National Stores Meeting & Exhibitor Showcase

Enjoy a full-day National Stores Program, Lunch, and Whitehouse & Schapiro Plant Tour.

The National Stores Committee presents a day to showcase what the National Training Store can do to help you!   We'll have terrific guest speakers, successes at the National Training Store, as well as training videos, testimonials, and workshops.  A special working lunch with Executive Directors will be provided.  Fantastic door prizes too!

Jeff Beamguard
Director of Stores Support

Jeff began his role as Stores Support Director for the National Council in 2020. Jeffrey brings to us three decades of thrift store and non-profit experience.  His career started in Boise, Idaho as a store manager for the Idaho Youth Ranch (IYR).  When he started, IYR had three stores that help fund a large statewide program for troubled youth and their families.  He moved up in the company to become the Vice President for Retail where he opened 18 stores for a total of 21 locations raising over $2M annually.  With the growth of the stores there came a need for a larger warehouse. IYR purchased a 80,000 sq ft warehouse building to handle the production for stores.  He and other staff organized a group of retired executives from Albertson’s who volunteered their time to set up the interior of the building for efficiencies and material handling.

Jeff went to school at Boise State University, home of the “Blue Turf” He is married to Diane and has two children. Jeff enjoys boating and loves the Seattle Seahawks. He also likes to hike and go camping in the family’s 5th wheel RV. “I am so happy to work for such a great company doing what I love to do!

Dr. Ken Snyder 

Dr. Ken Snyder is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Say something bad about the Steelers and you will be immediately asked to leave the room. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Dental Medicine. Ken and his wife Jo Ann have been married for 53 years and they have made their home in Phoenix, Arizona for the past 48 years. They have five children.

He was in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona for 17 years. Ken has been associated with St. Vincent de Paul for over 27 years. First as a Staff Dentist and Children's Dentist, then as the Clinic's first Dental Director, and for the past three years as the Executive Dental Director in charge of Community Relations and Fundraising. 

He is an inductee of the Arizona Dental Association Hall of Fame. His number one pride is his St. Vincent de Paul Dental Staff and together they have won two national awards as the best charity clinic in the country.  Ken has done extensive lecturing throughout the U. S. and Canada on the benefits of Humor, Laughter and Play in our Personal and Professional lives.  

Dr. Snyder encourages all his patients to, "Be true to your teeth and they won't be false to you."

John Walters
Stores Committee Chair

John Walters- Graduated from Indiana University School of Business. Worked for May Dept stores for 40 years. Retired as Senior Director of Store Operations for 300 stores. I was Store Director of SVDP Thrift stores in St. Louis for 8 years. Grew from 4 stores to 10 and put together a By Pound store and central processing warehouse. Retired June 1. I am on the National Board for our National Store in Arizona and also Chair of our Stores Committee for National. Married to Lynne for 50 years and have 3 twin boys – a nurse and a Macys Manager.

National Disaster Preparedness Workshop

Elizabeth Disco-Shearer
CEO, Disaster Services Corporation

Elizabeth Disco-Shearer is the CEO of the Disaster Services Corporation for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA in the Washington, DC Metro area.  She oversees the disaster relief and recovery efforts of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States and American Territories. In this role she has extensive experience in the management of disaster response and has deployed to the California Wildfires, Hurricanes Florence, Irma, Harvey, Maria, Matthew, Michael, and other tornado and flooding events. Her work in DC involves interactions with FEMA leadership and coordination with other national leaders and policy makers in the disaster arena. 

Elizabeth has over 30 years of senior management experience and is a former College Administrator, Federal Compliance Contractor, Senior Partner of a Non- Profit Consulting Firm that assisted NGOs on regulatory compliance, an Administrator for Catholic Charities of Dallas, Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Dallas and a Regional Director of South Central Region of SVDP. She is a national speaker on Disaster Case Management and on Long Term Economic Recovery after a disaster.   Elizabeth recently conducted Privacy Act Training for West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Disaster Case Management Training for the State of Vermont. 

She has served on many NGO Boards including being President of the Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and the Texas Association of Financial Aid Administrators. Elizabeth is currently the Vice Chair for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, serves on the Legal Services Corporation of America’s Disaster Task Force, the Advisory Board of Missouri State University’s Customer Experience Program and on the Board of the International Women in Emergency Management. 

