6.2 Deeper and Meaningful Relationships and Outcomes Through Workforce Development Programs – Dick Buschmann, Ron Costanzo, Holly Dommer, & Sunnie Johnson-Lain
Connecting SVdP Rule, Catholic Social Teaching and more to how lives are transformed through work. Identifying programs with different approaches, target populations, different career interests, to lead to the dignity of work and the path to self-sufficiency. The National Workforce Development Task Force offers resources and practice sharing for any related efforts or proposed efforts.
Dick Buschmann
Dick Buschmann is a Volunteer and Developer of the Milwaukee Workforce Development (WFD) Program which promotes workforce connections to Community Partners for our neighbors referred from Conferences. Retired County Economic Support Administrator, currently a Volunteer Food Pantry Director and a Vincentian for 40 years.
Ron Costanzo
Holly Dommer
Programs Coordinator, Des Moines
Holly Dommer, a native of Ottumwa, Iowa. A graduate of Central College, I have worked in the fields of Education, Social Work, and Juvenile Justice for at risk youth population for 27 years. I came to St. Vincent de Paul three years ago as their Programs Coordinator in Des Moines, Iowa. I facilitate the Back2Work Program for individuals who are either under-employed or unemployed and looking for a career to be successful in. We pair our Back2Work program with a Department of Human Services Grant called The Employment and Training Program. This is an additional supportive program for clients working on their career path. I oversee and am a Case Manager for this program.
My other job duties include overseeing both food pantries at our SVdP campus’s. Food security is a crucial part of our SVdP Mission, and essential for self-sufficiency. The additional rewarding part of my job is onboarding and supporting our new employees and volunteers. I recently completed and achieved the SHRM Certification for Human Resources. I have two grown, twin boys who I am honored to say I am their mother. They live close enough that I get to spend time with on a regular basis. For fun, I enjoy crewing for Hot Air Balloons which have been a part of my family’s life for nearly 20 years.
Sunnie Johnson Lain
Director, Conference & Services Learning
St. Vincent de Paul Cincinnati
Sunnie Johnson-Lain has been part of the SVDP family for more than 15 years. She serves as the Chief Services and Strategy Officer for St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati as well as the Spiritual Advisor for the Archdiocesan Council of Cincinnati and a Lead Formator for the Mideast Region. She has served on the National Formation Committee and currently serves on the National Workforce Development Committee. Her passion is walking alongside her fellow Vincentian to help them to discover and develop their unique vocation and gifts.
6.4 Empowering Future Generations: The Importance of Planned Giving – Ryan Carney & Dennis Kempf
This workshop will provide practical guidance on how to begin asking for planned gifts effectively. We'll discuss the delicate art of initiating these conversations and explore strategies for communicating the long-term benefits of these commitments. Furthermore, the session will delve into the reasons why Vincentians should consider including the Society in their own estate plans. By leaving a legacy through a bequest or other forms of planned giving, you not only uphold the Vincentian spirit of charity, but also empower future generations to continue the work we've begun.
We'll share inspiring stories of how planned giving has sustained our efforts in challenging times, and underscore how your personal estate plan can significantly contribute to this enduring legacy. Join us for this essential workshop and discover how you can leave an indelible mark on the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Ryan Carney
Chief Advancement Officer
National Council, SVdP
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 2015, Ryan joined the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) as their Director of Philanthropy. While there, he worked with major gifts and planned giving in the Southeastern United States. 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.
Dennis Kempf
7.1 Leveraging Local Partnerships (Panel) – Host: Jack Murphy; Panelists: Ned Delmore, Michael Mies, Mirya Roach, & Anne Watson
A panel of SVdP Leaders will share their experiences of leveraging local partnerships to serve their neighbors in need. The panel will discuss challenges, benefits, and different ways they have been able to help their neighbors by working with others in their communities. Some have even developed advocacy campaigns, built coalitions, and developed working partnerships. By nature, nonprofit leaders will identify a problem and insert themselves as the solution. Rather they should survey the local landscape for partners and collaborators to find ways that resources can be pooled to maximize effectives while eliminating duplication of services.
Host: Jack Murphy
Voice of the Poor Committee Chair
National Council, SVdP
Jack Murphy has more than 20 years of working for and with Fortune 500 companies in operations, human resources, training, and quality areas. Jack was a senior adjunct professor for Quality & Operations Management at Keller Graduate School for 14 years. Currently, he is in the Investor Relations area of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. He serves on both the National and Georgia Boards of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, responsible for Diversity, Advocacy, & Systemic Change. He chairs the North Fulton Poverty Task Force. Jack received a BA in psychology from Belmont Abbey College and a MEd. from the UNC-Greensboro. Jack and his wife Nancy, a retired elementary school principal, have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. They live in Alpharetta, GA.
