Location: Regency VII

How we can best use various communication methods to catechize the faithful about what stewardship is really all about. We will explore what works, what does not, and look at how Jesus’ example gives us clues as to effective communication.

Speaker: Tracy Earl Welliver
Director of Parish Community and Engagement
Liturgical Publications, Inc.
New Berlin, Wisconsin

Moderator: Teresa Keogh
Advisor for Stewardship
Archdiocese of Southwark
United Kingdom

Tracy Earl Welliver is an international Catholic speaker, author, and stewardship coach with over 25 years of experience in parish ministry. He is the director of parish community and engagement for Liturgical Publications Inc, previously serving 22 years as pastoral associate at Saint Pius X Catholic Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, a 2009 ICSC Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Award winning parish. He also sits on the ICSC board of directors. Mr. Welliver writes the weekly reflection, Everyday Stewardship, published in bulletins and digital media around the country, and is the author of the book, Everyday Stewardship: Reflections for the Journey. He has theology degrees from DeSales University and Duke Divinity School.

Location: International North

Looking for fresh and proven ways to connect with your parishioners from Sunday to Sunday? Smartphone technology is an incredibly powerful and vibrant vehicle for prayer and faith formation. In this presentation, you will learn ways to harness this power to reach your full community — those who attend mass every week and even those who don’t.

Speaker: Peggy O’Flaherty
OneParish App Consultant
J.S. Paluch Company, Inc.
Franklin, Illinois

Moderator: Jennifer Clark
Director, Parish Life and Faith Formation
St. Hedwig Catholic Church
Los Alamitos, California

Peggy O’Flaherty is the founder and president of Creating Space, LLC, and OneParish App Consultant with the J.S. Paluch Company. She is a certified spiritual director from The Christos Center in Minnesota, a parish evangelization and strategic development expert, and a strong proponent of using technology to grow faith. Her credentials include 30 years of faith formation, a degree from DePaul University, Chicago, extensive experience in bible studies, project management, business development, and life experiences as a wife, mother, daughter and friend.

Location: Regency VI 

This panel will discuss how stewardship has impacted their life, and in particular, their vocation as priest. They will also answer the questions of their peers in this session for clergy only.

Panelists:
Most Reverend Sylvester Ryan
Bishop Emeritus
Diocese of Monterey, California

Monsignor Stephen Churchwell, J.C.D.
Adjutant Judicial Vicar
Archdiocese of Atlanta

Reverend Joe Creedon
Pastor Emeritus
Christ the King Parish
Kingston, Rhode Island

Reverend Jan Schmidt
Pastor
Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains
Cincinnati, Ohio

Reverend John Weatherill
Pastor
St. John the Baptist
Purley, London, England

Moderator: Michael Murphy
Executive Director
ICSC
Dearborn, Michigan

Bishop Sylvester Ryan is bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Monterey, California. Following his priestly ordination in 1957 for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Bishop Ryan served as an associate at St. Agnes Parish in Los Angeles and St. Anthony Parish in Long Beach, and taught in their respective high schools. He served as principal of two other diocesan high schools, was a chaplain and instructor at Mt. St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes In Tujunga-Sunland and president/rector of the College Seminary in Camarillo. Bishop Ryan was ordained auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1990 and appointed Bishop of Monterey in 1992. He served on two committees of the U.S. bishops’ conference and for eight years served as the chairman of the stewardship subcommittee for the conference. For six years he was the president of the California Conference of Bishops. He retired in January 2007 and continues to serve the diocese, conducting retreats, workshops, and participating in the permanent deaconate formation program. He serves in local parishes as well when called upon. On occasion, Bishop Ryan conducts retreats and workshops in other dioceses and has been a frequent contributor to ICSC.

Monsignor Stephen Churchwell, JCD, is vicar for senior priests and chair of the priests’ retirement committee in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. A priest of the archdiocese for nearly 40 years, he also holds the role as adjutant judicial vicar of the metropolitan tribunal as well as parochial vicar at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Atlanta, for canonical status. Monsignor Churchwell holds a doctoral degree in ecclesiastical law, obtained at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He was previously chairman of the board of Greater Atlanta Catholic Federal Credit Union prior to its merger with Georgia Federal Credit Union, now Georgia United, in 2004. Since that time, he has served as the chairman of the Georgia United Catholic Advisory Board on Georgia United’s board of directors since 2007 and also on the board of The Catholic Foundation. In 2010 he was appointed vicar for senior priests in order to be an advocate for older priests and to assist in the development and implementation of programs designed to assist them, especially priests in or approaching retirement.

