Sourcebook

The following is a list of biographies of staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with their areas of expertise to be used as a reference by members of the media.

Alejandro Aguilera-Titus

Assistant Director
Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church

Hispanic Ministry
Native American Catholics
Intercultural Relations
Eccelsial Integration in Culturally Diverse Parishes
Ministry with Young People and Families
Issues and Trends among Hispanics/Latinos

Alejandro Aguilera-Titus is a nationally known speaker and writer on the practical application of theological thought to pastoral ministry and formation. He is an adjunct faculty member at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He holds a master of arts degree in theology from the University of Portland and a bachelor of arts degree in communications from the Universidad Iberoamericana, in Mexico City. He is co-author of the series Prophets of Hope, St. Mary's Press, and contributing editor to Liturgia y Canción, Oregon Catholic Press. He is a board member of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry and the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry.

LANGUAGES: Spanish

 

Rev. Al Baca

Executive Director
Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

Ecumenism
Interreligious Affairs
Parish Ministry/Cultural Diverse Parishes
Healing and Deliverance

Father Al Baca is a priest of the Diocese of Orange in California. He was ordained in 1989. He has served as parochial vicar in several parishes in hte Diocese and 12 years as pastor: 10 years at St. Cecelia in Tustin (2005-2015) and 2 years at St. Columban in Garden Grove, California (2015-2017). He has served in several leadership positions: Director of Spanish Charismatic Ministry, Priest Personal Board, Episcopal Vicar of Ecumenism and Interreligion, Regional 1 Representative to CADEIO, Co-founder of the Orange County Interfaith Network. He received his licentiate degree in Sacred Theology with a specialization in Ecumenism from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He taught in the Diocesan Institute for Pastoral Ministries (IPM) and for four years was the diocesan designate for Healing and Deliverance Ministries.

Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield

General Secretary
USCCB

Marriage and Family
The Theology of the Body
Christian Anthropology
Human Sexuality
The Virtues
Sacraments
Evangelization and Catechesis

Msgr.J. Brian Bransfield is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was ordained in 1994. He began graduate studies in moral theology with a specialty in marriage and family at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Rome. He continued studies at the Washington campus, where he received his licentiate degree in sacred theology in 2003 and doctorate in sacred theology in moral theology with a specialization in the theology of marriage and family in 2005. Father Bransfield served on the faculty of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania from 2005-2007. He taught in both the college and theologiate divisions of the seminary as well as the religious studies division, The Catechetical Institute, and The Theological Institute for Priests.

 

Msgr. Jeff Burrill

USCCB

 

Hillary Byrnes

Assistant General Counsel and Lead Staff to the Committee for Religious Liberty
Office of General Counsel

Religious Liberty
Church and State Issues
Catholic Education Legal Issues

Hillary Byrnes graduated from Notre Dame Law School, where she served on the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy. She earned her bachelor's degree in international politics from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Before joining USCCB, she worked at the law firm of Hunton & Williams for four years and at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division before that. She is a member of the bars of New York and the District of Columbia and has been admitted to practice before several federal trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

 

Mary Mencarini Campbell

Executive Director
Office of National Collections

National Collections
Promotional Campaigns

Mary Mencarini Campbell has more than two decades of experience at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the last 16 years in fundraising and development with an emphasis on national collections. She has presented workshops and keynote addresses on fundraising at diocesan and national conferences. She serves on the board of the United States Catholic Mission Association and was a member of the Accountability Task Force for the National Catholic Development Conference. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

 

William Canny

Associate Director for Anti-Trafficking Services
Department of Migration and Refugee Services

Human Trafficking

Crime Victim Services

Child Trafficking

Immigrant Detention

Hillary Chester provides leadership and vision for programming and vulnerable migrant protection efforts on behalf of victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants released from detention. She oversees the management of federal and private grants to serve these populations, and to provide education, training, technical assistance and consultations for a variety of audiences. She has over 10 years combined experience in direct practice and in national programs serving foreign-born victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied, undocumented children and other vulnerable migrants. She received her doctorate in anthropology from Southern Methodist University. 

