Dale Ahlquist
President, Society of G. K. Chesterton
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Dale Ahlquist is President of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, creator and host of the EWTN series “G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense,” and Publisher of Gilbert Magazine. He is the author of six books, and has edited fourteen. He is a Senior Fellow of the Chesterton Library at London, and has been called “probably the greatest living authority on the life and work of G.K. Chesterton.” He is also the co-founder of Chesterton Academy, a top-rated Catholic classical high school in Hopkins, Minnesota, which is the flagship of the growing Chesterton Schools Network, which includes nearly 60 high schools in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Iraq, and Sierra Leone.
Elisabeth Sullivan
Executive Director, Institute for Catholic Liberal Education
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A former journalist, Elisabeth developed her passion for Catholic liberal education while exploring authentic formation in faith and reason for her own children. She joined the Institute in 2010 to advance this vision and train educators in its philosophy and practice. As Executive Director, she develops ICLE’s program content and publications, designs our annual conference, and promotes our mission through speaking engagements across the country. Elisabeth is a CiRCE-Certified Classical Teacher who has taught middle school writing and literature, served on Catholic school boards, and served as director of communications for a liberal arts school in the Catholic tradition. She holds a B.S. in Humanities from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and an M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She and her husband live in North Carolina and have three sons.
Ryan Topping, Ph.D.
Director, Benedict XVI Institute, Newman Theological College
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A native of Saskatoon, Canada, Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba as well as an M.Phil. and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Oxford. He is Professor of Theology and serves as Director of the Benedict XVI Institute for the New Evangelization at Newman Theological College, in Edmonton, Canada, where he also previously served as Academic Dean. Dr. Topping has published on a variety of Catholic themes and figures, from St. Augustine, to Dante, St. John Henry Newman, and G.K. Chesterton in academic and popular journals. To date he has published ten books on Catholic culture and education, including Rebuilding Catholic Culture: How the Catechism Can Shape our Common Life (2012), The Case for Catholic Education (2015), Renewing the Mind: A Reader in the Philosophy of Catholic Education (2015), and The Elements of Rhetoric (2016). His latest book is Thinking as Though God Exists: Newman on Evangelizing the Nones (2023). In 2022 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Province of Alberta). Dr. Topping and his wife have ten children.
Michael Naughton, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas
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Dr. Michael Naughton is the director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota, US) where he holds the Koch Chair in Catholic Studies and is a full professor in the department of Catholic Studies. He also taught in the College of Business for over 20 years. Author, co-author and co-editor of 12 books and monographs and over 70 articles, his two most recent books are Getting Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a Fragmented World (2019) and What We Hold in Trust: Rediscovering the Purpose of Catholic Higher Education (2021, coauthors Don Briel and Ken Goodpaster). He serves on multiple boards including as board chair for Reell Precision Manufacturing, which has plants and offices in the US, Europe and Asia and the board of trustees at the University of Mary and Catholic Eldercare.
Gregory Monroe, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Charlotte
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Dr. Monroe, the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, has spearheaded numerous initiatives that build intentional Catholic Culture. His “School and Family Covenant” has revitalized Catholic K-12 education in his diocese, and he leads one of the fastest growing Catholic School Systems in the nation. Previously a teacher, collegiate director, and Catholic high school principal, Monroe holds degrees from Christendom College, Marymount University, and an PhD from the Catholic University of America. His leadership earned him and his team the 2023 'Catholic Institution of the Year' award from the Catholic Educational Foundation.
Sister John Dominic Rasmussen
Dominican Sisters Mary Mother of the Eucharist
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Sister John Dominic Rasmussen, OP, was born in Berkley, California and moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of five. She converted to Catholicism during her sophomore year and entered the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in 1982. In 1997, she and three other Sisters founded the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sister has been involved in Catholic education for over 30 years as both a teacher and administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and a Masters degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. In 2001, she co-authored with Carol Kennedy, Remain in Me, a Faith Formation curriculum for catechetical instruction. Sister currently serves as the Principal of Spiritus Sanctus Academy in Ann Arbor, Michigan. From her experience in administration and teacher she has developed Disciple of Christ-Education in Virtue a Christian curriculum structured on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Amanda Livermore
Cristo Rey Network
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Amanda Livermore serves as the Founding President and CEO of Cristo Rey Orlando High School, set to open in fall of 2025. Prior to this, she championed the effort towards the opening of Cristo Rey Orlando as the Feasibility Study Director. Prior to this work, she served as Vice President for Bishop Moore Catholic High School promoting the vision of Catholic education for the students, faculty, alumni, and families within the school community. She worked for the Diocese of Orlando since 2003 supporting Campus Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, Marriage Preparation, and International Missions. She studied Psychology at Samford University and proceeded to earn her Master's Degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. She currently serves as president of the Orlando chapter of Legatus and as a board member for Young Catholic Professionals and UCF - CCM Advisory Group. Amanda presents at national conferences, retreats, and professional development opportunities around the country. She and her husband Jason have been married since 2002 and they enjoy spending time with their two teenagers, Isabel (18) and Sammy (16).
Father José Medina
Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo
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Father José Medina is a native of Spain and a member of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo. He received his civil engineering degree from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, a Bachelors of Sacred Theology from the Pontificia Universita Lateranense in Rome, Italy, and a Master in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Fr. José has devoted much of his professional career to the world of education, first as teacher of physics and mathematics in Washington, D.C. and Boston, and for six years as principal of Cristo Rey Boston, a Catholic High School for students with limited financial resources.
Jake Tawney
Chief Academic Officer, Great Hearts Academies
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Jake Tawney serves as the Chief Academic Officer for Great Hearts Academies, a network of classical charter schools across multiple states. Jake has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He continued his studies at The Ohio State University where he earned a masters degree in mathematics. After teaching all levels of high school mathematics and computer science for nearly a decade, Jake took on the role of Director of Student Services for a district in central Ohio. During his time in Ohio, Jake also taught at the Pontifical College Josephinum, including courses in Euclid and the Philosophy of Mathematics. In 2014 Jake relocated his family to Phoenix, AZ to join Great Hearts Academies. Jake is the proud husband of Christina and the proud father of eight children, all of whom have something unique in their souls that can only be satisfied by wondering about mathematics.
John Lane
Principal of Romero Academy at Resurrection School
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Mr. Lane is the Principal of Romero Academy at Resurrection School. Prior to his role at Romero Academy, he served as the general manager of the El Camino Network at Brilla College Prep Middle School in New York, New York and spent four years in Catholic education teaching high school theology and language arts. Mr. Lane received his master’s degree through the University of Portland’s P.A.C.E. program, completing two years of service at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, an underserved Catholic school in Ogden, Utah, where he taught theology and language arts and served as a campus minister. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and Catholic studies from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Portland.
Jody Armstrong
His Way at Work
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Jody Armstrong is the Director of Membership Support for His Way At Work. He and his wife, Mary, have two grown sons, one of which is a senior at Benedictine College. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing and Transportation/ Logistics. He spent the next 30 years in a successful food service supply chain management career during which he worked for several multinational brands. Because the world-class supply chains which Jody helped lead are process driven, the His Way At Work step-by-step process resonates with him. Jody leads Men@Prayer at his church and has been evangelizing through Emmaus retreats since 2004. He is pursuing an M.A. in Theology from St. Leo University and resides with his wife of 34 years in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Kenneth Reeves
Vice President-HR, Performance Food Group
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Kenneth currently serves as Vice President-Human Resources for Performance Food Group-Temple, Texas. He is responsible for leading the efforts of PFG around talent management, leadership development, succession planning, diversity-equity-inclusion, benefits, compensation, training & development, and workforce planning. He is a member of PFG’s Leadership Team. Prior to joining PFG, Kenneth served as Managing Director-Human Resources for UTIMCO, which is an investment management firm which services the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems. Kenneth has approximately 28 years of experience in HR and has led the human resources function for the last 14 years for organizations such as International Nutrition and Wellness Manufacturing (Rosewood Private Investment company), Freese & Nichols, Bell Helicopter and RadioShack. Kenneth was in the Six Sigma Black Belt Program at Bell Helicopter and also held the role of Vice President of Human Resources for another Textron company, E-Z-GO in Augusta, Georgia. Prior to RadioShack, Kenneth spent 12 years in the energy industry with organizations that included, Dynegy Inc., Enron, and Reliant Energy where he served in various corporate HR roles.
Kenneth received his BS and MS from Texas A&M University, and has completed most course work towards a Ph.D. in Human Resources Training and Development. Kenneth is married to Lysette Reeves, 28 years, and they have two children, Kenneth II (24) and Moriah (16). Prior to his corporate career, Kenneth spent seven years in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns.
Kevin Scherer
Director of Chaplain Services, Tyson Foods
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Kevin Scherer is the Director of Chaplain Services for Tyson Foods – the largest Fortune 100 workplace chaplaincy program in the country. Tyson’s chaplaincy network includes more than 100 chaplains across 25 states who provide pastoral care, counseling, and support to team members in 150+ facilities. Kevin has served as a chaplain in a variety of contexts outside of workplace and industrial chaplaincy, including healthcare, and mass trauma incidents (9/11 Attacks, Virginia Tech, and Northern Illinois University shootings). Before his chaplaincy role at Tyson Foods, Kevin served as a pastor in the Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Church for a combined 22 years. He is the author of Truly Human: Recovering Your Humanity in a Broken World (Ancient Faith, 2017). He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from San Diego Christian College in El Cajon, California, and his Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. He is currently studying at Bellevue University toward a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Kevin is married with 5 girls and lives in northwest Arkansas.
“Restoring All Things in Christ: The Mission of Catholic Education Today”
Catholic education seems to be at a crossroads. Schools at all levels, elementary, secondary, and higher education, are feeling the pressure of an increasingly secular culture. This has led to difficult decisions to close or consolidate educational institutions. At the same time, signs of renewal and innovation at all levels of Catholic education are present in many places in America and around the world. At the 2024 Symposium on Transforming Culture, we look to the future of Catholic education, as a force for renewing culture through the integration of mind and heart, intellect and will, and faith and reason.
The theme for the 2024 Business Track within the Symposium is “Catalyzing a New Normal for Business.”
