Location: International South

This session will show how to do strategic planning, based on the presenter’s book, Strategic Planning: An Interactive Process for Leaders. Steps are: 1. Get the right people at the table. 2. Do your homework. 3. Focus on mission and values. 4. Prioritize your most pressing issues. 5. Generate new strategies. 6. Take specific action steps. 7. Communicate the vision. 8. Implement and evaluate. For more information, go to www. danebener.com

Speaker: Dr. Dan Ebener
Associate Professor, School of Organizational Leadership
St. Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa

Moderator: Linda Maccarone
Stewardship Coordinator
St. Mary Catholic Church
Royal Oak, Michigan

Dr. Dan Ebener has been practicing leadership and developing leaders for churches, businesses and community organizations since 1976. He teaches courses in leadership, strategic planning, dialogical skills, conflict resolution, team-building and people skills at St. Ambrose University, Iowa. Dr. Ebener has conducted strategic planning for 165 organizations, including about 50 parishes, since the 1980s. He is co-author of the book, Strategic Planning: An Interactive Process for Leaders, published in 2015 by Paulist Press. He serves part-time as director of pastoral planning and stewardship for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. He was Catholic Charities director there from 1986 to 2006. He has traveled to 67 countries, most of them on mission trips or teaching leadership. He has presented at conferences, classrooms, church basements or community forums in 43 states and 20 countries. He teaches a leadership class in Croatia each year and in Germany every other year. He is also author of two books on servant leadership, and is finishing up a fourth book, tentatively titled Pastoral Leadership: How to Lead in a Catholic Parish. For more information on Dr. Ebener, go to www.danebener.com.

Location: Learning Center

Como Implementar la Corresponsabilidad y Mantenerla Viva en la Parroquia / How to Implement Stewardship and Keep it Alive in the Parish

Esta presentación ilustrará de una manera breve cómo el concepto de la corresponsabilidad no es algo nuevo en la Iglesia, sino que se encuentra en cada página de la Biblia. También nos ofrecerá prácticas sugerencias sobre cómo implementar la corresponsabilidad en la parroquia y transformarla de un simple lugar de culto en una vibrante comunidad Eucarística, comprometida plenamente al trabajo del Señor.

This presentation will briefly illustrate how the concept of stewardship is not something new in the Church but is found in every page of the Bible. It will also give practical suggestions on how to implement stewardship in the parish and transform it from a simple place of worship into a vibrant Eucharistic community, fully committed to the work of the Lord.

Speaker: Monsignor Matthew Bernelli
Pastor Emeritus
St. Mary Parish
Bridgeport, Connecticut

Moderator: Sonia Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant
St. Mary Parish
Bridgeport, Connecticut

Monsignor Matthew Bernelli is pastor emeritus of St. Mary Catholic Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and recipient of the 2016 ICSC Christian Stewardship Award. Monsignor Bernelli was born in Turin, Italy. He graduated from St. Anselm University in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1964. He spent his first ten years of priesthood ministering to orphans and homeless boys in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Panama where he founded a Boys Town. Monsignor Bernelli was the pastor at St. Mary Church for 35 years. Thanks to the implementation of stewardship, St. Mary’s, a disadvantaged parish on the verge of closing, became a thriving, lively and financially sound parish, and a source of inspiration to others.

Location: Hanover E

Enrollment Management Strategies

Focusing on enrollment management as both an art and a science, the session will detail key marketing, recruitment and retention strategies and how to include each in a yearly enrollment plan.

Speaker: Nick Regina
Deputy Secretary for Enrollment Management
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Moderator: Ann Marie Calka
Member Services
ICSC
Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Nick Regina is the deputy secretary for enrollment management for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He has over 20 years of experience in the advancement and management of Catholic schools. He started his career as an English teacher at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken, New Jersey, where he also served as director of institutional advancement. He went on to become senior advancement consultant for the Catholic School development program, the foundation director for the Lourdes Health System in Camden, New Jersey and the executive director of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Camden. He also served as interim president of St. Joseph High School in Hammonton, New Jersey. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from LaSalle University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Seton Hall University.