Anthony Cirelli

Associate Director
Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

Thought/Policy of Benedict XVI
Catholic Theology and History
Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue
Catholic-Muslim Dialogue
Early Church and Patristic Thought

Anthony Cirelli holds a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America in historical and systematic theology. He taught at St. John's University in New York City from 2008-2011. He has published articles on Pope Benedict XVI and Hans Urs von Balthasar. He is currently on the board of the American Academy of Religion, Mid-Atlantic Region (AAR-MAR). 

 

Richard Coll

Director, Catholic Home Missions
Office of National Collections

US Mission Dioceses

National Collections

Latin America

Emerging Markets

Global Trade

International Finance

Extractive Industries

Cuba

Richard Coll is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and a member of the New York and Washington DC bars. He is an expert on international finance and global trade issues and concentrates in the areas of Latin American economies as well as on regulatory and foreign sanctions compliance. Prior to his work at USCCB, he served as managing director and counsel to a major multi-national bank in New York, responsible for international banking and corporate finance topics, as well as the establishment of banking vehicles and investment funds in Latin America. He has also practiced with a number of global law firms in New York and Washington.

LANGUAGES: French, Spanish

 

Virginia L. Farris

Foreign Policy Advisor for Eurasia and Human Rights, Office of International Justice and Peace
Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development

East and Southeast Asia
South Asia, particularly Pakistan
Kosovo
Water for the Poor
Religious Liberty
Torture

Virginia Loo Farris worked in public affairs throughout her extended foreign service career at the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Information Agency, focusing primarily on East and Southeast Asia. She also had tours in Africa and Washington. She served as a Congressional Fellow and as USIA Advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. She has a master of science degree in national security studies from the National Defense University, a master of arts degree in Chinese studies from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor of arts degree in social sciences from Michigan State University.

LANGUAGES: French, Thai

 

Ashley Feasley

Policy Director Services
Migration and Refugee Services

Refugees
Migrants
Asylum Seekers
Family Separation
Immigration reform
Human Trafficking
Displaced Populations and the church's view on these issues 
Unaccompanied Children Detention

Ashley Feasley is the Director of Policy for Migration and Refugee Services at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Prior to working at USCCB, Ashley worked as the Director of Advocacy for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC). She has taught at Fordham University School of Law and at the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America. Ms. Feasley focuses her work and scholarship on migration law — including immigration law, human trafficking, refugee and asylum law, and protection of vulnerable mobile populations. She has testified before Congress, published numerous articles and has appeared in the media speaking about migration-related issues. Ashley also previously clerked for the Honorable Evan J. Wallach at the United States Court of International Trade in New York.

David Felber

Director of Creative Services
Department of Communications

Project Management
Writing and Editing
Graphic Design and Print Purchasing
Publishing Software
Promotional Campaigns

David Felber holds a master's degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor's degree in English from Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut). He has twenty years of publishing experience, including twelve years at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is a member of the Catholic Book Publishers Association and the Chesapeake Bay Organization Development Network. He is married and has two children.

Rev. Michael J.K. Fuller

John Galotta

Executive Director
Office of Information Technology

Networking Computers

John Galotta holds a degree from Control Data Institute Computer Systems. He has over 20 years of experience and extensive knowledge on setting up and networking information systems. He is married and the father of three children.

 

Matthew G. Gorman

Associate Director, Systems Analysis
Office of Information Technology

Data Architecture
Database Applications
Software Development

Matthew Gorman holds a master's of science in Information Systems from University of Maryland, Baltimore County with an undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University. He has experience developing database software applications for both government and private industry.

 

 

Thomas Grenchik

Executive Director
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

General Pro-Life Issues

Thomas Grenchik was the founding director of the Pro-Life Office for the Archdiocese of Washington, where he served for sixteen years. He was trained as an architect and builder and graduated from the University of Maryland where he majored in architecture. He has also studied at the National Catholic Bioethics Center and is currently pursuing a certification program in Health Care Ethics.