Panelist: Ned Delmore
Ned Delmore serves as Senior Advisor for the SVdP Seattle|King County District Council. He previously served as Executive Director from 2011 to 2019. During that time, he helped start Centro Rendu in response to the disproportionality of needs and lack of services targeted to the Latino community. Ned came to SVdP after a long career serving youth and families and managed at every level within the juvenile court system. In his leadership role as director, he was credited with making Kitsap’s juvenile justice system more rehabilitative and less custodial and getting to the root of self-destructive behavior; while fostering systemic change in the lives of those affected by poverty and the juvenile justice system. Currently, Ned also serves on the Board of Trustees for the local chapter of the Catholic Charities Corporation of the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Panelist: Michael Mies
Mike Mies joined St. Vincent de Paul Georgia as Executive Director in January after more than 20 years’ volunteer experience with the organization. In addition to being a longtime caseworker, Mike has served as Conference Spiritual Advisor, Conference President, District Council President and most recently Archdiocesan Council President and National Council Member. Outside of SVdP, Mike has held senior management roles in automotive, telecom and environmental technology businesses, in both the US and Europe. A native of the Detroit area, Mike earned his BA-Economics (magna cum laude) from the University of Michigan, and MBA (magna cum laude) from Wayne State University.
Panelist: Mirya Roach
Mirya Muñoz-Roach became the executive director of St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle-King County in 2019 after serving as Associate Director, Chief Program Office and Director for Hispanic/Latino Engagement at SVdP. She helped start the Centro Rendu program in 2013. Mirya grew up in Puerto Rico and has served in lay pastoral ministry in Michigan and as a lay ecclesial minister in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Muñoz-Roach holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management and Human Resources from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree from Seattle University in pastoral studies. For the past 15 years, she has been actively serving immigrant and low-income communities across King and Pierce Counties, forming leaders, promoting equity in education, and advocating for individuals and families affected by systems that perpetuate inequality and poverty. Muñoz Roach has served as a board member for the Archdiocesan Office for Catholic Schools, Latino Pastoral Leaders Network, Access to Justice (ATJ) board of the Supreme Court of the State of Washington and currently serves on the board for the WWCC (Western Washington Catholic Conference).
Panelist: Anne Watson
Anne Watson has served as the Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County, Indiana since 2013. The District Council serves nearly 65,000 neighbors in need annually living in and around South Bend, Indiana. Anne began her career in the private sector, working in network technology, before feeling a calling to work with families in need. She has served on the board of the Christ Child Society of South Bend and is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Positive Change, a non-profit dedicated to addressing mental health concerns for families and children who struggle with poverty. She is a member of the St. Pius X Conference in Granger, Indiana and also serves in the cantor ministry and as a coach at the St. Pius X School. Anne holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!) and is in her last year of studies for her master's in social work from Indiana University. She is a native of Northern Indiana, where she resides with her husband Jonathan, and three daughters, Claire, Madeline and Elizabeth.
7.2 Recruiting New Members: Opportunity to Serve the Lord – Host: Cathy Garcia, Panelists: Cindy Estrada & Michael Fleming, & Susan Wiland
Come to learn and share what conferences/councils have learned works best to recruit new members. We will share developing growth strategies targeting new conference opportunities as well as engagement of Parish communities through consistent communication, Pulpit appeals, follow up orientations, training, and shepherding new Vincentians on home visits. We will also share the "just ask” idea to help with growth and recruitment.
Host: Cathy Garcia
Disaster Services Corporation
Cathy Garcia joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 1999, after seeing a bulletin insert of a meeting for SVDP. She called Father Lawrence Matula and inquired about SVDP and this meeting. Father had explained the assistance of home visits and that is all Cathy had to hear. She wanted to join because her Grandparents Santiago and Catalina Saucedo would take her when she was a little girl to home visits with SVDP. Cathy has been a Conference President, VP, Secretary for St. Robert Bellarmine Conference. Her mentor was Edwin Petering, who invited her to be his proxy to a Mid Year meeting in Washington DC. He asked her to the Annual meeting and used the excuse that he couldn’t sit for very long for the business meetings. Cathy was so honored to be of service and agreed. Cathy has been attending Annual meeting since 2003. She didn’t know that Edwin Petering was forming her in Servant Leadership. Cathy has been the Council President of the Diocese of Victoria in Texas and currently appointed to VP of the Council. Cathy has served on the National Level of SVDP USA as a National Council Member. She was appointed to the MCD Ad Hoc Committee and involved in the creation of the MCD Handbook under Past National President Joe Flanigan. She served as the National Chair of the Multi-Cultural Diversity Issues and Initiatives for 6 years under Past President Sheila Gilbert. She currently appointed by National President Ralph Middlecamp to serve on the National Extension Committee.
She was hired by DSC SVDP USA to work the Project Comeback Texas as a DCM Supervisor serving Wharton, Jackson, Victoria, Aransas and Nueces counties, overseeing 12 DCMs. In August 1st, Cathy will supervisor the extended DCMP serving 10 counties in the Diocese of Victoria. Cathy served in 2010 as a DCM supervisor after Hurricane Alex in the Diocese of Brownsville and in 2013 was hired on by SVDP Disaster to work the ODRP after the 2013 Tornados in Oklahoma, in addition, assisted with the Texas Bastrop fires.