Reverend Joe Creedon is pastor emeritus of Christ the King Parish in Kingston, Rhode Island. He recently retired after 48 years of priestly ministry, 31 years as pastor of the parish.Author of 14 Advent and Lenten daily meditation booklets, Father Creedon has spoken on stewardship in the Archdiocese of Southwark in London, United Kingdom, the Dioceses of Hartford, Connecticut, Portland, Maine, San Diego, California, and Corner Brook in Newfoundland, Canada. He is a sought-after presenter of Advent and Lenten Parish Missions. Father Creedon was ordained in Louvain, Belgium, in 1968 for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. Along with his distinguished service as a pastor, his priestly ministry has included service as a part-time associate pastor, high school teacher and campus minister. In 1980 he spent a year-long sabbatical as a fellow in psychiatry and religion at the Menninger Clinic, then located in Topeka, Kansas. Father Creedon also served on the ICSC board of directors.

The Reverend Jan Schmidt is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and currently serves in the Chancery office as the director of the department for pastoral life and evangelization and as pastor of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. Prior to entering the seminary Father Schmidt worked as an executive with the Taft Broadcasting Company in the theme park division in Cincinnati, Ohio, Richmond, Virginia and in Toronto, Canada and Sydney, Australia and with International Theme Park Services, Inc. Father Schmidt is a graduate of Archbishop McNicholas High School in Cincinnati and holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. He entered Mount St. Mary’s in the fall of 1985. In 1990 Father Schmidt was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk. In 2008, as Father Schmidt completed his  pastorate at Immaculate Heart of Mary, the parish received the ICSC Archbishop Thomas Murphy Award for the exemplary practice of stewardship in the United States.

Canon John Weatherill has been a priest for 20 years, having come to priesthood at 42 years of age after working for fifteen years in banking in the City of London and in Germany and Switzerland. He became a Catholic at age 20 while studying German at Magdalen College, Oxford. In addition to serving in parishes of the Archdiocese of Southwark (south London and the southeast corner of England) he has had a major role for the past 18 years in the diocesan finance office, supporting parishes with financial advice and guidance, most recently as episcopal vicar for finance. He has just been appointed pastor of Purley, a large (by English standards) suburban parish to the south of London. Together with Teresa Keogh, a member of the ICSC board of directors, Canon Weatherill has led the stewardship initiative in the Archdiocese of Southwark for several years. This will be his tenth ICSC annual conference. It is still his fervent hope to see the achievements and principles of Vatican II fully embraced and lived by the hierarchy of the Church and by the people in our parishes.

Location: International South 

The church is not a business, but church leaders are responsible to be good stewards of the church’s resources. Getting a better grip on the needs, wants, and pulse of the parish can help increase Mass attendance, parish engagement, and stewardship. This session will look at various ways for church leaders to better gauge the needs of the parish by using surveying techniques and assessment tools.

Speaker: James Gallo
Center Director
Villanova University
Center for Church Management & Business Ethics
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Moderator: Debra LeSage
Business Manager/Development Director
Resurrection Parish
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Jim Gallo is the director of the Center for Church Management at Villanova University. He earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in theology from Loyola University Maryland. He is currently a doctoral candidate in higher education administration at Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, where he is researching assessment measures for mission at Catholic colleges and universities. Prior to working at Villanova, Mr. Gallo was director of student activities at Neumann University, director of student activities at Holy Cross High School in Delran, New Jersey, and pastoral associate for family life at a parish in New Jersey. He also volunteers his time to the church as a cantor and as a member of his parish’s school board.

Location: Learning Center

Conduciendo Campañas Capitales de Transformación en las Parroquias Hispanas / Conducting Transformation Capital Campaigns in Hispanic Parishes

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Involucrando Latinos en su Campaña de Capital

Siendo hispano-latinos aproximadamente el 35% de la población católica en los Estados Unidos, usted los querrá a bordo en su próxima campaña capital. Asista y aprenda acerca de esta comunidad, su cultura de generosidad para dar, y las mejores prácticas sobre cómo involucrar exitosamente a nuestros miembros hispano-latinos.

With about thirty five percent of the Catholic population in the United States being Hispanic/ Latino, you’ll want them on board for your next capital campaign. Come learn about this community, its giving culture, and best practices on how to successfully engage our Hispanic/ Latino members. English version is Session 48.