Location: Hanover AB

A discussion of stewardship and development models applicable specifically to the unique challenges and situations of dioceses with limited staffing and resources. A hosted panel will present successful examples in similar dioceses for discussion and sharing.

Facilitator: Robert Anderson
Senior Director of Mission
Catholic Extension
Chicago, Illinois

Panelists:
Margaret Hampton
Coordinator of Development
Diocese of Boise, Idaho

Chris Koch
Chief Operating Officer
Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee

Karina Sandoval
Stewardship Coordinator
Diocese of El Paso, Texas

JoAnn Shull
Development Director
St. Thomas More Newman Center
Columbia, Missouri

Rob Anderson is the director of mission at Catholic Extension, a national nonprofit organization focused on supporting the growth of the Catholic Church in mission dioceses in the United States. Mr. Anderson works with Catholic Extension’s 90-plus mission dioceses to coordinate over $20 million in financial assistance provided annually to areas of each diocese’s greatest needs. He also manages the Seminarian Endowment Challenge, which has created over $7 million in long-term seminarian education endowments over the last four years, as well as leading initiatives for Catholic school leadership, cemetery management, prospect research, and Catholic Extension’s annual Lumen Christi Award. Mr. Anderson previously worked in development at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles for 11 years.While at LMU, he raised over $4 million in total funding for LMU Athletics, receiving three CASE VII awards for Excellence in Educational Fundraising, and managed the university’s leadership donor programs’ annual giving team. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from LMU.

Margaret Hampton has been involved in fundraising for the Catholic Church for 27 years. Since 2010, she has served as coordinator of development in the Diocese of Boise, Idaho. She was part of a team that raised over $13 million for a capital campaign, the first in the history of the diocese. She conducts the annual Idaho Catholic Appeal raising nearly $3 million. She was instrumental in launching the first major gifts and planned giving program, including parish estate planning seminars statewide. In addition, she works with parishes and diocesan ministries to provide grant writing services and stewardship education resources and guidance. Before coming to Idaho, Ms. Hampton served in the Dioceses of Amarillo, Dallas, and Victoria and in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. She attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. She and her husband, Rob, have three teenagers.

Chris Koch is a graduate of Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee, with a bachelor’s degree in marketing/economics/finance. He has been with the Diocese of Memphis for twelve years and is currently the chief operating officer. Mr. Koch initially joined the diocese as director of development and strategic planning. Prior to joining the diocese he had sixteen years’ experience in the money management and investment business.

Karina Sandoval is a graduate from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry; she currently works for the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso as the stewardship coordinator. Ms. Sandoval began her pastoral journey with the Diocese of El Paso as the reverence for life coordinator in 2012. Later she was chosen for the Young Adult lay leadership program of the Catholic Church Extension Society. Through this initiative, she worked in the religious formation office, developing a post-Confirmation program for parishes in El Paso while completing her master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Boston College.

JoAnn Shull is the development director for the St. Thomas More Newman Center in Columbia, Missouri, a university parish of over 700 families and 1,000 plus college students at the University of Missouri, Columbia College, and Stephens College. For nine years, she served as the assistant director of campus ministry at the Newman Center. Due to a grant provided by Catholic Extension, she started up the development office at Newman in 2016. She is a member of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association and serves on the board of the Catholic Newman Center at Truman State. Ms. Shull earned her undergraduate degree in communications from Truman State University and her master’s degree in theological studies from Quincy University, Quincy, Illinois. She and her husband, Kyle, live in Columbia, Missouri with their two young children.

Location: Hanover D

The potential for religious nonprofit organizations to be beneficiaries of estate funds will escalate rapidly over the coming decades as the largest and wealthiest generation, baby boomers pass along an estimated $30 trillion in assets. What can our parishes, schools, dioceses and ministries do to ensure they are included when people are making estate plans? Attend this session and you will find out.

