FADICA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• CEO
• President

BIO Alexia Kelley serves as the President and CEO of FADICA, where she manages and oversees the organization's strategy, staff and programs. In partnership with the Board and members, she developed the organization's current comprehensive strategic framework which includes a strong focus on member-driven research and initiatives, communications, and the spirituality of Catholic philanthropy. Ms. Kelley served for 10 years at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, with responsibilities for a diverse engagement and public/private partnership portfolio. She also worked previously for Environmental Resources Trust, a nonprofit that focused on market-based solutions to renewable energy promotion and climate change mitigation. Her first job after college was with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), the oldest ecumenical advocacy organization in Washington DC. Ms. Kelley co-edited the book Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary, with Dr. Kathleen Maas Weigert, and co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division. She earned a B.A. in religion from Haverford College and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and enjoys swimming, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Alexia Kelley serves as the President and CEO of FADICA, where she manages and oversees the organization's strategy, staff and programs. In partnership with FADICA Board and members, Alexia developed the organization's current comprehensive strategic framework which includes a strong focus on member-driven research and initiatives, communications, and the spirituality of Catholic philanthropy. Alexia served for 10 years at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development. She also served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and her first job after college was with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the oldest ecumenical advocacy organization in Washington, DC. Alexia serves on the U.S. Board of the International Catholic Migration Commission and the Advisory Board of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and Mission Energy. She has co-edited and co- authored two books on dimensions of Catholic social teaching. She received a BA in Religion with honors from Haverford College and an MTS from Harvard Divinity School.

Job Titles:

• Vice President

BIO Alicia Bondanella Simon directs FADICA's services to its most vital asset - the members. Ms. Simon oversees member development and coordinates research, member-driven collaborative initiatives, and FADICA's Catholic Schools and Church Vitality affinity groups. She began her tenure at FADICA as director of program and member services, in which she developed and coordinated organizational programming. Ms. Simon led FADICA's cutting-edge research on Catholic schools governance, Breathing New Life into Catholic Schools: An Exploration of Governance Models. Prior to joining FADICA, she co-founded and served as the first executive director of the Don Bosco Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program, where she raised nearly $10 million in job contracts with 80 corporations over six years. She also developed and managed diverse programs, including a national intern leadership program for the USCCB Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Ms. Simon serves on the Board of the National Catholic Community Foundation, and holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business and the University of San Francisco. Her passions include mentoring youth, riding motorcycles, hiking, traveling, and motherhood. Having moved around the country as an army brat, she has now settled into the Washington, DC area with her husband and daughter.

Job Titles:

• Treasurer
• President of the Catholic Community Foundation

Anne Cullen Miller is president of the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) of Minnesota. She joined the Foundation in 2008, first serving as investment officer and vice president of finance and investments before becoming president in 2013. Under her visionary leadership, the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) has grown to become the largest of its kind in the nation, managing $510 million in charitable assets and granting at $19+ million annually. Since its beginning, CCF has granted $230 million to our community. Anne's career includes more than 20 years of experience in the investment and insurance industries. She earned her BA in economics and MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Anne is an active community volunteer, currently serving on the board and investment committee for Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Anne also serves on the Saint Paul Urban Tennis board and the President Advisory Committees for both the Ignatian Volunteer Corps and MINNDEPENDENT.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Executive Director of CPS
• Investment Committee Member at Porticus

Bernard Brenninkmeijer is an Investment Committee member at Porticus and has been working for his family business for the past 30 years. Bernard holds a Bachelor's in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from INSEAD. Bernard is the Executive Director of CPS, the services organization inside of the Constanter Foundation. He also sits on the Constanter investment committee as well as serving on / chairing grantmaking committees. Prior to the CPS role, Bernard managed the Constanter investment portfolio for the family foundations with a special focus on the topic of responsible investing. Previously he was a Managing Director at Bregal Investments, sitting on various investment committees and working on both fund and direct private equity investments. Early in his career he held operational and financial management positions with the clothing retailers C&A and ARG in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Pasadena.