Speaker: Jose Piñones
Major Gift Officer
Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois

Moderator: Ana Juarez
Business Administrator
St. Alfred Parish
Taylor, Michigan

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Mr. Pinones graduated with a degree in marketing from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. For five years he served as the development director for St. Mary’s and St. John Paul the Great Campus Ministries in the Diocese of Tyler. He moved to Chicago to embark on the historic $415 million To Teach Who Christ Is campaign in 2014. In that time, he has conducted over 950 personal solicitations in English and Spanish. He is a constant advocate for the Hispanic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Mr. Pinones has served on the Nacogdoches Habitat for Humanity board as well as the Nacogdoches Junior Chamber board. In a volunteer capacity, he has raised money for The Big Shoulders Fund and Latinos Progresando. In his personal time he enjoys running and keeping up with current world events. He is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and bought his first Chicago Cubs t-shirt last year.

Location: Hanover E

Engaging alumni into the life of your Catholic school is important, but the approach has got to be more than helping with class reunions, hosting homecoming, selling raffle tickets, and asking for dollars in the annual fund drive. This presentation will offer different processes that have been effective in engaging alumni and connecting them back to their alma mater. Attendees will leave with specific to-dos they can take back to their Catholic school.

Speaker: Frank Donaldson
President
Institute for School and Parish Development
Pearl River, Louisiana

Moderator: Mary Campo
Director of Development
Saint John Neumann Catholic High School
Naples, Florida

Frank Donaldson is the president of the Institute of School and Parish Development (ISPD), a national development consulting firm created to serve Catholic schools, parishes and dioceses in the areas of planning, marketing, enrollment management and resource development. He is the author of Catholic School Publications: Unifying the Image, and 25 Lessons Learned in 25+ Years Frank Donaldson is the president of the Institute of School and Parish Development (ISPD), a national development consulting firm created to serve Catholic schools, parishes and dioceses in the areas of planning, marketing, enrollment management and resource development. He is the author of Catholic School Publications: Unifying the Image, and 25 Lessons Learned in 25+ Years .

Location: Hanover AB 

Handout:

Social Media Panel

This panel of diocesan professionals will share their collective wisdom regarding their respective diocesan digital efforts and results. The panelists will also answer attendees’ digital media questions ranging from getting started to possible next steps.

Panelists:
Armando Cervantes
Director of Youth and Young Adults
Diocese of Orange, California

Cory Howat
Executive Director
Catholic Foundation
Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana

Scott Whitaker
Secretariat Director for Stewardship, Development and Communications
Diocese of Austin, Texas

Facilitator: Julie Kenny
Director of Member Services
ICSC
Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Armando M. Cervantes graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences with an emphasis in public and community service. He also holds a master’s degree in pastoral theology from Loyola Marymount University. Recently, he completed an executive MBA from Chapman University in Orange, California. Mr. Cervantes has 16 years of professional experience in various ministries serving all age groups. Currently he is the director of the youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Orange and the co-founder of ChurchMediaSolution, a social media consulting company. He has been a youth minister, confirmation coordinator, young adult Bible study leader, teacher, retreat leader, and has led countless missionary and pilgrimage experiences. He is a national speaker and serves as a national consultant for dioceses and national groups especially in strategy, social media and intercultural competencies.

Cory Howat is the executive director of The Catholic Foundation for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. A native of New Orleans, Mr. Howat resides there with his wife and four children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University in Minnesota. Mr. Howat and an associate established the Smoothie King franchises in the Las Vegas valley, motivating him to take some of the entrepreneurial expectations of the business industry into the nonprofit sector. He served as the executive director for Boys Hope Girls Hope for over nine years, including the rebuilding of the organization following Hurricane Katrina. Cory has experience as a major gifts officer and as a director of institutional advancement. He served for three years as the director of stewardship for the Archdiocese of New Orleans before moving into the leadership development role of that office this past year. He also led an initiative to build an innovative parish curriculum, Encountering Christ, which guides parishes from discipleship into full Christian stewardship. Mr. Howat was a part of the team to create and launch #iGiveCatholic, the first-ever day of online Catholic giving in the United States.

