ISPD Circle of Catholic Champions

In celebration of our 35th anniversary in June 2024, ISPD is announcing our first Circle of Catholic Champions. This is a combination of individual Catholic leaders, parishes, schools, and (arch)dioceses that ISPD has worked with in the past 35 years. They represent the following traits that exhibit true Catholic Development – Advancement – Stewardship excellence:

• Commitment to engaging people
• Belonging leads to believing culture
• Proactive thinking
• Excellent stewardship of resources they have been given
• Collaborative leadership
• Ability to create and share an innovative and dynamic vision
• Mission-driven results
• Commitment to bringing people to Christ and Christ to people

This first year, we are honoring eight individuals, schools, and/or parishes. Those who can attend will be awarded their commemorative plaque at the ISPD Summer 2024 Development School in New Orleans this June 18 – 20.

We are excited to name the recipients.

• Father Dennis Hartigan
• Father Jim Manning
• Archbishop Moeller High School; Cincinnati, OH
• Holy Name of Jesus Parish and School; New Orleans, LA
• Jesuit High School; New Orleans, LA
• Mount de Sales Academy; Catonsville, MD
• St. Ursula Academy; Cincinnati, OH
• Scecina Memorial High School; Indianapolis, IN

Father Dennis Hartigan

We met Father Denny in a two-day workshop that ISPD was presenting in Columbus, Ohio in the 1990’s. Back in the early days of the company, we hosted two-day workshops throughout the country, usually putting on 10-12 per year in different cities. Father Denny was in attendance as principal of St. Joseph Catholic High School in Fremont, OH. From the first day, we connected; he got it. He understood that development was all about people and building relationships. Shortly after the workshop, ISPD was invited to come to Fremont, OH to do an assessment of the school’s development efforts. We found the school to be alive and vibrant, and Father Denny’s leadership was engaging and encouraging. He had a big and positive personality that was magnetic to those around him. It did not take too long, with his leadership, to help bring the development efforts at St. Joseph High School to the next level. Our focus was what we call the SPD (Strategic Plan for Development) with emphasis on Major Gift work. When we wrapped up the contract, we felt confident that the school would continue to flourish. It did.

Working in the Diocese of Toledo, Father Denny was transferred to Lima Central Catholic (LCC) High School as the president. Shortly after he took over, he called ISPD, and we worked with LCC on a Long-Range Strategic Plan which engaged over 200 people. This planning process led to a $9,000,000 capital campaign, which was unheard of in those days – especially in Lima, OH. The campaign hit its goal!

Father Denny moved on from there to Toledo Central Catholic High School, and ISPD was invited to work with them on a Long-Range Strategic Plan. Hundreds of people were identified,  invited, and involved. The Plan energized the school. Again, Father’s leadership was at the forefront – bold, energetic, and visionary. It was also during this time that he completed his PhD in Education with his dissertation focusing on Enrollment Management.

It is always a pleasure to meet and work with Catholic leaders who do not make the school or the parish about themselves. Father Dennis Hartigan is one of those people who continue to serve in that spirit.

Father Jim Manning

Much like Father Denny, we met Father Jim at the ISPD 3-day Development School that we were hosting in Atlantic City in the late 1990’s. He was pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish and School in Kettering, OH. Father Jim was just coming off a capital campaign that he admitted was one of the most challenging ventures he had ever taken on as a pastor. Working without outside counsel and relying on his own people and organizational skills, Father Jim was able to hit the campaign goal, but like he said for many years afterward, he would have done it much differently knowing what he learned in the coming years.

At the ISPD Development School in Atlantic City, Father Jim talked with us about the need for a Long-Range Pastoral Plan for St. Albert the Great. Shortly after the conference, we began to work with parish and school leaders, beginning first with an overall Assessment and then leading into the planning process, which involved hundreds. It was clear to see why the capital campaign had hit its goal under Father Jim’s leadership; he was personable, driven, engaging, and always wanting to do what would best enhance the faith life of his parish and school families. We followed the planning process into implementation with numerous implementation teams; the process transformed the parish and lived up to The Gallup Organization’s theme: Belonging leads to believing. In fact, it was several years later that Father Jim attended The Gallup Organization’s annual conference and brought back to ISPD and his parish the major tenets of employee engagement and how this reflects the involvement and enthusiasm of employers in their work and workplace. Much of the growth of the ISPD philosophy can be attributed to Father Jim and his mentorship with our company, and his involvement as our spiritual advisor in the formative years of ISPD.

