Join us in Arizona this spring for our Theology of Gift Conference, hosted by our friends and partners at Mary College at ASU!
Theology of Gift Conference
Speakers
Peter de Keratry serves as chief development officer for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, where he oversees fundraising across the Diocese of Arlington, the Diocese of Arlington Scholarship Foundation, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, and the Catholic Foundation of Arlington. As program coordinator for the Institute for Catholic Philanthropy at the University of Mary’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business, he teaches Transformational Giving and helps form the next generation of Catholic development professionals. A Knight of Magistral Grace in Obedience of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Peter brings decades of experience across multiple dioceses in the United States and in Australia to his work of connecting the theology of gift to the practice of fundraising. He is the founder of the Theology of Gift Conference.
Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg has served as bishop of Reno since 2021, following four years as an auxiliary bishop of Seattle. Raised on a farm near Okarche, OK, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa in 1989 after earning a geology degree from Oklahoma State University and later completed a licentiate in biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His pastoral experience spans parish ministry, campus ministry, high school chaplaincy, and formation work at the Pontifical North American College, where he served as vice-rector. Bishop Mueggenborg also serves on the Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). He is known for his warmth and clarity as a shepherd and teacher.
Jamie Crane leads stewardship and development efforts for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Working first alongside Bishop Michael Sheridan and then Bishop James Golka until his appointment as archbishop of Denver, she helped cultivate a culture of stewardship across parishes and diocesan ministries. Her work has helped the diocese build a model of stewardship renewal which invites, rather than requires, pastors and parishioners to participate in deeper Christian discipleship through generosity. Jamie served on the board of the International Catholic Stewardship Council for six years, where her leadership became a way to give back to fellow professionals and disciples for the support she has received from the association, and she speaks regularly on the practical and spiritual dimensions of parish stewardship. In addition to her work with the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Jamie is a consultant with Petrus Development, assisting clients in implementing sustainable development programs and campaigns. She has completed the Certificate in Catholic Philanthropy at the University of Mary and will soon complete a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in philanthropy.
Andy Day is president of Tillmore Partners, a fundraising consulting and execution firm he launched to help nonprofit organizations build stronger development programs, deepen donor relationships, and grow sustainable revenue. He brings more than 17 years of nonprofit fundraising leadership to the work, including service as senior director of philanthropy at FOCUS and as the founding vice president of advancement at Cristo Rey Orlando. Andy is a graduate of the University of Mary’s MBA in Catholic Philanthropy program and is known for a practical, activity-driven approach to fundraising, built on the disciplined habits and daily actions which compound into long-term success for a development office.
Sarah Newman is principal and director of mission thought leadership at Innovest Portfolio Solutions, where she works with religious and nonprofit organizations navigating values-based investing. A prolific author and sought-after speaker, she has written for the National Catholic Register, the Christian Leadership Alliance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and has spoken at conferences including the Legatus National Summit and the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference. Before joining Innovest, Sarah led development and advocacy work for Catholic nonprofits, including Bella Health and Wellness, and ran her own small business supporting fundraising for local charities. She serves on the Christian Leadership Alliance Advisory Council and several nonprofit boards.
Joshua Gideon is chief of strategy for the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, where he develops and implements strategic initiatives to grow the fund and maximize its philanthropic impact for Catholic causes. A graduate of Texas Tech University’s charitable financial planning program, Joshua previously served as director of planned giving for FOCUS, where colleagues came to know him as a devoted and highly capable steward of donor relationships, and went on to serve as senior director of gift planning for the Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado. His passion is helping individuals and families discover the spiritual and practical benefits of what he calls biblical generosity.
Kelly Vowels has served as vice president for advancement at Benedictine College since March 2005. She oversees donor relations, development, and alumni relations; cultivates the college’s revenue streams and avenues for fundraising; and has led Benedictine through two successful capital campaigns. Kelly’s career at her alma mater began in 1985 as an admission officer; she has since served as director of alumni relations, director of admission, and in the dual role of dean of enrollment management and vice president for advancement, leading admission, financial aid, development, alumni relations, and fundraising efforts along with the staff of both departments. Four decades of service at Benedictine give her a rare, long view of how an advancement program grows and matures over time.