Scott Whitaker began his fundraising career in 1995 as a student intern for the Texas A&M Foundation. He served as regional director for the National FFA Organization then began his faith-based fundraising career with the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis as the director of parish services. Currently, he serves as the secretariat director for stewardship, development and communications for the Diocese of Austin and executive director for the Catholic Foundation – Diocese of Austin. He raised nearly $200 million for the Diocese of Austin over the past fourteen years. Mr. Whitaker is an active volunteer at his parish. He has served as regional board representative to the ICSC board of directors and board president for Hand to Hold, a nonprofit that serves to educate the public about infant prematurity and infant loss. He currently serves on the Association of Former Yell Leaders board. He has degrees from Texas A&M University and Iowa

Location: Hanover D Conducting

Is your (arch)diocese preparing to conduct a second capital campaign after a previus effort ten to twenty years ago? It is vitally important to understand what took place in the initial campaign. We will discuss the factors you must review and analyze from the previous capaign. factors that have changed since the last effort, and how to incorporate today’s needs/challenges to give you the tools you need to prepare for the next campaign.

Speaker: Michael R. Cusack
Chairman and CEO
Guidance In Giving, Inc.
Bayport, New York

Speaker: Michael V. Goodwin
President, Diocesan Division Guidance In Giving, Inc.
Freehold, New Jersey

Moderator: William F. Grant, II, CFRE
Director of Stewardship and Annual Giving
Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania

Mr. Michael Cusack is a resident of Bayport, New York and Palm City, Florida and has served as chairman and CEO of Guidance In Giving, Inc. since the firm was founded in 1997. Mr. Cusack began his career in 1980 and over the last 37 years, he has been involved in capital campaigns that have raised over $5,000,000,000 for Catholic causes. In 1997, at the urging of family, friends and associates, Mr. Cusack founded Guidance In Giving, Inc. to serve the Catholic Church. Since beginning the firm, he has never veered from his mission of providing exceptional counsel and dedicated service and advice to clients under the auspices of Catholic stewardship. Mr. Cusack brings an extensive resume to each client and is actively involved on a daily basis with the operations of every account.

Mr. Michael Goodwin is a native of Annapolis, Maryland and has been living in Freehold, New Jersey since 2001. He attended Valley Forge Military Junior College and Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, and was commissioned an officer in the United States Army. He has been involved with stewardship, development and fundraising for Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses since 1993 throughout the United States and is a founding partner of Guidance In Giving. As president of diocesan services, he oversees the operations of the diocesan division and has extensive involvement with the sales, supervision and operations of diocesan accounts.

Location: Hanover C

This session will explore the steps diocesan foundations need to take to establish and implement a planned giving program. Topics reviewed will be choosing the right individual to lead the effort, creating an advisory committee, marketing the program, telling compelling donor stories that demonstrate impact, and forming a planned giving society.

Speaker: John Sentovich
Associate
Savant Capital Management
Rockford, Illinois

Moderator: Daun Maier
Executive Director
Diocese of Madison Foundation
Madison, Wisconsin

Mr. Sentovich has been involved in the foundation and gift planning industries since 1992, working extensively during his career with nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Savant, he was the director of gift planning at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. He also served as the executive director of the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Rockford in Illinois. Mr. Sentovich joined Team Savant in June 2017 and works in Savant’s Rockford office. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in international marketing from California State University, Fullerton, and a master of arts degree in theology and Christian ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Ohio. Mr. Sentovich is the president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Holy Family conference. Past service includes chair of the planned giving committee for Carpenter’s Place, a resource center for the homeless, president of the Northern Illinois Planned Giving Council, and board member of the Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council. John met his wife Paula, a Rockford native, in Steubenville and together they have raised four children.

Location: Hanover FG

We will discuss how millennials communicate, socialize and how you can attract them to your cause, even though they are less likely to be active in parish life. We will cover what they value, how we can connect and engage with them, and how to incite them to give and cultivate loyalty so they bond for life. You’ll leave this session with a four-part plan for engagement, communication, cultivation, and solicitation.

Speaker: April Parker
Senior Account Executive, Faith-Focused Solutions
Blackbaud
Charleston, South Carolina

Moderator: Thomas Hinga
Director of Development and Stewardship
Diocese of Monterey, California

April Parker’s business card identifies her as a senior account executive for faithfocused solutions at Blackbaud. She loves pondering list segmentation, brainstorming subject lines, and tossing around ideas for email marketing and direct mail appeals. Prior to working in account management at Blackbaud, Ms. Parker was a published thought leader in fundraising and the lead marketing strategist for Blackbaud’s flagship product, The Raiser’s Edge. After almost a decade in marketing at Blackbaud, she traded in her stilettos for flats and hit the street working directly with nonprofit professionals on their strategic goals and how they can use technology to exceed them. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where she and her husband work tirelessly to instill a foundation of philanthropy in their two young sons.