Job Titles:

• Assistant Secretary
• Flaherty Family Foundation As the First Executive Director

Beth Flaherty joined the Flaherty Family Foundation as the first executive director in September of 2015. The Flaherty Family Foundation provides high school college prep scholarships to high potential students with economic need. Beth has expanded and formalized the Scholarship Opportunity from 11 Flaherty Scholars at three high schools in the Twin Cities to over 400 Flaherty Scholars at 32 high schools in Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, New Jersey, and Montana. Beth brings a wealth of experience in education, having taught at public, charter, and private schools. She spent eight years teaching middle and high school social studies and coaching gymnastics in Summit County, Colorado. She spent six years teaching in Arlington, Virginia at Washington-Lee High School and at an alternative school, New Directions, which serves students involved in the juvenile justice system. In addition, Beth was a foster parent in Arlington County from 2010-2020 and began mentoring with Capital Partners for Education in Washington, DC in 2017. She is on the board of Women's Education Alliance which supports four Catholic Community Schools in Baltimore City. Beth earned her BA from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an MA in educational leadership and an MA in curriculum and instruction from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado.

Job Titles:

• Secretary
• Member of the Board of the Assisi Foundation of Memphis

Charles (Charlie) Schaffler is a member of the Board of the Assisi Foundation of Memphis and has served in several capacities including co-chair of the grants review committee. Charlie attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1963 with a mechanical engineering degree. Charlie co-founded Gorham/Schaffler, Inc., which specialized in the sale and service of commercial and industrial HVAC equipment, energy management, and control systems. He retired in 2007. Charlie has served on several boards and has a special interest in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, for which he served as a longtime board member. He is immediate past president of the Opera Memphis Board of Trust and past president of Concerts International. He is parishioner of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where he serves as lector and eucharistic minister. Charlie is a Memphis native and has lived there most of his life with his wife of 55 years, Mickey. They have three sons and eight grandchildren. He enjoys family activities, especially spoiling his grandchildren, traveling, listening to music, golf and agonizing over Notre Dame athletics.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Retired Registered Nurse

Christine (Chris) Wolohan is a retired registered nurse with over 40 years of health care experience. Her career history includes clinical, education, management, and administrative positions in a variety of public teaching hospitals and health systems and clinics in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Chris Wolohan has served on a variety of nonprofit boards, and currently serves as a board member for the Wolohan Family Foundation. She holds a BSN from Marquette University and an MS from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wolohan lives in Minneapolis. Her passions include leadership development, multicultural perspectives, faith, lifelong learning, and all things family.

Job Titles:

• Program Manager for FADICA 's Commitment to Child
• Program Manager, Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Initiative

BIO Colleen Crawford is the Program Manager for FADICA's Commitment to Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection, a catalytic, member-led initiative devoted to organizational safeguarding and capacity-building for funders and their grantee partners. Having joined the team in fall 2019, Colleen coordinated the launch of the safeguarding initiative and the Funder Safeguarding Pledge at FADICA's 2020 Annual Meeting. Previously, Colleen spent seven years in service to the Canon Law Society of America, a professional membership association committed to canonical education in the Catholic Church. In 2017, Colleen was named the first General Secretary of the CLSA, a position which reflected an amendment to the organization's 78-year old Constitution and By-Laws, and entrusted her with directing the CLSA's national office. Colleen earned a Bachelor's degree in English from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a minor in Philosophy. A native of Pennsylvania, she has lived in the DC area for 13 years and enjoys the city's museums and live theater.

Job Titles:

• Immediate past Chair
• Certified Physician
• Member of the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities

Dr. Maria (Mona) Robinson is a double board-certified physician in dermatology and dermatopathology and holds a master's degree in business administration. She earned her medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine and completed her dermatology and fellowship training at Case Western Reserve University and New York University, respectively. Mona is a member of the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities. Since` 1945, the Raskob Foundation has supported both domestic and international projects from institutions and organizations that identify with the Catholic Church. In addition, Mona is a board member of several national non-profit organizations.

