Renton, Washington, United States
The Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of New York provides resources and support to the 288 parishes and the faithful within the archdiocese. The pastoral programs and areas of ministry include Marriage Ministries (Marriage Preparation, Marriage Enrichment, etc.), Bereavement, Spanish Programs, Natural Family Planning, Separated and Divorced Ministry, and Parenting. Responsibilities of the Director include carrying out the vision and mission of the Archdiocese as stated and set by the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, particularly as it relates to Marriage and Family issues. While the office at one point consisted of 17 staff members who coordinated and assisted with the pastoral programs, streamlining and consolidation has reduced staff levels to 10-11. Working closely with the Vicar General/Chancellor, the Director discerns the need for new initiatives or greater emphasis in particular programs, depending on changes in public policy, threats to the God-given definition of marriage and family, and other shifts in the cultural climate.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) is an inner-city Catholic community in Cleveland, Ohio, with an elementary school run by a community of Mercedarian Sisters and a parish staffed by a community of Mercedarian friars. Beginning my work in this traditional community as a graduate seminary student, I taught Catholic Doctrine as a specialty subject at the school. Focusing primarily on teaching the junior high students, I taught “Catholic Doctrine,” developing a Christian sexuality program that included both Catholic doctrine and Christian formation, incorporating spirituality elements into the program. Immediately following graduation from the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Mary Seminary & Graduate School of Theology in 2011, I worked with the pastor and the parish team of Mercedarian Priests and Brothers for a year-long internship. I worked with the pastor and the pastoral team on all aspects of parish life including spearheading the New Roman Missal implementation in Fall 2011, which included developing and offering a presentation to liturgical ministers.
Werner Consulting Services, Inc. (WCS) was founded in 1983, and I bought a 50% share of this company in 1984. WCS provided Northeast Ohio organizations with computer training and support services. We developed and customized corporate-wide technology training programs for both small and large (Fortune 500) companies. WCS had a staff of trainers and consultants ranging from schoolteachers to computer technical people to masters-level employees. A staff of 10 - 15 full time employees as well as contract trainers learned new software; managed projects, networks, and helpdesks; developed, customized and taught curriculum. In 1986 I bought out my partner and continued building the company as sole owner. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a tremendous market for customized technology training, and the company could have stayed on the curve of growth, but after extensive discernment about vocation, I migrated out of the technology services business and began a journey that took me outside of Northeast Ohio. I stayed involved in community service functions and business operations through 1998. During 1999, I taught technology and systems management courses and did consulting at Cuyahoga Community College. By mid-1999, I halted business operations and began a two-year educational sabbatical exploring opportunities in Hawaii, Seattle and Washington D.C. In May 2001 my family moved out of Aurora, Ohio and into Cleveland after deciding to relocate closer to our sons’ high school.
After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in Medical Record Administration, and earning my accreditation as an RRA (Registered Records Administrator), this was my first professional job out of college. I had supervisory responsibility for a staff of 20 in the Health Information Services Division, and my responsibilities included all personnel matters, development of policies and procedures and control of recording and dictation system. After two years, I was promoted to a newly-created position in the Information Systems Department to develop the hospital’s first hospital-wide word processing system. In this position I was responsible for all office automation activities at the facility. Reporting to the Director of Information Systems, I coordinated the planning, implementation and management of the hospital’s word processing system, and worked as a member of the Information Systems team.