Panelist: Cindy Estrada
Cindy joined the Society in 2016 as Secretary for the Our Lady of Lourdes Conference in West Dallas. She joined the Diocesan Council as a Vincentian Support Leader about a year later. As a passionate advocate for families she’d previously worked with family life and education centered assistance organizations like AVANCE, HIPPY USA, North Texas Parenting Center, and Genesis Women’s Shelter. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Family Studies, and is a Qualified Family Life Educator. She’s served her church for over 15 years in a variety of ministries including Dallas Area Interfaith, Pastoral Juvenil, and Jornada Juvenil where she organized and led retreats for over 7 years for young adult Catholics preparing a new generation of servant leaders in the Latino community. Currently she still teaches a Catholic Social Justice Series there for the parish’s adult formation program.
Panelist: Michael Fleming, EdD, SPHR
Dr. Fleming has been a Vincentian for over 20 years. During his time in Miami and Phoenix he has filled various roles with St. Vincent de Paul. In addition to being an active volunteer (he estimates that he has been on over 100 home visits!), in Florida he was a founder and President of a Conference for five years, and in Phoenix he was head of Human Resources and Vincent Support Service for the Phoenix Council for twelve years.
Michael has been a management consultant/coach and hospital executive for over 30 years. He is a graduate of Loyola University and the University of Chicago. He lived in Brazil for many years and speaks fluent Portuguese. He is married with four grown children.
Upon “official” retirement from his job with the Phoenix Council last year, he was given the assignment to research and create a report and recommendations on recruitment and retention of Vincentian volunteers – especially the next generation.
Panelist: Susan Wiland
Susan was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and moved to the Chicago area in 1972. She is married to Jerry and just celebrated 10 years of marriage. She is blessed with 3 beautiful children, and is stepmom to 3 additional, or the Brady Bunch as they call it. After she retired 7 years ago from Motorola, she committed herself to parish ministries, from a catechist, responsible for 40 hours of adoration scheduling and a main evangelizer for Light of the World national travel team. She also is a Salvation Army service extension volunteer for the Hampshire township. She has been an active Vincentian at St. Charles Borromeo for almost 8 years, serving 3 years as Co-President for the conference, and is now serving the Vincentians of the Rockford Diocese.
7.6 Survival Kit for Conference Presidents – Marty Cormack, Kathy Iberle, & Bill Soucie
Do your Conference Presidents struggle with the administrative details of running a Conference? Are people unwilling to run for President because the role seems overwhelming? This workshop will help. We will introduce key concepts to help leaders understand the administrative side of leading a Conference, and to provide some new and effective tools to help leaders organize and track Conference responsibilities.
This workshop was developed by the National Leadership Task Force, chaired by Ray Sickinger. The Leadership Task Force provides educational tools and support to the Society's leadership. The materials for this workshop will be made available to Councils who wish to develop or deliver their own training.
Marty Cormack
Formator, District Council of Rochester
Marty Cormack is the District Council of Rochester, Formator, he has been involved with the Society of St Vincent de Paul for 12 years in the Church of the Resurrection Conference in Rochester, Minnesota. He was the founding conference president, was the founding district council president for the Rochester District, was the spiritual advisor for his conference and now serves on the National Formation Committee and Task Force for Leadership.
Marty was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, one of eight siblings. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from St Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. Marty is a retired IT professional having worked as a data center manager for IBM and as the Director of Technology for the Rochester Catholic Schools. Marty is also a Cojourner (lay associate) with the Rochester Franciscan Sisters. Marty has been married to his wife, Ginni, for 41 years and has one surviving son and one granddaughter. Contact: [email protected]
Kathy Iberle
Formator, Archdiocese of Seattle
Kathy Iberle has been a presenter and Formator in the Seattle area and Idaho for the past 9 years. She has a great love for the spirituality and history of the Society and has written training used locally, which led to serving on the 2016 Ozanam Orientation Committee. She has been writing and delivering professional training for adults for over 20 years, first at Hewlett-Packard and now via her own business, Iberle Consulting Group. www.kiberle.com
Bill Soucie
Bill is an active member of the St. Bede Conference in Ingleside, IL. Bill grew up in a small town in Montana called Polson; located on Flathead Lake near Glacier National Park. After college he served 4 years in the United States Air Force at the School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. Bill then obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. In 2006 Bill retired after 30 years in Research and Development in the food industry. Bill, and his wife Kathleen, now live about 40 miles north of Chicago and are enjoying the families of their 4 children who have blessed them with 12 grandchildren.
Bill has been a member of the Society since 2007. He joined the St. Bede Conference in Ingleside, IL and shortly thereafter was elected President of his Conference. Bill became a District President and in 2012 he was elected President of the Archdiocesan Council of Chicago. After serving 6 years as the Council President, Bill continues as an active member of the St. Bede Conference and serves on the SVdP National Task Force on Leadership.