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
• President of the Wolohan Family Foundation

Dr. Michael J. (Mike) Wolohan is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who practiced in Saginaw, MI for over 30 years. Mike currently serves as President of the Wolohan Family Foundation, a member of the Catholic Relief Services Foundation Board, and President of the Catholic Community Foundation of Mid-Michigan. Mike received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Harvard Orthopaedic Program and his fellowship in sports medicine at Boston Children's Hospital. Mike has been active in and has been supportive of Saginaw Area Catholic Schools for many years. He and his wife Marcia have six children and six grandchildren.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Founder and Executive Chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation

Gabriela Smith is the founder and executive chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, one of only 2.3% Hispanic-led foundations in the country, and has 25 years of experience in philanthropy, education, and the nonprofit sector. She received a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and both a master's degree in Latin American studies and economic development and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Gabriela has designed and launched innovative partnerships in education, as well as nationwide initiatives to improve outreach and services to disadvantaged communities. She is one of the founders of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning and the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center in Washington, DC. An entrepreneurial philanthropist, she is a founding investor of Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) and has been an active member of its board for 20 years, currently serving in an honorary role. VPP has raised and deployed over $110 Million to programs improving the lives of children and youth in the National Capital Region Gabriela has also served as a member of the Dean's Council of the Harvard Kennedy School, the Georgetown University Board of Regents, the Visitation School Board, and the Georgetown Scholarship Program Advisory Board, which supports first-generation college students and students from under-resourced backgrounds. She served as President of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders Washington DC Chapter and is a consultant to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Her early professional background includes supervising education projects for the World Bank and serving as a social worker for Catholic Charities in Los Angeles. Gabriela has been married for 30 years and is the mother of a son and two daughters.

Job Titles:

• Associate Director of Communications

BIO John Grosso is the Associate Director of Communications and is responsible for developing and executing strategic communications plans to reach both members and external stakeholders. Prior to joining FADICA, John spent eight years building and cultivating the digital communications strategy of the Diocese of Bridgeport as Director of Digital Media. Over his career, John has specialized in bringing best practices in communications and digital media in his work with parishes, schools, dioceses, and other Catholic organizations. Most recently, John has worked with the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication and General Secretariat of the Synod on communications and social media projects. John earned his bachelor's degree from Boston College and a master's degree from Sacred Heart University. John lives in Milford, Connecticut with his wife and golden retriever, and enjoys yard work, podcasting, baking, and creating community events for his neighborhood.

Job Titles:

• Founding Board Chair

Job Titles:

• Digital Project Manager
• Director, Catholic Funding Guide

BIO Jon Jakoblich is Digital Project Manager and is responsible for the Catholic Funding Guide, an online platform connecting grant seekers to grant makers. Prior to joining FADICA, Mr. Jakoblich spent 10 years building financial and operational excellence in Catholic parishes and schools resulting in offertory growth, debt elimination, increased school enrollment, and overall stability. Mr. Jakoblich has also developed and managed several websites for the past 18 years and owns an ecommerce business. Mr. Jakoblich has earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree from Boston College. In his leisure time he loves being outdoors, building websites, and learning new skills.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Trustee of the Mark

Karen Rauenhorst is a trustee of the Mark and Karen Rauenhorst Foundation. Karen earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Minnesota and a nursing degree from Creighton University. Karen serves as the governing board for Catholic Relief Services and is a board member of the National Catholic Education Association, Better Way Foundation, and Aim Higher Foundation, which supports Catholic Schools scholarship needs in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Karen is past board chair of St Catherine University, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Vice- Chair of Catholic Community Foundation. Karen provides national leadership in Catholic education and is committed to Catholic education access and affordability for students in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Karen focuses much of her volunteer time on helping families and children access educational and health opportunities in their communities.

