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Business leader named CEO of Independence Mission Schools

The nonprofit that manages a network of 15 inner-city Catholic schools was scheduled to announce a new top executive Thursday.

Independence Mission Schools, the nonprofit that manages a network of inner-city Catholic schools, is scheduled to announce a new leader Thursday.

Richard Auletta, 53, who has years of business technology experience, has been chosen to become president and CEO as of June 12.

Independence Mission Schools (IMS) announced in December that it was beginning a national search to fill the new position of CEO, to build on the success of the network created in 2012 to preserve Catholic elementary schools in inner-city neighborhoods.

Anne McGoldrick, the network's founding chief financial officer who became president in 2015, will remain through the summer to help with the transition and then will join the board.

"IMS gets under your skin," she said. "I do plan to stay involved."

Brian McElwee, chair of the board, called Auletta a welcome addition to the team.

"With an extensive background in leadership and management, he is uniquely qualified to develop people, procedures and infrastructure to continue the successful advancement of the IMS network," McElwee said in a statement.

Auletta, of Lower Makefield, Bucks County, said he was looking forward to applying his experience to IMS. "I want to continue to evolve this organization from early stage to middle stage," he said  Wednesday.

From 2011 to 2016, Auletta was CEO and president of Softgate Systems Inc., a New Jersey company that offers an electronic payment system that lets consumers in low-income communities pay their bills for utilities and other services with cash at participating stores and outlets.

He became familiar with IMS when the network made arrangements with Softgate so parents could pay tuition at between 10 and 20 of Softgate's outlets in Philadelphia.

Auletta's resumé also includes executive positions at Princeton eCom, TheStreet.com, and Standard & Poor's Corp.

While those jobs were outside the field of education, Auletta said, he has been involved with nonprofit educational organizations, including helping build a high school for 525 students in Uganda that will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2018.

"There is a personal connection around education," he said.

Independence Mission Schools enrolls nearly 5,000 children at 14 former parish schools. Parents receive financial support to help them pay tuition.