Sister Mary Persico is currently serving as the twelfth president of Marywood University, Scranton, PA. Previously she was the Executive Vice-President of Mission Integration for Trinity Health, Livonia, MI, and the former Catholic Health East, Newtown Square, PA. Prior to these ministries, Sister Mary served as treasurer and then president of the religious congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA. She also served in Catholic secondary education as Principal and teacher for many years. 

Sister Mary serves on several boards including the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, Guest House, Lake Orion, MI, African Sisters Education Collaborative, IHM Advisory Board, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and Marywood University.

Sister Mary has spent most of her life in the field of education. She holds a bachelor's degree in French and education from Marywood College (now University), a master's degree in French from Assumption College, Worchester, Mass.; and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. Since its inception, Sister Mary has had a relationship with the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC), a program designed to provide leadership education in business, administration and spirituality to leaders of congregations of women religious in ten African countries.

For more than 30 years, Sister Mary has facilitated chapters and other gatherings of women religious in Europe, South America, Africa, Canada, Australia and the United States. She has presented on various topics including leadership and organizational restructuring in various settings.