Father Jim went on to serve as president of Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, OH, and ISPD had the opportunity to work with him on the school’s Long-Range Strategic Plan and then on into a $9 million capital campaign. These were tough times, because about the time we kicked off the Silent Phase of the campaign, the bottom fell out of the economy. Interestingly, the campaign eventually hit its goal, and the main reasons were the groundwork that was laid by Father Jim and the relationships that he developed and nurtured before and after his tenure.

In October 2006, Father Chuck Mentrup died in an automobile wreck on I-75 between Cincinnati and Franklin, OH. As we wrote about after his passing, Father Chuck was “one of the good guys” who was all about shepherding his flock. We had worked with him while he was principal of Bishop Fenwick High School in Middletown, OH. Before he passed away, Father had invited ISPD to work with St. Mary the Assumption Parish in Franklin, OH where he had been named pastor. We were moving into a capital campaign which grew out of their Long-Range Pastoral Plan. Coincidentally, Father Jim Manning was appointed by the archbishop to take over as pastor of St. Mary Parish, filling the shoes that Father Chuck had left.

There could not have been a better choice. With his calming demeanor and strong pastoral presence, Father Jim took that parish, in the midst of their grieving, and led them forward, making the bold decision, with input from hundreds, to move the parish from Franklin, OH to Springboro, OH. This was a great move, and ISPD had the opportunity to work with Father Jim on a capital campaign that ended up hitting their goal and building a new church which today is growing in leaps and bounds. Father was the trailblazer; he was the rock that led these people through some challenging years. From St. Albert the Great to Archbishop Alter to St. Mary Parish, Father Jim Manning has been the type of Catholic leader ISPD is proud to call our friend, colleague, and mentor.

Archbishop Moeller High School; Cincinnati, OH

In 2016, ISPD was invited by the president and the board of Archbishop Moeller High School to work with the school on creating a Strategic Growth Plan. For years, the school had an outstanding reputation as a athletic powerhouse, especially in football. Gerry Faust, who went on to serve as head coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1981 to 1985, served as head coach at Moeller from 1962 to 1980 where he tallied a mark of 178-23-2 and won four high school football championships. He had built the program from scratch.

Marshall Hyzdu, the new president at Moeller when we were invited, knew that he had to build on the school’s athletic reputation, but he also knew that in order to stay relevant in the coming years, Moeller needed to also focus on the Student Experience, Academic Excellence, Technology Innovation, Catholic Identity, and the Fine Arts. The first step was working with the board and creating their new mission statement – one of the best ones we have ever been part of. “Archbishop Moeller High School. Catholic. Marianist. Forming Our Students into Remarkable Men.” This was the common denominator that was the theme of the planning process.

Out of the Strategic Growth Plan grew the plans for a $15+ million capital campaign. Under the leadership of the board; the five Operational Chair couples; Marshall Hyzdu; and Mary Fischer, Vice-President of Advancement, the campaign soared and far surpassed its original goal, raising over $20 million. Here is the catch. Halfway through the campaign, COVID reared his ugly head, and different strategic actions were taken. There was talk about the campaign being put on hold, and it was for a couple of months, but then under the above leadership, everything kicked back in and through virtual communication, selected in-person conversations, and numerous phone calls and Zoom visits, Archbishop Moeller hit their original goal and zoomed right on past it.

Less than a year ago, ISPD was invited to come to Moeller and conduct another Financial Feasibility Study with the major focus this time on constructing an off-campus athletic facility. After speaking with numerous people and building off the success of the previous campaign, we found support for this next campaign and projected the school could raise (once again) over $20 million.