Job Titles:

• Administrative Director

BIO Lauren Traskey serves as FADICA's Administrative Director. Rejoining the team, Lauren previously served as FADICA's Communications Director in 2015 and 2016. In her new role, Lauren focuses on the organization's general operations, human resource management, finances and stewardship, event logistics coordination, and board of directors. Prior to her return to FADICA, Lauren ran her own communications consulting business and served as Communications Director on the leadership team of Mercy High School in Baltimore. Her background includes extensive administrative and fundraising work in Catholic schools, as well as ministry and service-learning work at the college level. Lauren holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Marymount University and relishes any opportunity to learn something new. A native of New Jersey, she now lives in the suburbs of Baltimore soaking in time with her family, trying new recipes, and dancing every opportunity she gets.

Job Titles:

• Membership and Outreach Officer

BIO Lindsay McGregor is the Membership and Outreach Officer responsible for helping to expand FADICA's membership through engaging external stakeholders in philanthropy who are seeking a Catholic-inspired peer network enhancing impact. Her other key function is to coordinate FADICA's Catholic education initiative, catalyzing donor impact in Catholic education. With a background in fundraising and stewardship, Lindsay has spent her career building community and broadening support for Catholic organizations and schools. Most recently she oversaw the development program at Immaculate Heart High School & Middle School and prior to that spent seven years working to advance the mission of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. Lindsay earned her bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University. As a native of Los Angeles, she now lives in the suburbs of Nashville with her husband and three children and enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Job Titles:

• Director of Program
• Program and Impact Director

BIO Margaret Kowalsky is the Director of Program and Impact and is responsible for engaging members and other stakeholders in meaningful education, discernment, and relationship-building activities. She shepherds FADICA's Impact Platform process, guiding members to "listen/learn, discern/validate, and amplify/act" on specific themes for sustainable influence and change. Margaret is a creative and mission-centered leader with 20+ years of experience in faith-based global experiential learning. In her most recent work as Director of Study Abroad at King's College and, prior to that, with Catholic Relief Services, Margaret created curriculum that joined academic theories with perspectives from "the field" to shape learning for the common good. Margaret has taught theology courses at Villanova University and other institutions and cares deeply about intercultural learning, mentoring, and systems change. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Margaret studied at Wellesley College and Harvard Divinity School. She lives in northeastern, Pennsylvania with her husband and two teenage daughters.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Sister Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF, Ph.D., is a member of the institute of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis, Kenya. Wakahiu provides leadership and direction of the Hilton Foundation's Program Department operations budget, contracts, consultant management and policy implementation. She also oversees the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of the Catholic Sisters initiative, advancing the vitality of congregations of women religious globally, capacity-building, and enabling sisters to contribute more profoundly to sustainable human development. She also contributes to the Foundation's strategic planning. In her previous role, Wakahiu led the Foundation's grantmaking Program Department in an interim capacity. Prior to joining the Foundation, Wakahiu was the executive director of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC), where she implemented many programs by working closely with leadership conferences, major superiors, religious congregations and institutes, twenty-three partner colleges and universities in the United States and Af ri ca, and major foundations.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Founder and Managing Partner of PivotNorth Capital

Timothy (Tim) Connors is the founder and managing partner of PivotNorth Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, CA focused on disruptive innovations in computer science. Tim received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Tim has created over $40B of market capital as a VC and operator. Prior to founding PivotNorth, Tim was a partner and GP for 12 years at Sequoia Capital and US Venture Partners. During Tim's operating career, he helped build C-Cube Microsystems from a startup into a publicly traded leader in digital video, and at Tandem Computers he helped design Tandem's flagship Everest server line. Tim is co-author of three issued US patents and has co-founded five companies. He serves on the Advisory Council of the College of Engineering at Notre Dame and chairs the Notre Dame California initiative. Tim is a Stanford University DAPER Venture Investment Fund director and serves on the Archdiocese of San Francisco Finance Committee. Tim has been married for 23 years and has three daughters.