Kevin Peach
COO, Disaster Services Corporation

Kevin Peach is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Disaster Services Corporation SVDP-USA, recognized for his ability to create public-private partnerships to drive cross-sector collaboration. He has served in various capacities to advise the United Nations (UN), the Executive Office of the President (White House), the National Security Council (NSC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and private industry. Kevin's background is in emergency management, leading programs that address preparedness, protection, security, response, recovery and mitigation. Having served in various capacities for various local, state, federal, and international agencies, Kevin possesses extensive and diverse professional experience managing multilateral disaster responses, government organizations, complex disaster projects and emergency management programs. He has experience managing emergency field response activities, and the formulation and development of policies addressing the mobilization of resources during emergencies, the preparation of emergency plans, and the coordination of emergency operations.

Anthony Pluchino
National Director of Programs
Disaster Services Corporation

Anthony Pluchino has had a very diverse career serving in the Military, as a Teacher, Finance Industry Executive, Business Owner and currently in the Non-Profit area with DSC SVDP. His current position with DSC SVDP USA is the National Director of Programs. He has managed Disaster Case Management programs involving the 2016 Floods in North and South Louisiana, Puerto Rico Maria Program, Harvey Texas Program, Florida Irma and now Michael programs. He has written grants for the Disaster Case management programs, state Disaster funds, ARC Grants, EFS grant and NJ Pandemic relief fund. He is the Monmouth County, New Jersey COAD Co-chair. In addition, he is the Vice-Chair for the New Jersey state VOAD. Anthony serves on the National VOAD committees for Disaster Case Management and Long-Term Recovery. He has been instrumental in setting up DCM programs for the Louisiana, Florida and Puerto Rico disasters.

Executive Director's All Day Program

Steve Havemann
Executive Director
District Council of Des Moines

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. 

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."

Claudia Ramirez
Executive Director
District Council, Contra Costa County

Claudia Ramirez is a member of the of the SVdP National Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Director Task Force. She also serves as the Executive Director of the SVdP District Council of Contra Costa County. In her position, she serves low-income populations in the community while focusing on developing systemic change programs to promote economic sustainability for neighbors in need in the Contra Costa County.

Claudia is an effective team leader, skillful technical writer, and engaging public speaker. She has experience in the corporate sector, as well as experience delivering organizational training in topics including leadership, strategy, and planning. She became a Vincentian at the St. John Vianney Conference in Walnut Creek, California in 2011 and in the process, became more familiar with the true spirit and mission of the Society. After stepping in as Interim Executive Director of the District Council of Contra Costa County in December 2017, she was hired as the Executive Director in March 2018. Since then, she has overseen the Council’s three thrift stores, a free dining room, free medical clinic, free dental clinic, daytime homeless shelter, and many other programs and services offered by the District Council and its 29 Conferences.

Born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, she is able to relate to many of the needs of the neighbors who are served, as well as communicate in her native Spanish. Claudia is active on several leadership committees and serves as a Lector and Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist (EME) at her parish of St. John Vianney in Walnut Creek, California. She enjoys hiking, cooking, wine, and travel.

Michael Raposa
Executive Director
District Council of St. Petersburg

Michael Raposa serves as the Chief Executive Officer of St. Vincent de Paul CARES – a comprehensive homeless services provider headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL. 

 SVdP CARES serves eleven (11) Continuums of Care across nineteen (19) counties along Florida’s west coast – including the metropolitan areas of Tampa and Orlando. SVdP CARES is a power house in the rapid-rehousing (RRH) intervention and has directly informed RRH best practices nationwide.  Through the pandemic SVdP CARES has successfully rehoused 3,700 households (both veteran and non-veterans) and has become a leader in non-place-based sheltering throughout central Florida.  SVdP CARES also manages the Veterans Administration Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grant throughout the area – and is the largest SSVF provider in the nation.  They were one of the ten VA selected sites for the “rapid resolution” pilot project and was successfully diverting > 10% of veterans from the system.  SVdP CARES offers services for the entire homeless continuum including: day services, shelter, transitional (VA Grant and Per Diem), rapid re-housing, affordable housing, and permanent supportive housing.