At first glance, it would be easy to say that Moeller is an affluent school with a strong financial base. While some would say that is true, it is interesting to note that they had never raised more than $5 million at any time in their history. With a new administration, a focused advancement effort, outstanding board leadership, and new mission, great things began to happen. They have built their future around that same theme that works every time, but one that few fully understand: Belonging leads to believing. Archbishop Moeller is truly a relational culture.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish and School; New Orleans, LA

In early 2020, ISPD began working with Holy Name of Jesus Parish and School (HNJ) in New Orleans. We were referred to the pastor, Father Mark Thibodeaux, S.J., by capital campaign leaders at Jesuit High School where we had just wrapped up a successful $30+ million campaign.

One of the first steps we took, before launching the Financial Feasibility Study, was to put an Executive Committee in place. While a few campaign office members changed over the course of the contract, there were four leaders from HNJ who met every week with ISPD for over two years – Father Mark; Kirsch Williams, principal; Amy Nolan, advancement director; and Liz Creel, volunteer and one of the campaign’s chairs. Father Mark, Kirsch, and Amy did an outstanding job in identifying and inviting the Steering Committee that worked with the Exploration – Discovery – Feasibility Phase. The results were positive; we projected that the parish and school could raise approximately $5 million. After much discussion, it was decided that $1 million would go to the church and $4 million would go to the school. The church would use the money raised to construct interior bathrooms, a new bridal suite, and an accessibility entrance. The school would build a new building (classrooms for infants through PK3, 2^nd floor bathrooms, new elevator, and have the building structurally sound for the addition of a future gym/community center). We kicked off the campaign in September 2022.

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work with a lot of executive committees at parishes and schools. This is the first group we put together in working with a new client. The group at HNJ was exceptional. They were always positive and always interested in hearing what parish and school families had to say. Father Mark was a new pastor at Holy Name, and he was the one who hired Kirsch as the principal and they both hired Amy as the advancement director. All three were constantly on the same page, collaborating, and building the future together. When Liz Creel was added as a volunteer, it was a great move. Liz and her husband Terry had been one of the chair couples for the Jesuit High School campaign, and Liz knew everybody in New Orleans.

With a capital campaign, oftentimes success depends upon whether the leadership is willing to listen to outside counsel. Trust and communication are two important words in the relationship. The Executive Committee at HNJ listened; they learned; they understood the language to use and not to use; they trusted the process and came to realize that three words make or break a campaign: timing, urgency, and momentum.

Before the campaign went public, HNJ had already hit the goal of $5 million. Close to 75 families were involved as leaders; Father Mark and Kirsch had numerous successful visits, and both made it a priority to build relationships. New connections were formed; new possibilities arose; new leads were followed. With Amy Nolan keeping the day-to-day operation on track, helping design the campaign materials and supervise the video production, and writing a number of key grants to local and regional foundations, the marketing was superb. Kirsch ignited the school community, and under her leadership Holy Name of Jesus School was globally recognized as a Cognia School of Distinction. In addition, during the campaign, they formed an academic partnership with Loyola University serving as a model school for the Archdiocese of New Orleans for those seeking to build university partnerships. Liz Creel continued to do what she does best – making connections and opening doors for the pastor and principal. Father Mark became the champion of excellence visiting over 100 people one-on-one and inviting their participation in the campaign.

With the $5 million goal achieved, HNJ set a “stretch” goal of $7 million, and when the campaign wrapped up they had raised over $7.6 million, engaged hundreds of people, and lived up to the theme of belonging leads to believing. The HNJ Community now believes in a vision that took many years to come to life. It all came down to the two words ISPD sees over and over when it comes to campaign success: LEADERSHIP and ATTITUDE.

Jesuit High School; New Orleans, LA

In 2016, ISPD was invited by Tom Bagwill, the advancement director for Jesuit High School at the time, to come and make a presentation to Father Anthony McGinn, S.J., the president, on how ISPD would conduct a Financial Feasibility Study. The school was considering a $25 million campaign that would be applied to major capital improvements such as:

• Completing the renovation of the school’s classrooms;
• Renovating the 1926 administration building;
• Renovating and air conditioning the gymnasium and second and third floors of the health and physical fitness building.

The Study proved positive, and the Campaign was launched.

