Michael Furey
Founder, President & Mission Steward
Founding with Purpose
ACELA Solutions was founded out of conviction—not convenience. Its genesis is the fruit of faith, discernment, and decades of servant leadership across Catholic schools and ministries. Anchored in faith, shaped by experience, and propelled by an entrepreneurial spirit, ACELA reflects our lifetimes of Catholic leadership in action—and the extraordinary dedication of a founding team whose shared mission, integrity, and wisdom laid the foundation for all that we are building together.
With more than 30 years of experience in business management, advancement, leadership development, and Catholic education, Michael Furey has built a national reputation for walking closely with Catholic leaders—especially during seasons of transition, complexity, and opportunity. His approach is both strategic and deeply relational, shaped by vibrant faith and family life, active parish and community involvement, and 16 years of Catholic education.
Michael’s formation was richly influenced by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, diocesan clergy, and Jesuit mentors at the University of Scranton—whose Ignatian charism continues to guide his leadership and discernment. Throughout his life, he has also been blessed by the wisdom and example of countless colleagues, pastors, religious, mentors, and Catholic school and ministry leaders who helped shape his vocation and deepen his commitment to mission-rooted service.
He believes that when values-aligned leaders shape culture—organizations strengthen, schools thrive, communities flourish, and the mission endures.
For more than a decade, Michael partnered with his brother and mentor, Larry Furey, and a talented group of practice leaders to help grow Partners in Mission—Larry’s nationally respected firm serving Catholic education. Together, they built not only a successful consultancy, but a culture marked by relationships, mission, and stewardship. Their collaborative work helped shape a widely admired ethos—one rooted in service to Catholic education and advancement.
In early 2024, the firm entered a new chapter under new ownership, backed by angel investors and a managing partner team. Michael remained fully engaged throughout the transition and valued the opportunity to continue serving alongside colleagues committed to mission. But over time—and through ongoing discernment—he began to envision a different path: one that honored the past while offering new possibilities to serve the Church with greater clarity, responsiveness, and mission alignment.
The mission-driven work and enduring relationships continued to shape his perspective. Over time, through thoughtful discernment, he began to envision a new path—one that honored his prior work while opening fresh opportunities to serve the Church and its ministries with renewed clarity and purpose.
That vision was shaped by a deliberate season of prayer, reflection, and dialogue with Catholic mission and ministry leaders nationwide—from superintendents and presidents to operational leaders, board members, and other key stakeholders. These conversations revealed a clear need: a firm that could deliver leadership and strategic solutions through a deeply relational, mission-first lens.
The clarity wasn’t new—it had been stirring for some time. What emerged was not a reaction, but a response to a vocational call: to reimagine how leadership development and institutional support could be offered—rooted in relationship, delivered with intentionality, and aligned with the evolving needs of the Church. A new chapter was calling. And the path forward was clear.
On May 1, 2025—the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker—Michael launched ACELA Solutions. The date was chosen intentionally, to honor the quiet strength of Catholic leadership, the dignity of work, and the sacred call to build something lasting in service to the Church. ACELA was born from both legacy and momentum, shaped by decades of ministry, formed by discernment, and propelled by a renewed vision and sense of purpose.
ACELA Solutions was created to walk with Catholic leaders—with strategy and heart—through seasons of growth, challenge, and transition. Though newly launched, ACELA’s roots run deep—carried forward by a seasoned team of partners and strategic advisors who’ve long served Catholic schools, dioceses, and ministries nationwide.
Our team brings deep expertise across our service areas and has long rallied around the mission, culture, and ethos that now define ACELA. Together, we share a commitment to mission-centered service, trust-based relationships, and responsible stewardship—helping institutions strengthen leadership, culture, operations, and planning. Always putting people before programs, and mission before margin.
ACELA Solutions was founded, formed, and led by Michael Furey. As the originator and strategic mind behind the firm, he guided its development—from initial vision and branding to operational infrastructure and service design. He continues to lead a growing team of Catholic leaders who share ACELA’s values, mission, and model.
A lifelong Catholic, Michael has served the Church in a variety of advisory, leadership, and volunteer roles for more than 30 years. In his prior role, he was referred to as a “partner”—a common title used by the firm—but held no equity or ownership and departed in good standing, free to pursue new ventures.
Michael’s true stake in the work has always been relational, not financial. He contributed meaningfully to the culture and values shaped during the tenure of his brother, Larry Furey—a respected leader who continues to inspire many of us through his decades of service to Catholic schools and ministries.
ACELA Solutions was born of faith, conviction, and clarity of purpose. Its earliest formation was guided not only by vision, but by the generosity, counsel, and encouragement of a small founding team—trusted colleagues and friends who shared a belief in what could be built and a willingness to help bring it to life. Their prayerful support and spirit of collaboration remain woven into the firm’s DNA—rooted in mission, relationship, and service to the Church.
ACELA marks a distinct new chapter: one fueled by clarity of purpose, grounded in vocational discernment, and rooted in a shared call to strengthen Catholic leadership, education, and ministry—for the greater glory of God.
