a time there was an eager, fresh-out-of-college young woman ready for her first job; 45 years later she is the most tenured employee to ever work at MMA. She taught health and physical education for 26 years. She has coached field hockey, basketball, softball, and tennis at both the high school and grade school levels. During her tenure, the athletic program grew from three sports into a 12-sport/20-team program with league, district, and state championships in multiple sports. The rowing program, which officially began in 2005, has won many races and regattas, most notably the prestigious Henley Women’s Regatta. In 2014, she was given the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association State Award of Merit. She is forever woven into the fabric of MMA athletics. There will never be another Barbara Clarke.

“I have known Barbara Clarke for more than 40 years and, as far as MMA Athletics go, she did it all! From lining fields and arranging for refs and buses, maintaining equipment and uniforms, making schedules for every JV and Varsity team to hiring and retaining qualified and dedicated coaching staffs, to keeping up with all the league, state, and NCAA regulations while being a coach, gym, and health teacher … and they were just a few of her responsibilities. Barbara laid the foundation, brick by brick, of what we know today as the MMA Athletic Department. Barbara let MMA athletes know that while competition and winning were great, when the whistle blows at the end of a game, if you gave your best effort and more importantly were a good sport, the final score didn’t matter … you and MMA were winners! These are values and life lessons that would take MMA athletes far on and off the court in whatever they pursued, and they had Barbara to thank for it. Three cheers for the Blue and (Barbara’s heart of) Gold!”

—Patti McAleer, Past Parent, Former Faculty, Honorary Alumna

To give some context through the lens of technological milestones, Anne Foley came to MMA in the wake of Y2K and took on a position that evolved and grew by the second. With this fast-paced and ever-changing department, Anne remained steadfast year after year. She was a part of the team that brought us our 1:1 technology initiative, Promethean Boards, Mac labs, and more. While helping MMA chart a path forward, she also nurtured and promoted the rich traditions and values of Mercy. She has lived the Mercy spirit through decades of service and leadership and is to be especially commended for her dedication to the Mercy Volunteer Program.

“It is such an honor to be asked to give tribute to Anne Foley and her years of dedicated service at Merion Mercy Academy, the ‘spot we love so well.’ I had the good fortune to have a classroom just across the hall from Anne’s office, and she always came to my rescue when a technology problem emerged. We also spent years working collaboratively on the Academic Board and were able to see the conception of countless new innovative programs and teaching methods to meet the needs of our students. All of this has been such a joy, though I have to say that my fondest memories with Anne were lived out on our journeys to Kentucky. On those trips, Anne was always the den mom, and I will be forever grateful for her generosity in chaperoning so many MVP trips to Kentucky, Arizona, Camden, and Philadelphia—and, most especially, for keeping the MVP program, a program that was so important to me, going after I left the school to work for MESA.”

—Kim Baxter, Former Faculty

John 8:32 tells us “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Noreen Kromm has been a beacon of truth and light, a faithful lighthouse guiding this community with strength and steadiness for more than 35 years. She advanced the Theology Department and its offerings in meaningful and unique ways. She helped shape the faith formation and spiritual identity of thousands of young women who have grown into women of courage, purpose, and, of course, Mercy. Noreen has worn many hats and moderated clubs (she is currently the lead moderator of Mercy Works), chaperoned events, mentored faculty, and taken on leadership roles such as Chair of the Theology Department for many years. Yet, in all of the ways Noreen has impacted this community, perhaps it is the person herself that is missed most. The sage words, the precise insights, the deep care … those thoughtful gifts that magically appeared in all of our mailboxes at times when we needed them most, never letting us forget who we are and what we value.

“Noreen’s unique example of deep faith and good humor is what I loved best about her as both my theology teacher and later my colleague at MMA. Her witness to the Gospel was as evident in her life as it was for the women and men who were the cornerstones of her lessons. She was perhaps most famous among her colleagues for being the first teacher in the building each morning, and that final, profound voice at a faculty meeting. Her colleagues looked to Noreen to most eloquently speak the truth that rested on each person’s heart. Students and alumnae treasured Ms. Kromm for her devotion to Weenie Roast competitions and Mercy Works service projects. Across her 35 years of service, Noreen etched her legacy at Merion Mercy as a beloved teacher, colleague, and model woman of Mercy. I am also blessed to call her friend.”

—Angela DiCocco Donnelly ’04, Alumna, Former Faculty

Way before STEM became a movement, Karen McClennen was sparking an interest in the sciences and promoting women in various fields where they have been traditionally underrepresented for decades. She had a hand in the career trajectory of literally hundreds of MMA graduates: nurses, doctors, researchers, midwives, and educators. Beyond providing career inspiration, she knew those 40 or so minutes a day were not only an opportunity to teach content, but also to build character and agency in our girls, generation after generation. While I could point to many examples and accolades of Karen’s storied career, she brought two programs to MMA that she has grown and nurtured with gusto: the Annenberg Science Symposium and the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Program. In fact, for her work, Karen was appointed to an ambassadorship with the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Program. She was the lead moderator of the Biotech Club and Dance Troupe—a Renaissance woman for sure.

“Karen always embodied so much of what I love about Merion Mercy and its students and alums. She was a passionate teacher with a brilliant and nimble mind. Yet, she was also such a loyal and kind colleague and caring teacher. She always went beyond the call of duty and did so with grace, a big smile, and humility. Working with Karen for more than 20 years, I’ve always found her upbeat, intelligent, and a lot of fun—what more could you want in a teacher, colleague, and friend? Cheers to Karen and her unending commitment to the spot we all love so well.”

—Lorraine Conigliaro, Past Parent, Faculty