During the Financial Feasibility Study, we personally interviewed 65 individuals and/or couples and received input from another 43 people via a direct mail questionnaire, with the same questions we asked in the personal interviews. Throughout our history, ISPD has conducted over 100 Financial Feasibility Studies, thereby interviewing thousands. Being headquartered in the Greater New Orleans Area, we had long heard about the ability of Jesuit High School to raise money; however we had always wondered why. Why was this school so successful with over $2 — $3 million raised each year in annual giving? We found the answer.

“Men for Others” is not a slogan; it is not just a theme and nice title to a newsletter. These words are lived by the young men who walk the halls of Jesuit High School and implemented by the graduates who move on to achieve great success. Here was a typical exchange, between ISPD and the person/couple being interviewed.

“Jason, in terms of your participation in a proposed capital campaign, here are a number of categories of giving. (We showed them categories ranging from 7-figure gifts to 5-figure gifts). When it comes time for you to consider a gift to campaign, are there one or two categories you might consider?”

“That will be easy. More than likely we would consider a gift in one of the higher ranges. This is not a difficult decision; the main question will be how high. Here’s why. When I was a student here at Jesuit High School, my parents could not pay full tuition, so I was here because of the generosity of someone else. Because of my education at Jesuit High School, I have been able to achieve some success in my business. I am a man for others, and now it is time for me to give back to the school that essentially made me the man I am today.”

Wow! We now understood. “Men for Others” – a mission taught and integrated with all who attend Jesuit High School.

Father McGinn, after serving many years as president, stepped down shortly after the Financial Feasibility Study, and Father Christopher Fronk, S.J. stepped in as the new president. Father Fronk was brand new to Jesuit High School and brand new to capital campaigns. However, there was one thing he was not new at: building relationships. In his 3-4 years at Jesuit High School, he set a new goal for the campaign — $30 million – and cultivated relationships with many Jesuit alums. “Minds and Hearts Enlightened: The Campaign for Jesuit High School” was launched, and the campaign raised over $30 million. This campaign addressed the following case points:

• Classroom Renovation
• Restoration of the Banks Street Wing (originally the Jesuit residence)
• Construction of a Pedestrian Walkway over Banks Street
• Construction of Jesuit’s new building at Carrollton and Banks in three decades
• Renovation of the Jesuit Recreational Center and the second and third floors of the Health and Physical Education Building
• Endowment Growth

Every Friday morning for close to two years, Father Fronk, Tom Bagwill, Jason Britsch (Campaign Coordinator), Father John Brown (Major Gift Officer and now the President of Jesuit High School), and Frank Donaldson met to strategize, implement, and track the success of the campaign. With a matching/challenge gift of $5 million secured by Father Fronk, the campaign soared over its goal on December 31, 2019.

Jesuit High School: where “Men for Others” is lived.

Mount de Sales Academy; Catonsville, MD

In June 2025, ISPD began working with Mount de Sales Academy (MDSA) in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 1852 the school was founded for the education of young women by a group of Visitation nuns from Georgetown. The first Catholic institution in Baltimore County to offer education to young women of all denominations, Mount de Sales’ earliest students represented nearly all states, as well as several European and Latin American countries. The school was set in the pastoral landscape of Catonsville, at that time home to many summer residences of well-to-do Baltimoreans. Even St. John Neumann once visited the school. As Mount de Sales gradually became more day than boarding school, boarding was discontinued in 1932. In 1979, when the Visitation nuns could no longer continue at the school, a dedicated lay Board of Trustees was assembled with the goal of maintaining and growing Mount de Sales Academy. They wanted a group of religious sisters dedicated to Catholic education to continue at the Academy, and in 1985, the Dominican Sisters of the Saint Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, responded to the call and took up residence.

When ISPD became associated with MDSA, our focus was on assessing the Advancement efforts of the school. Sister Mary Thomas, O.P. was the principal, and Elizabeth Savarino was the Director of Advancement. During the first month of the consult, one point stood out to us: the school was/is a special place. With the chapel at the center of the school, Mount de Sales is one of those unique all-girls schools where the Dominican Spirit is alive.