Andrew Robison is the owner and president of Petrus Development, a Texas-based consulting firm helping Catholic and other faith-based nonprofits build transformational, sustainable fundraising programs. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Mary’s Institute for Catholic Philanthropy and is the founder of the Catholic podcast production company Back Row Media. Andrew’s development career began in Catholic campus ministry at Texas A&M and Ohio State, and includes leadership roles at the Texas A&M Foundation, where he grew annual giving tenfold in two years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Texas A&M University and a master’s in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
David DiNapoli serves as president of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Foundation, supporting the mission of the Rome-based pontifical university in the United States. Originally from New York City, David holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and brings a wealth of development experience to his work, having previously served as director of mission advancement for the Archdiocese of Denver and director of development for the Diocese of Portland, ME. He and his wife, Ellen, are the proud parents of nine children and make their home in Houston, TX.
Kathleen Hurtt leads The Orange Catholic Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Diocese of Orange, following prior roles as the foundation’s vice president of philanthropy for Catholic Schools and executive vice president. Her 25-year nonprofit career includes fundraising leadership with the Diocese of San Bernardino, the USC Caruso Catholic Center, and the Anaheim Family YMCA. Under her leadership, The Orange Catholic Foundation has expanded transformational giving through gifts of stock, real estate, IRA distributions, and estate gifts, securing the future of Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries across Orange County.
Jamie Cappetta is regional vice president of mission development at FOCUS Mission Foundation, bringing 30 years of experience serving the mission of the Catholic Church to the work of one of the largest Catholic collegiate outreach organizations in the country. Before joining FOCUS Mission Foundation, he served as president of Our Savior Parish and the USC Caruso Catholic Center, and earlier built development programs at the Catholic Center at Yale and the Newman Center at UMass Amherst. Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in ministry from Saint John’s Seminary in Boston, and a master’s in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Alongside Peter de Keratry and Andrew Robison, he co-teaches in the University of Mary’s Certificate in Catholic Philanthropy program.
John Flynn is vice president of philanthropy at FOCUS Mission Foundation and has led philanthropy for FOCUS since 2009, a period in which FOCUS has more than tripled the number of missionaries and campuses served. Under his leadership, FOCUS achieved the $250 million comprehensive goal of the Run So As To Win campaign. A committed and passionate advocate for Catholic ministry in higher education, John co-founded Petrus Development and Domus Development, where he remains a principal. Over a development career of more than 25 years in service to the Church, he has consulted with more than 60 Catholic campus ministries across the United States, helping many launch new development programs and others strengthen and expand existing ones. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas and lives in Lawrence, KS, with his wife, Lucy, and three of their four children.
Deacon James Coffey serves as vice president for advancement at The Papal Foundation, which supports the charitable work of the Holy Father in the developing world through grants, scholarships, and humanitarian aid. A graduate of Villanova University, he earned a master’s degree in moral theology from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary and was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2025. James and his wife, Felicia, are longtime members of Saint Denis Parish in Havertown, PA, and the parents of five children.
Monsignor James Patrick Shea serves as president of the University of Mary.
Monsignor Shea was inaugurated in 2009 as the sixth president of the university and, at the age of 34, became the youngest college or university president in the United States.
He succeeded Sister Thomas Welder, who had served as president for 31 years.
The oldest of eight children, Monsignor Shea grew up on a dairy and grain farm near Hazelton, ND, just 38 miles from the University of Mary’s main campus. He began his undergraduate work at Jamestown College, majoring in English and history. He then entered the seminary for the Diocese of Bismarck, earning a bachelor’s degree and a pontifical master’s degree (licentiate) in philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He studied classical Greek at the University of Texas at Austin and continued at the Vatican’s North American College, studying theology at the Gregorian and Lateran universities in Rome. He has studied management at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and is also an alumnus of the Institutes for Higher Education at the Graduate School of Education, Harvard University.
Monsignor Shea served with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity at the Gift of Peace AIDS Hospice while teaching religion at two inner-city schools in Washington, D.C. In Rome, he served as chaplain for the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital and also at the Rome campus of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of Saint Thomas. In 2002, he returned to North Dakota and served as an associate pastor in Bismarck and Mandan. During that time, he was also the chaplain and a teacher at Saint Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck. He then served as pastor to parishes in Killdeer and Halliday (North Dakota), while teaching at Trinity High School in Dickinson.
Monsignor Shea serves on the Boards of Directors for Saint John Vianney Seminary in Denver, Relevant Radio, the Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities, and the Northern Sun Conference of the NCAA. He has been a member of the National Advisory Council to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. For the State of North Dakota, he has served on the Governor’s Commission on Education Improvement and the Attorney General’s Task Force on Human Trafficking. Monsignor served as chairman of the Catholic Identity Committee on the Board of Directors for FOCUS: the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, and he is a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Deeply committed to the education and formation of young people, Monsignor Shea is a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck.