Ralph is a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. He served as the executive director and CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for the District Council of Madison from 1999 until his retirement July 31, 2017. He began his career with the Society in 1987 as a store general manager. During his 30-year tenure, the number of stores increased to seven, and he developed the Center for Vincentian Charity.

He has served on National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Store Committee and Communication Committee, and is on the presenting team of the Society’s national leadership renewal program, Invitation for Renewal. Ralph also is a past member of the International Council General’s Commission for the Cause of Canonization of Blessed Frederic Ozanam. In 2017 was elected as National Council President.

Ralph is married to Dr. Cathy Hurt Middlecamp, who is on the faculty of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ryan Carney joined the National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul as its Chief Advancement Officer in February 2021. Originally from Nashville, TN, he moved to St. Louis to attend Saint Louis University, where he graduated with his degree in Business.

Ryan’s experience with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul began in 2007 when he started working at the St. Louis Council as their first grant writer. During his time at the St. Louis Council, Ryan held a number of positions including development, formation, training, and programs.

In 2018, Ryan was called back to St. Louis and the Society’s St. Louis Council to lead their Development Office, where he worked with St. Louis’s Executive Director, John Foppe to double their annual development revenue. Ryan has been an involved Vincentian at both the Conference and Council level. He attended Invitation for Renewal and worked with the Vincentian Family in St. Louis. He attended two international Vincentian Family Gatherings.

“I have a passion for the SVdP mission. I believe it is one of the most important apostolates of the Church,” said Ryan. “I am humbled to play a small part in building up the Society and providing resources to Vincentians to serve our neighbors in need.”

Ryan currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, Debra, and their four children, Clara, Mary Kate, Finn, and Jack.

Steve Havemann is the Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines, and President of Ask, Listen, Hear training and development. Through this work, Steve aims to help others think, and act, more positively and productively. This work resulted in the publication of his first book, The Excellent Persuader, and has been instrumental in the growth of St. Vincent de Paul in Des Moines. Steve has served as an officer for the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association, the Young Non-Profit Network, the Harvest Academy, and is a graduate of Leadership Iowa.

With a background that includes working with individuals with barriers to success, Steve has worked to grow St. Vincent de Paul by over 600% in his first five years, raising over $3,500,000 for the charity, while expanding their reach to a second human services campus. Additionally, SVdP Des Moines now serves more than 33,000 individuals and has locally developed the Immersion Prisoner-Reentry Program, and the Back2Work Workforce Development program, the first two nationally replicated programs for St. Vincent de Paul. Steve serves as co-chair of each of these programs on a National level and is integral in their growth and expansion.

A native of Des Moines, he graduated from Central College with a degree in Communications and Political Science, and earned his MSEd at Drake University. He loves spending time with his daughter, taking his daughter on adventures, golfing, tennis, writing, and landscaping. Steve believes that "Progress is not the advancement of technology, but rather the development and evolution of people."

Bill and his wife, Rose Ann Shea are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines and the Sacred Heart Conference of the Society St. Vincent de Paul. Together, they have six children and 16 grandchildren spread across three states. They keep busy trying to be as much a part of their lives as possible.

Professionally, Bill spent his career in agriculture and conservation efforts. He remains active in those endeavors though he officially retired in 2018.

Bill is involved in many volunteer activities. In church, he serves as a cantor and choir member, is a member, past-president and past district governor of the Des Moines Serra Club, an active 50 year life member of the Knights of Columbus, and most recently, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He is an active volunteer and serves as vice-president of his conference and as president of the Des Moines district council. He is also an active member of Rotary where he has served as an officer and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Bill admits that when he joined St. Vincent de Paul, he did not fully understand our mission “to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering”. “I have found that working directly with people at the nursing home, the food pantry, and Connection Café has indeed helped me grow in my spiritual life.”

Gail has been an active Vincentian since 2004. In that time she has served as her conference president at Most Precious Blood in Denver, CO, the metro Council Spiritual Advisor, and the Regional Spiritual Advisor.

Gail loves growing spiritually with all people, especially Vincentians. She is honored to present retreats frequently in Denver.