After the Advancement Assessment, we moved into a Financial Feasibility Study to test the marketplace on building a new Fine Arts Center. This was a topic that had been talked about for years and years, and a campaign to fund this building was even started and then discontinued. ISPD completed the Study in December 2016, and we projected that MDSA could raise between $4.5 — $5.0 million. They were successful, and the long-awaited Fine Arts Center was funded. Today, a beautiful new building, architecturally in tune with all other school facilities, stands as a testament to the excellence and dedication of the Mount de Sales Academy community.

In June of 2023, the school, now under the leadership of Sister Mary Raymond, O.P., invited ISPD back to work with the Advancement Team. The goal has been and continues to be to grow and enhance the already-vibrant Advancement efforts at MDSA. We focused on the following:

• Conduct an overall Advancement Assessment.
• Continually educate on a relational advancement culture.
• Restructure/refocus the job descriptions of Development and Enrollment Management personnel.
• Realign the teams that advance the school.
• Advancement Team
• Development Team
• Admissions/Enrollment Management Team
• Communications/Marketing Team
• Major Gift Team
• Advancement Core Team
• Create the Advancement Team Mission Statement.
• Create the Top 10 Selling Points and WOW of MDSA.
• Create the foundation to build a Master Plan for All Requests for Support.
• Further transition from Admissions to Enrollment Management.
• Initiate Alumnae Initiatives.
• Create the Strategic Plan for Advancement.
• nitiate a Major Gift Portfolio Process.

Just like the capital campaign, MDSA has been hugely successful. Here are some highlights of 2023-24:

• Enrolling 116 students in the incoming freshman class;
• Grew their Annual Fund from $738,935 in 2022-23 to $1,025,058 in 2023-24;
• Increased alumnae giving from 203 ($376 average gift) in 2022-23 to 263 ($545 average gift) in 2023-24;
• Raised $285,000 for scholarships with three new scholarships established;
• Record-setting $211,099 raised with 382 donors for Day of Giving;
• Established Major Donor Portfolio system;
• Created a Strategic Plan for Advancement with over 100 people involved;
• Had 265 alumnae and their kids attend the Easter Egg Hunt;
• Hosted 14 amazing events and receptions which involved hundreds of volunteers.
• Mount de Sales Academy: Who says all-girls schools can’t excel in Catholic School Advancement?

St. Ursula Academy; Cincinnati, OH

We first met Lelia Kramer when she and her husband Mac were parishioners and capital campaign chairs at St. Gertrude Parish and School in Madeira, OH. Father Ken Letoile, O.P. was the pastor and Sister Maria Christi, O.P. was the principal of St. Gertrude. That campaign was successful in restoring the church (“Open Wide the Doors to Christ!”). Once the restoration was done, ISPD was invited back a couple of years later to complete the capital campaign to build the school.

We have worked with a lot of outstanding capital campaign chairs through the years; however, Lelia and Mac were exceptional. When Lelia contacted me a few years later and asked if I would write a letter of recommendation for her (she was applying to be the president of St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, OH) it was a no-brainer. Lelia is a self-started; a dynamic leader who gathers people and instills confidence in those with whom she associates.

St. Ursula Academy, which was founded in 1910 by Mother Fidelis Coleman and Mother Baptista Fraener, opened its doors on September 17th with 63 students from K-12th grades. A year later in 1911, the school moved to its current location at 1339 East McMillan Street. For over 100 years, girls have come from across the Greater Cincinnati area to receive an education rooted in Ursuline values. The neighborhood provides St. Ursula students with its unique “neighborhood classroom” rich in cultural attractions within walking distance and the downtown area within a five-minute drive.

During the 2012-13 school year, Lelia and the board of St. Ursula Academy, invited ISPD to come and work with the school to create a new Long-Range, Strategic Plan. Hundreds of people were involved in the planning workshops, and to culminate the process we held a two-day Convocation and invited numerous people from throughout the community. The most amazing thing happened at St. Ursula Academy. With the Convocation starting at 3:00 PM on Friday and nine Planning Area Teams meeting for over four hours, we convened on Saturday morning from 8:30 AM to 12 Noon. There were more people there the second day than the first! All of this was a testament to the leadership that Lelia Kramer and the board exhibited. We presented the Final Pan in May 2013.

