Stritch’s Saint Clare Center for Catholic life announces new director, $100,000 in grants, national recognition
posted Oct. 25, 2011
Cardinal Stritch University’s Saint Clare Center for Catholic Life has appointed Eamonn O’Keeffe as its new executive director. He succeeds Dr. Daniel Scholz, who was promoted to dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University on July 1.
O’Keeffe was hired by Scholz in 2007 to be coordinator of human formation for the center, which provides a variety of education and formation programs for lay Catholics who seek to grow in faith and service. In 2010, O’Keeffe assumed the role of director of advancement programs for the center and, along with Scholz, has helped to raise nearly $1 million in grants and donations for its activities since the center’s founding and dedication by then-Archbishop of Milwaukee Timothy Dolan in 2007.
“Eamonn has designed, delivered and coordinated education programs at every level and has greatly assisted the development of the center’s annual budgets, promotional materials and especially advancement and strategic planning functions,” said Scholz. “He brings a sense of fun and a great sense of mission to all of his work.”
Prior to his work at Stritch, O’Keeffe served as a Catholic high school principal, vice principal, admissions director and theology teacher, as well as a parish director of religious education. He is a self-described “career Catholic educator with a passion for staff development, Catholic identity and mission.” O’Keeffe has valuable working knowledge of educational leadership and teaching ministry and is a trusted resource and presenter on the topic of Catholic education in America.
Momentum, the official journal of the National Catholic Educational Association, recently published an article by O’Keeffe, “STAFF Program Enriches Schools, Theology and Faith Formation,” in its September/October 2011 issue. The article highlights the center’s innovative STAFF program for the formation of Catholic school educators, which the center has offered on the Stritch campus since 2009.
In part due to O’Keefe’s efforts to build relationships in the greater Milwaukee community and beyond, the center has received more than $100,000 from three foundations for fiscal year 2011-12:
The A.W. Asmuth Foundation (Wisconsin) pledged to grant $70,000 through 2013 to support scholarships for students studying in the Certificate in Lay Ministries program.
The Kopmeier Family Foundation (Wisconsin) awarded a grant of $4,000 to support the Forums on Faith and Work breakfast lectures for the business community.
Our Sunday Visitor Institute (Indiana) awarded a grant of $35,000 to the center in support of its Schools, Theology and Faith Formation (STAFF) program.