 

Katherine Grincewich

Associate General Counsel
Office of General Counsel

Entertainment Law
Telecommunications
Intellectual Property
Broadcast Law

Katherine Grincewich holds a law degree from The Catholic University of America and is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and the Federal Communications Bar Association. She has written and spoken on legal and policy issues regarding telecommunications and intellectual property.

 

Regina Grunert

Manager
Office of Human Resources

Employee Assistance Programs
Employee Compensation
Employee Group Benefits
Health Benefits

Regina Grunert holds a master of science degree in Employee Assistance Counseling from Trinity College, Washington. She is a member of the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators and the Society for Human Resource Management.

 

Stephen R. Hilbert

Foreign Policy Advisor for Africa and Global Development
Office for International Justice and Peace
Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development

African Politics
Challenges, Problems and Successes of Development
Conflict
Economics
Peacebuilding in Africa
Rising Importance of Africa to the United States

Stephen Hilbert holds a bachelor's degree in Russian studies from Haverford College and a master's degree in International Affairs-Development Studies from Columbia University. From 1977-1980, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Gabon, Central Africa. From 1983-2007 he worked with Catholic Relief Services, with nineteen years in Africa, two years in India and three years at CRS Headquarters.

LANGUAGES: French

 

Linda Hunt

Associate General Secretary
USCCB

Employee Benefits and Compensation
Employee Relations
Policies and Procedures
Recruitment/Retention

Linda Hunt holds a master's degree in business from Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA). She is a former NACPA board member and a former member of the Prince George's County (Maryland) Human Relations Commission. She is married and has two children.

 

Paul E. Jarzembowski holds a master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago and a bachelor's degree in theology and communications from Valparaiso University. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago. Paul served as the Executive Director of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA) for over seven years, and has worked in youth and young adult ministry on the parish, vicariate, and diocesan level in the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet. He has spoken in and consulted with over 250 parishes, dioceses, and Catholic organizations; has written on the issues of evangelization, young adults, and ministry issues in a number of journals, blogs, and publications; and has been a syndicated columnist for Faith Catholic magazine, for which he won a Catholic Press Association award.  Paul and his wife and ministry colleague Sarah have been married since 2002.

 

Judy Keane

Director of Public Affairs/Media Relations

Judy Keane holds a BA in English and Humanities from Arizona State University and a MBA in International Business from the University of Phoenix.  She has more than 15 years of media relations and communications experience and has also worked as a broadcast news producer and humanitarian aid professional.  She is also the author a recently published book, Single and Catholic (Sophia Institute Press, 2016).    

 

Ralph McCloud

Director, Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development

Catholic Social Teaching
Peace
Community Organizing
Rehabilitation and Restoration
Capital Punishment
Poverty and Its Effects
Homelessness
Race and Its Effects on Poverty

Ralph McCloud attended Paul Quinn College and did summer studies in Catholic Social Thought at the University of Notre Dame. He directed the Office of Justice and Peace, African American Ministry, and Catholic Relief Services in the Diocese of Ft. Worth, Texas, where he was the city's former Vice Mayor and a city council member.

 

Mary McClusky

Assistant Director for Project Rachel Ministry Development
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

Mary McClusky holds a B.A. in Communications (radio/TV) and a Human Life Studies minor from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio and a M.A. in Moral Theology from Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, CT. She has worked at several pro-life and public interest groups in grassroots development, media, public education campaigns, and event planning.  

Barbara Humphrey McCrabb

Assistant Director for Higher Education
Secretariat of Catholic Education

Barbara Humphrey McCrabb holds a master of divinity degree from Washington Theological Union and a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. She graduated cum laude from Kent State University with a bachelor of fine and professional arts degree. She has served in campus ministry for more than twenty years. Service and spirituality are her passions. She worked to engage campus communities in service, reflection and prayer. In 2000 she received the Charles Forsythe Award from the Catholic Campus Ministry Association for contributions to Campus Ministry. She and her husband Don, have three sons: Andrew, Jacob and Martin.