After implementation was underway, and the Plan was making a difference, the board decided to move forward on a Financial Feasibility Study. The school was testing the marketplace to see how much support they could get for projects worth $8 million – all growing out of the Long-Range Strategic Plan. ISPD projected that St. Ursula Academy could raise between $6.0 — $6.5 million, and that is exactly what they did. Through Lelia’s leadership, the campaign was a huge success.

Throughout the strategic plan process, the Financial Feasibility Study, and the capital campaign, one thing was clear: St. Ursula Academy was an all-girls school that was on the move, with outstanding leadership from the president and with a board that strongly believed in the value of an Ursuline education.

After 35 years, ISPD has had the opportunity to work with all kinds of leaders. The most successful consults have been with those schools, parishes, and (arch)dioceses where the leaders listened, and they worked collaboratively to accomplish tasks. They checked their ego at the door and expected us to do the same. What resulted was a partnership where the mission was the most important focus point. St. Ursula Academy was such a school; it is no surprise that the school continues to strive today.

Scecina Memorial High School; Indianapolis, IN

I met Joe Therber at the NCEA Convention in New Orleans, LA in 2011. I was giving a presentation on “Customer Service in Catholic Schools.” Back then, this was a new topic and kind of scary for many Catholic school leaders. Joe was a somewhat new president at Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis, IN (he began in October 2008). Shortly after the convention, Joe invited me to do a workshop for the administrators and teachers of the Eastside Deanery Schools – at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and School in Indy. The topic was “Hospitality and Customer Service in a Catholic School.” I remember that workshop; I remember the people and how receptive they were as I told my story of how I became involved in this ministry. I thanked Joe for the opportunity, and that workshop was the beginning of a long relationship with Scecina Memorial High School, Joe Therber, and the board – one which still continues today.

Scecina is named after Father Thomas Scecina who was a priest with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, a man who served God and country as a military chaplain during World War II before perishing at sea with other U.S. prisoners of war in 1944. The school opened in September of 1953 with 128 freshman girls and 127 freshman boys, under Father Harry Hoover, the founding principal who had overseen the construction of the school.

I remember that when Joe took over, the school was challenged; there was a good number of competitive schools; enrollment was not robust; advancement had not yet engaged the strong alumni base of Scecina; there was not a Strategic Growth Plan that was relevant; and there was foundational work that needed to be completed by the president and the board in order for Scecina to flourish and not just try and survive.

ISPD was hired by the board to conduct a Strategic Growth Plan, help revamp the Advancement efforts – which all led to a successful $6+ million capital campaign which was conducted in the middle of Covid.

Under the leadership of Joe Therber and the board, Scecina Memorial High School has enjoyed a decade of immense growth. Inspired by Gospel values, the educators, administrators, and support staff deeply care for and support every student in this diverse and gifted community. Enrollment has grown 22 percent through continual program growth and improvements, outstanding relationships with East Deanery parish and school leaders, and an international student program.

During the past decade, Scecina has initiated or substantially expanded the following supports and services that benefit our students: Instructional coaching for teachers, student counseling services, biomedical sciences curriculum, classes for English Language Learners, music and performing arts classes, school-wide 1:1 technology initiative, study skills classes, accommodations for students who have individual service plans, and campus ministry offerings.

Extra-curricular offerings in interscholastic athletics, clubs, activities, and the arts continue to provide vast opportunities for students to develop interpersonal and leadership skills while expanding their self-understanding, perseverance, goal-setting habits, and resilience in the face of success and adversity.

The most significant community-wide accomplishment during this decade has been a dramatic transformation of the Scecina campus, both inside and outside the school building. Alumni and friends have invested $20 million during the past decade to renovate and expand the campus while continuing to make a Scecina education affordable and accessible for a diverse and gifted community of students. In addition to these accomplishments, Scecina has operated in the black for 15 consecutive years.

The Scecina Board of Directors and Archdiocese of Indianapolis continue to forge a strong partnership with an equally bright future in store for current and future generations of Scecina students.

When asked why some Catholic schools excel and some just barely get by, we always answer, “It is because of two words: Leadership and Attitude.” Through outstanding leadership and an attitude that says, “We are here to stay,” Scecina Memorial High School stands as a beacon of light for many Catholic schools who continually overcome the odds to prevail and not just survive.