Our Board of Directors

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Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski

President

Maribeth is the NCCW representative to the WUCWO Board (2010-2018) and serves as WUCWO Vice President General (2014-2018). She was NCCW’s Province Director for the Archdiocese of Hartford and served on the International Commission and the Finance Committee. She has served as the Hartford ACCW President and Treasurer. She has served as the New Haven CCW President, Treasurer, and publisher of quarterly newsletter for members. She is a catechist, sacristan, extraordinary minister for communion, and Caregiver coordinator for her parish and is a Dame of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

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Jean Kelly

President-elect

Jean is married, with two grown sons. She began attending Council meetings as a child with her mother, selling donuts after Mass to aid the missions. As an adult Jean helped found the St. Mary’s Christian Women’s group at the request of her pastor and served as President. Jean was Milwaukee Province Director and ACCW Treasurer. She serves on the Pastoral Council, organizes food and volunteers for the monthly parish Community Meal Program, is a small group facilitator for a weekly Bible Study and teaches confirmation classes. She loves to garden, play golf and travel.

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Teresa Sarzynski

Secretary

For 32 years Teresa has worked through all levels of Council to Support, Empower and Educate all Women. A native of the Texas Panhandle, Teresa observed the dedication of the women in her large extended family in working at “Church” from dusting pews to serving funeral dinners. Teresa has served on the National levels of council as Province of San Antonio director, and on the nominating, resolution, Our Lady of Good Council and service committees. She and her husband Mike have three adult daughters. She enjoys quilting, travelling and all things Aggie (Texas A & M University).

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Rose Martinet

Treasurer

Rose Martinet has been a member of the Council of Catholic Women for more than 35 years. She has served on all levels of Council in many capacities over the years, including having served as President of her Diocese, Deanery and Parish. She has attended every NCCW convention and assembly since 1998. She was President of Friends of NCCW for WUCWO from 2011 to 2015. Rose and her husband, Joe, have three grown children and three grandchildren. She also has a BA with a minor in Speech Communications.

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Sheila Hopkins

Past President

For nearly 40 years, Sheila has participated in the various rings of Council and has worked for the Church for over 25 years. After more than a decade as the Director of Social Concerns/Respect Life for the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sheila recently retired. In 2014 she was awarded the “People of Life” Award by the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities for years of dedicated service to the Church and to upholding the dignity of life. Sheila and her husband, Maury, have been married 45 years and are parents of three children, two of whom are married, with three grandchildren. They are avid sports fans, cheering for their alma mater, Florida State University.

Province Directors

Kerry Whitney

(Province of Anchorage)

Barbara Birds

(Province of Atlanta)

Liz Schiavone

(Province of Baltimore)

Ruth Warren

(Province of Boston)

Mary Glosson

(Province of Chicago)

Veronica Way

(Province of Cincinnati)

Rose Guerrero

(Province of Denver)

Kathleen Penno

(Province of Detroit)

Alma Meyer

(Province of Dubuque)

Geralyn (Geri) Kogut

(Province of Hartford)

Rosie Castillo

(Province of Houston)

Beth Keele

(Province of Indianapolis)

Diann Nance

(Province of Louisville)

Jean Bazley

(Province of Miami)

Carol Brennan

(Province of Milwaukee)

Mary Ann Schmitt

(Province of Oklahoma City)

JoAnn M. Messing

(Province of Omaha)

Joyce Scott

(Province of Philadelphia)

Tracy Janis

(Province of Portland, OR)

Beverly South

(Province of St. Louis)

Irene Schmidt

(Province of St. Paul-Minneapolis)

Marla Johnston

(Province of San Antonio)

Patricia Voorhes

(Province of San Francisco)

Cindy Perry

(Province of Washington)

Ex-officio Board Members

Rev. Richard E. Dawson

Chair of NCCW Spiritual Advisors

Father Rick Dawson is a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and since 2013 has served as the pastor for both Saint Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Defuniak Springs and Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Bonifay, Florida. He has served as the DCCW Moderator for the Diocese of Pensacola and was elected to serve as the Chair of the Spiritual Advisors at the 2016 NCCW Convention. Ever since learning about the Council of Catholic Women as a seminarian, he has been a great supporter of Council for the past 36 years. Father Rick was ordained in 1981 by the Most Reverend Rene Gracida, the first bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

Most Rev. Gregory L. Parkes

Episcopal Liaison

Pope Francis appointed Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes as Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg on November 28, 2016, and his Installation Mass was celebrated on January 4, 2017 at St. Jude the Apostle Cathedral. He succeeded Bishop Robert Lynch who retired at the age of 75 and is serving as Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

Bishop Parkes believes that serving for God’s glory is the guiding principle of his ministry, which is why he chose, “To your name give the glory” from Psalm 115, Verse 1 as his pastoral motto.

Prior to his appointment to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Bishop Parkes served as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 2012-2016. Before answering the call to priesthood, Bishop Parkes worked for several years in Tampa’s banking industry. During that time, he attended Christ the King Catholic Church in South Tampa.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University. After much prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, he realized that God had other plans for his life and he began the path to priesthood. He entered the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach in 1993 and continued his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he graduated with a Sacred Bachelor of Theology (S.T.B.) and a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.).

He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Orlando by Bishop Norbert Dorsey on June 26, 1999.

His assignments after ordination included parochial vicar at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando and pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration. Bishop Parkes served the Diocese of Orlando as Vicar General and Chancellor for Canonical Affairs while pastor of Corpus Christi Parish.

In 2016, Bishop Parkes was appointed to the board of Catholic Relief Services and began an appointment as Episcopal Liaison to the National Council of Catholic Women for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bishop Parkes was born on April 2, 1964, in Mineola, NY to Ronald and Joan Parkes. His brother Stephen is a priest of the Diocese of Orlando. Bishop Parkes’ parents and his older brother Christopher are deceased.

Commission Chairs:

Mary Rowley (Spirituality Commission)
Bev McCarvel (Leadership Commission)
Diane Tugander (Service Commission)

National Organization Representatives:

Myrna Wong (Friends of NCCW for WUCWO)
Alison Mimms (Associates for NCCW)
Karen Painter (Representative to Religious Alliance Against Pornography)

NGO Representative to the United Nations:

Theresa Boscia

Representative to the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO):

Maribeth Stewart