  

Rev. Juan Molina, OSsT

Father Juan Molina, a priest of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, is the director for the Church in Latin America and associate director in the Office of National Collections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He supervises the grant-making program of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America and supports the bishops in deepening their relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean. Before his appointment as director, he served as foreign policy advisor for Latin America and global trade in the Office of International Justice and Peace at USCCB and previous to that he served as advocacy and fair trade coordinator in the Southwestern Regional Office of Catholic Relief Services. Father Molina holds a master of arts/master of divinity degree from Washington Theological Union and a Ph.D. in economics from Fordham University in New York City. In 2001, he received the Matteo Ricci Award for Academic Excellence in the International Political Economy and Development program at Fordham University and is also the recipient of the Honorary Graduate Fellowship of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. He has published several works, including the book, The Impact of Remittances in Developing Countries: Saving, Investment, and School Enrollment. Father Molina is also a member of the Justice and Peace Committee at the Conference of Major Superiors of Men of the United States.

LANGUAGES: Spanish

 

Jeffrey Hunter Moon

Solicitor
Office of General Counsel

Constitutional Questions
First Amendment
Litigation

Jeffrey Moon graduated from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, holds a law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, is a member of the bars of Ohio and the District of Columbia, and has been admitted to practice before numerous federal trial and appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and has held a broad range of governmental and corporate legal positions. He has written for the Catholic Lawyer and his speeches include, "How to Deal with Internal Investigations: The Insiders' Perspective." He is married and father of two children.

 

Michael F. Moses

Associate General Counsel
Office of General Counsel

Assisted Suicide
Pro-life Issues

Michael F. Moses holds a law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. He writes on legal issues such as abortion and assisted suicide. He is married and the father of two children.  

 

Mar Munoz-Visoso

Executive Director
Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church

Department of Communications
English and Spanish Media
Evangelization and Catechesis
Hispanic/Latino Issues
Hispanics & Liturgy
Immigration and Refugee Issues
Women, Marriage, and Family Life Issues

Maria del Mar Munoz-Visoso holds a bachelor of arts in communications with a major in journalism from Centro Escuela Universitaria San Pablo in Valencia, Spain, and a master of theological studies degree from the Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. She has sixteen years of experience as an editor and journalist and twelve years of experience in Hispanic ministry, with emphasis on leadership development, training, and organizing. She has worked in radio and the written press and was the founding editor of El Pueblo Católico, a Catholic Spanish-language diocesan newspaper. She co-founded and was executive director of Centro San Juan Diego, a pastoral institute and adult education center for Hispanics in Denver. She and her husband Rafael have three children.

LANGUAGES: Spanish

 

Deacon Bernard Nojadera

Executive Director
Office of Child and Youth Protection

Safe Environment Programs and Training
Clergy Sexual Abuse Response
Background Checks and Screening

Deacon Bernard Nojadera holds a master's of social work degree specializing in health and mental health services from San Jose State University and a master's of theology from St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California. He was ordained a permanent deacon in 2008. He has been a member of the Diocese of San Jose Safe Environment Task Force, the San Jose Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the YWCA Rape Crisis Center and their Child Assault Prevention Program, and the County of Santa Clara Interfaith Clergy project for Elder Abuse Prevention. Deacon Nojadera headed the Diocese of San Jose's children protection office from 2002-2001. He is married and has a son and a daughter.

 

Carlos Ortiz Miranda

Associate General Counsel
Office of General Counsel

Immigration Law

Carlos Ortiz Miranda holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Puerto Rico, a juris doctor degree from the Antioch School of Law, and a master's degree in international and comparative law from Georgetown University. He is a distinguished lecturer at the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. He specializes in and has written extensively on immigration law, especially for religious workers. He is currently Chair of the Committee on Religious Workers of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Ortiz is a member of the District of Columbia and New York State Bar Associations.

LANGUAGES: Spanish
 

Anthony R. Picarello, Jr.

Associate General Secretary and General Counsel
General Secretariat

Church Legal Affairs
Religious Freedom

Anthony Picarello is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, where he served on the Law Review. He earned his master's degree in religious studies from the University of Chicago, and his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, in social anthropology and comparative religion from Harvard University. Before joining the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he worked at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for seven years, at the law firm of Covington & Burling for three-and-a-half years, and as a federal district court clerk for one year. Picarello specializes in the First Amendment and other laws that protect religious freedom.

Mark Priceman

Communications Manager
Department of Migration and Refugee Services

Communications on Immigration, Refugee Issues and Human Trafficking Social Media
Media Relations
Unaccompanied Minors (UAC)

Mark Priceman oversees the communications strategy and social media presence of USCCB's Department of Migration and Refugee Services. He previously worked as the Senior Vice President of Communications for the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). Prior to working for NDSS, he was an accomplished  sports radio producer winning multiple national awards during his nearly 10-year career. He holds a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University.

Jill Rauh

Director of Education & Outreach
Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development

Youth and Social Justice
Youth Ministry
Young Adult Ministry
Catholic Social Teaching

Jill Rauh holds and a master of arts degree in theology with an emphasis on moral theology/social ethics from Washington Theological Union, a master of arts degree in international affairs with an emphasis on U.S. foreign policy from the George Washington University, and a bachelor of arts degree in theology and communication from Marquette University. Her professional and volunteer work has focused on social justice and the intersection of Catholic social teaching and youth and young adult ministry. Jill previously staffed the Education for Justice project at Center of Concern and also worked with Latino youth and served as an international volunteer in Ecuador, South America.

Theresa Ridderhoff

Executive Director
Office of Human Resources

Human Resources

Theresa Ridderhoff holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Stonehill College and a master's in instructional technology from George Mason University. She holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification, is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management and is a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator qualified facilitator. A native of Boston, Ridderhoff is married and has two sons.

 

Rev. Ronald G. Roberson , CSP

Associate Director
Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

The Assyrian Church of the East
Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue
Christian Churches Together in the USA
Christian Unity
Churches in Eastern Europe
Eastern Orthodox Churches
Healing the Histories of East and West
The Oriental Orthodox Churches
Polish National Catholic Church
The Episcopal Church

Father Ronald Roberson is a Paulist Father and holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Kansas, a master's degree in theology from The Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in Oriental Ecclesiastical Sciences from the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome. He was a member of the staff of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 1988 to 1992. He has written extensively on ecumenism and Catholic-Orthodox relations in scholarly journals and frequently speaks on related topics. He speaks Italian fluently and reads French and Romanian. Fr Roberson is also a member of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

 

Greg Schleppenbach

Associate Director
Secretariat for Pro-LIfe Activites

Abortion
Euthanasia
Assisted Suicide
Medical-Treatment decision making at end-of-life
Advance Directives
Biomedical Research (Stem cells, Cloning)

 

Todd Scribner

Education Outreach Coordinator
Department of Migration and Refugee Services

Catholic Social Teaching
Immigration
Refugees
Human Trafficking

Todd Scribner holds a master's degree in religious studies from The Catholic University of America and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the same institution. The focus of his studies concentrates on the intersection of Catholic Social Teaching and U.S. political life.

 

Mary Elizabeth Sperry

Associate Director, Permissions and Bible Utilization
Department of Communications

Department of Communications
Permissions/Copyright
New American Bible Promotion
Pastoral Usage of USCCB Publications

Mary Elizabeth Sperry holds a master of arts degree in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America, and a master of arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an associate member of the Catholic Biblical Association and of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Carlos Taja

Carlos Taja is a doctoral student in systematic theology at The Catholic University of America. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, Florida and a master's degree in theology from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. He has done graduate studies at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.  Carlos was a high school moral theology instructor and campus minister for three years. He also has experience working with university campus ministry and parish ministries. He serves as a teaching fellow at The Catholic University of America and has also taught theology at Marymount University, in Virginia.