Speaker: Sal Salvo
Co-founder and Principal
Summit Financial Resources, Inc.
Parsippany, New Jersey

Moderator: Stephen Nicholl
Director of Development
Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey

Sal Salvo is the founder of the Institute for Family Wealth Counseling as well as a cofounder of Summit Financial Resources, Inc. Mr. Salvo is a nationally recognized financial educator, speaker and lecturer. He contributed to the publications Getting to the Heart of the Matter: A Revolution in Estate Planning for Wealthy Families and Giving Transforms You, and has published many articles on the benefits of planned giving and how one can utilize charity to achieve financial goals. Mr. Salvo hosted “The Road to Significance,” a weekly talk radio show on WMTR on 1250 AM, and is a member of the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey. Mr. Salvo and his wife, Kathleen, have been married for 44 years, have five children, and live in Warren, New Jersey.

Location: Hanover C

As philanthropy and fundraising have evolved into true professions, so have the research, practices, skills, and knowledge that our Church needs us to possess. Yet, how do we attain this knowledge and these skills? Join us for a panel discussion which will explore graduate-level education opportunities and certifications that have transformed our panelists’ practice and helped them better fulfill the needs of our donors.

Speaker: Tammy Abshire, CFRE
Director of Stewardship
Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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

Speaker: Lindsay Waltower, M.B.A., C.A.P.
Founder, Managing Member
Waltower Philanthropic Advisors
Atlanta, Georgia

Moderator: Josephine Everly
COO and Director of Gift Planning
The Catholic Foundation
Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana

Tammy Abshire is director of stewardship for the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. A development professional with more than 20 years of philanthropic experience, Ms. Abshire serves as the chief fundraiser for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, managing the overall strategic vision and leading key philanthropic activities for the office of stewardship and the Catholic Foundation. Additionally, Ms. Abshire directs the bishop’s annual appeal, planned giving program, endowment development and the Catholic Foundation, as well as stewardship training for 67 parishes. Prior to joining the diocese, she served the Louisiana State University (LSU) College of Engineering and LSU School of Social Work in numerous roles, directing the activities of development, stewardship, communications, alumni relations and external affairs. She has raised millions of dollars in philanthropic support for higher education and faith-based organizations. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Abshire earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from LSU. In 2010, she earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. She is an active member of ICSC and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Baton Rouge Chapter, where she is currently chapter administrator.

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.

Mr. Lindsay Waltower, MBA, CAP – As a United States Air Force veteran, Lindsay Waltower has served our country with distinction and is a deserving recipient of scholarships from the Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs for both the CAP® designation earned and the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation, which he is currently in the process of completing. In his role as managing member of Waltower Philanthropic Advisors (WPA), Mr. Waltower provides comprehensive philanthropic, consulting and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, nonprofits and professional advisors. Prior to founding WPA, he served as the managing member of Global Venture Financial, LLC. He secured first-round seed funding for entrepreneurs and managed real estate investment portfolios. Additionally, he has served as manager of foundation and corporate relations at Westminster Theological Seminary, providing leadership and strategic support to the seminary while cultivating relationships with the corporations, foundations and philanthropists. Mr. Waltower is an active member in the volunteer community and is currently serving as an ambassador for The Financial Awareness Foundation and as an advisory board member for Joseph and Sarah Caring Veterans in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also actively involved in The American College Alumni Association.

Location: Hanover FG

It’s All in the Data: Optimizing the Information and Fields Within Your Data to IncreaseYour Annual Appeal Direct Mail Response Rates

Close examination of your data can assist you in the optimization of the direct mail component of your annual appeal. This session offers an approach that blends an understanding of best development and direct mail practice in diocesan appeals. Attendees will walk away with new approaches to a diocesan annual appeal to increase acquisition, retention, and major gifts donors.

Speaker: Kate McDonough Cominsky
Director of Nonprofit Direct Mail Solutions
Cathedral Corporation
Rome, New York

Moderator: Shannon Lee
Director of Business Development
ICSC
Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Kate McDonough Cominsky has been with Cathedral Corporation working with nonprofit, higher education and diocesan annual appeals since 2011. Previously, Ms. Cominsky spent nearly 30 years in higher education enrollment management, sales and marketing management with a Fortune 500 consumer products company, and educational advisory subcommittee work with U.S. Congressman Richard Hanna. Using her experience in higher education and corporate marketing, she has considerable insight into developing unique and creative communication plans for diocesan appeals that push beyond the norm of segmentation strategies of history and level of donor giving. She has presented at ICSC and national and international higher education conferences, nonprofit organizations, and teacher education consortiums.

Location: Regency VI

The spirituality of stewardship is anchored in the sacraments – especially Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist – but certainly in Marriage, Ordination, Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Sick. Come and explore how the seven signs of God’s ongoing love for us can make us better stewards of all His gifts.

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

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

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.

Location: International North

There are many fruits a stewardship parish will harvest when they keep a continual focus on the stewardship way of life, including increases in evangelizing disciples, vocations, spirituality, ministries and offertory, just to name a few! In this session, attendees will learn some methods for best producing these fruits and for utilizing the rewards in order to grow Christ’s kingdom.

Speaker: Mila Glodava
Director of Stewardship and Communications
St. Vincent de Paul Parish
Denver, Colorado

Moderator: Gloria Carter
Stewardship Coordinator
St. Agnes Catholic Church
Naples, Florida

Ms. Mila Glodava Currently director of stewardship and administration at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Denver, Colorado, Mila Glodava was director of communications and stewardship since 2014. She held the same position for more than 25 years at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Centennial, Colorado. Under her leadership, along with the pastor, Father Andrew Kemberling, St. Thomas More received numerous awards including Archbishop Thomas Murphy Award in 2007. In addition, working with Socio Pastoral Institute since 2002, Ms. Glodava, who is a native of the Philippines, and Father Kemberling introduced stewardship in her home country. In 2009, she and Father Kemberling co-authored a book entitled, Making Stewardship a Way of Life: A Complete Guide for Catholic Parishes, published by Our Sunday Visitor. In 1969, Ms. Glodava received a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Paul College, now a university, in Manila, Philippines. And in 2015, at 70 years of age, she earned a master’s degree in theology from Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. Before coming to the United States in 1972, Ms. Glodava taught English in a Catholic high school in Quezon, Philippines. She and her husband Mark, a former Peace Corps volunteer from New Jersey, have two children and three grandchildren.

Location: Regency VII

Handout:

GP Catholic Spirituality of Stewardship

What Do I Own and What Owns Me? This question is key to the understanding and practice of stewardship as a way of life. Everything that we have, and all that we are, comes to us as a gift from our loving God, the true owner of all things. How do we live this profound spiritual insight? By following the example of Jesus, Mary, and all the saints. By making stewardship a way of life.

Speaker: Dan Conway
Senior Vice President, Pastoral Leadership
GP Catholic Services
Louisville, Kentucky

Moderator: Steve Homiack
Director of Parish Stewardship
Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington

Dan Conway is a leader in the field of mission advancement who has helped redefine the meaning of stewardship in the Catholic Church. Since 1979, Dan has worked with dozens of Catholic dioceses, seminaries, religious communities, parishes, and schools in the areas of planning, communications, stewardship education, and fundraising. He has served as chief development officer for Marian University and three Roman Catholic archdioceses (Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago), and has provided consulting leadership for diocesan capital stewardship campaigns throughout the United States. Dan has facilitated strategic planning for more than a dozen Catholic dioceses, religious communities, seminaries, colleges, and universities in the Midwest and South. Dan currently serves as senior vice president of GP Catholic Services, a company founded by the principals of GrahamPelton Consulting to provide professional services designed specifically for Catholic organizations. Dan also provides workshops for Catholic dioceses and seminaries in the United States and abroad. Dan writes a widely distributed monthly article, The Good Steward. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Saint Meinrad College, a master’s degree from Indiana University, and an MRE from Saint Meinrad School of Theology. He and his wife, Sharon, are members of Holy Trinity Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.