Greater Chicago Area
Senior communications leader with extensive experience in nonprofit and religious communications, publishing, editing and marketing. Strong track record in the development and implementation of strategies that successfully communicate the mission and impact of nonprofit organizations. Extensive background in managing all channels of communications (print, digital communications and social media, and video) and public and media relations. Past president of the Associated Church Press and board member of the Siena Center at Dominican University. Native German speaker with intermediate Spanish and some French and Italian skills. ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Improved content, design, production and distribution of Extension magazine, leading to its revitalization, a 25-percent increase in donations and dozens of awards. • Leveraged large network of religious and secular media contacts to increase coverage and publicity for Catholic Extension (incl. eight new national media outlets). • Improved planning and content for “Catholic Extension” broadcast episodes, winning two “Gabriel Awards” (the Catholic “Oscar”). • Launched a new televised Sunday Mass project for Catholic Extension, a collaboration with four dioceses. • Led three-year strategic planning process that exceeded its goal of improving Claretian Publications’ bottom line by 25 percent. • Planned and led launch of new bilingual ¡OYE! magazine, providing young Latino Catholics with unique faith discernment and leadership guidance and resources.
Reporting to the COO, directed multifaceted communications including print, television, digital and social media. Staff of four and budget of more than $1 million. • Directed the communications and marketing efforts of Catholic Extension, a national Catholic fundraising organization. Managed a team of four employees and eight to 10 vendors. • Wrote, edited and directed the content, design, production and distribution of Extension quarterly magazine (with a readership of 100,000). • Planned and oversaw content and production of quarterly half-hour broadcast series “Catholic Extension,” aired on Catholic television channels throughout the country. Won two “Gabriels” (the Catholic “Oscars”). • Oversaw multifaceted digital communications and social-media efforts. • From 2016 to 2018, Catholic Extension won 42 awards from the Catholic Press Association, Associated Church Press and Religion Communicators Council for its magazine, broadcast program and digital communications efforts
Claretian Publications is a prominent national Catholic periodical publishing house of the Claretian Missionaries. Directed the editorial content, design, production, digital and social media, marketing, advertising, and fulfillment operations, including monthly magazine U.S. Catholic, the bilingual (Spanish/English) publications of the Hispanic Ministry Resource Center, newsletters, and parish resources. Staff of 14 and budget of $2 million. • Led three-year strategic planning process that exceeded its goal of improving Claretian Publications’ bottom line by 25 percent. • Planned and led the launch of ¡OYE!, an annual bilingual faith discernment and leadership guide for young Hispanic Catholics. • During tenure, Claretian Publications was the most award-winning religious publisher in the country, at times winning more than 40 awards in one year from the Catholic Press Association, Associated Church Press and Religion Communicators Council.
Managed the editorial, design, online publishing, and production work of Claretian Publications’ flagship publication, a national, monthly Catholic general-interest magazine.
Started as assistant editor and was rapidly promoted to managing editor of Claretian Publications’ Catholic social-justice magazine (published 10 times a year).
Contributed articles to many German publications, incl. Die Zeit, Deutsches Allgemeines Sonntagsblatt, Rheinischer Merkur, Katholische Nachrichtenagentur, Radio Vatikan as well as U.S. publications such as Christian Century, Sojourners, Wednesday Journal, and Catholic News Service.
Reported, wrote, edited, shot photos, and designed and produced pages for the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.