Prior to joining SVDP Mr. Raposa spent 13 years working in neighborhood and community Services for the City of Sarasota and Hillsborough County.  He also has worked full and part-time for the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg for 30+ years.  Mr. Raposa was born in Massachusetts and has been living in Florida since 1987 after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Formation & Spiritual Advisors Program

In this full-day session, you will take a deep dive into Vincentian Formation, be introduced to new materials for Home Visit training, Servant Leadership training, the online Ozanam Institute, and the new Vincentian Pathway. We will close with a special retreat. The program is designed especially for Formators and Spiritual Advisors, but all interested members are encouraged to attend.    (Lunch Included)

James Davis
Spiritual Advisor
South Central Region

James Davis is a registered nurse who held a variety of staff and leadership positions in the Vincentian Health Care ministry at Ascension/Seton Family of Hospitals in Austin, Texas. He is a member of  the National Formation Team and has worked with teams to develop Spiritual Advisor Training, Home Visit Training and now Vincentian Discernment and Consensus. James is a member of the St. Austin’s Parish Saint Vincent de Paul Society Conference in Austin Texas and serves as the Conference Spiritual Advisor. He also serves as the Spiritual Advisor for the Diocesan Council of Austin Texas as well as the South Central Region.   His passion is the integration of Vincentian Spirituality into all aspects of Conference and Council Life.  

Marge McGinley 
National Formation Committee Chair

Marge comes to us with over twenty-five years of parish ministry experience combined with fifteen years of casual relief hospital chaplaincy and twenty years of care of the poor in the community of Mt. Holly, NJ. Marge holds a certificate in Ministry to the Bereaved, and a Certificate in Parish Administration from the Diocese of Trenton. Her Clinical Pastoral Education was accomplished at Cooper Medical Center in Camden, NJ. Her B.A. of Human Services further compliments her ability to recognize the social issues and family dynamics in every setting. Marge has been recognized by Burlington County as an Outstanding Woman of the Year in Social Service for her work with the marginalized population of her community.  Marge currently serves as a part time Hospital Chaplain, a District Council President, and the National Formation Committee Chairperson.  

Gail Rowe
Spiritual Advisor 
Midwest Region

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.

Ray Sickinger
Leadership Task Force Chair

Ray has been an active member of the Society since 1985. In the past, he has served as a conference president, council president, and Regional Vice President for the Northeast Region. He is currently a member of the National Board of Directors as a Liaison for Formation, chairs the Leadership Task Force, and has produced materials and videos for the formation of the Society's members and leaders. A member of the Providence College ordinary faculty since September of 1974, Ray has served in a variety of administrative and teaching positions. Formerly an Assistant Dean, Ray is currently Professor of History and Public and Community Service Studies. He was appointed Director of the Feinstein Institute on July 1, 2003, and served until June 30, 2012. He was Chair of the Department of Public and Community Service Studies from 2006-2012 and Chair of the Department of History and Classics from 2015-2019. His research interests in history have revolved around the impact of faith and service in the case of Frederic Ozanam spanning to the Nazi Era in German History, the connection of superstition and folklore in popular culture. Along with multiple speaking engagements representing the Society around the country, primarily focused on Frederic Ozanam, Ray has also authored many papers, writings, and books. Most recent, in 2018, his book, Antoine Frederic Ozanam, received first prize for best biography from the National Catholic Press Association.

Tim Williams
National Director of Formation
National Council, SVdP

Timothy P. Williams is the National Formation Director for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States. He a former senior executive in the software industry, where he also was a highly regarded speaker and writer, and he commanded Armor and Infantry units as an Officer in the United States Army. Before joining the Society’s staff full-time in 2020, he served as a Conference, District Council, and Diocesan Council officer, led Formation for the Society in North Texas, and served as a member of the National Formation Committee. In addition to his work with the Society, Tim served for three years as Chairman of the Board of Directors for a national veterans organization (USABOT), and as an appointed member of the Charter School Review Committee for the Texas State Board of Education.

Tim has presented on Vincentian Spirituality, Formation, and Heritage at numerous Diocesan, Regional, and National Assemblies, and his writing has been published in the Vincentian Heritage Journal. He has a degree in history from Marquette University, Certificates in Catholic Theology and in Sacred Scripture from the Augustine Institute, and is currently completing a Masters of Theology in Vincentian Studies at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. Most importantly, he and his wife, as long-time members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, have made many hundreds of home visits, serving Christ in the person of the poor.