Who We Are Meet the staff, faculty, and consultants who support the work of the INSPIRE Project.   Daniel Gast Director Daniel Gast has been director of INSPIRE since its inception in 2004. The work is a happy match with his personal learning dedications for several years: introducing leadership, organizational development, and pastoral leadership studies to a local parish communities and church institutions. He is co-author with Dr. Barbara Fleischer of a coursebook on Pastoral Leadership and Organization for the Loyola Institute of Ministry at Loyola University of New Orleans. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) of Loyola University Chicago, the university co-host of the INSPIRE project. He serves in leadership development with colleagues at the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Personnel Services. Dan has served in ministry settings of educational and catechetical leadership at local and diocesan levels, and in catechetical and religious publishing. Dan and his wife Kathy are proud parents of three young adults, and brand new grandparents as of April, 2006.   Reverend Jeremiah (Jerry) Boland Lead Team Fr. Jerry Boland currently serves as the Archbishop's Delegate for Externs and International Priests. He is the administrator of Holy Family Church. He has been an associate pastor at St. James in Arlington Heights and Mary, Seat of Wisdom in Park Ridge. He has served as the executive secretary of the diocesan priest's placement system. He has served as the Chairman of the Association of Chicago Priests and the Presbyteral Council. He was a participant in the Louisville Institute's Pastors Working Group and completed a sabbatical at the North American College in Rome. The Inspire program is one of the more exciting projects to come along. The program affords much needed resources in assisting those in pastoral ministry to grow spiritually, personally and professionally.   Dr. Mary Elsbernd, OSF Lead Team Mary Elsbernd received her STD and Ph.D. from Kathiolieke Universiteit Leuven and serves as Professor of Pastoral Theology in Social Ethics and graduate program director of the M.A. in Social Justice. Mary's area of research and publication are Catholic social teachings, justice, peace and nonviolence, and social context. Mary has been involved in INSPIRE from its beginnings as part of the writing team for both drafts and then serving on the Leadership Team. She is currently doing research on the parish practices that nurture and support ministers and practitioners of justice.   Dr. Peter Gilmour Lead Team Dr. Peter Gilmour is associate professor of pastoral studies at the Institute of Pastoral Studies, Loyola University Chicago. He teaches courses in narrative theology, world religions, religious education, and pastoral leadership, and directs the M. A. in religious education degree. Peter's doctoral work focused on non-ordained people who function as pastors of parishes without resident priests. His book, "The Emerging Pastor" published by Sheed and Ward was the first documentation and theological reflection on this ground breaking practice of lay ecclesial ministry within the Roman Catholic Tradition. Peter has also published, "The Wisdom of Memoir: Reading and Writing Life's Sacred Texts". This book reflects theologically on contemporary secular memoirs as sacred expressions that follow in the footsteps of the Wisdom Tradition of the Old Testament. Peter writes the monthly, "Odds and Ends" column in "U.S. Catholic".   Sr. Phyllis DiFuccia, SSJ Parish Consultant Phyllis DiFuccia, SSJ is an organization development consultant experienced in participative planning and work design, strategic planning, change management, and leadership and team development. Her extensive experience in organization development and leadership has been primarily in health care, education, and non-profit organizations. Phyllis has been associated with INSPIRE from its beginnings as facilitator and consultant to parish teams. Phyllis has a Masters of Science in Organization Development from Loyola University Chicago, a Master of Arts from Middlebury College, and a Bachelor of Arts from Gannon University.   Mary Catherine Meek Parish Consultant Mary Catherine Meek has served the Church of Chicago since 1982 at both the Parish and Diocesan levels. As a Lay Ecclesial Minister, she currently serves at St. Michael in Old Town Parish. Previous positions include Director of Evangelization at Ascension Parish in Oak Park, Pastoral Associate at St. Giles in Oak Park, Director of Religious Education and Pastoral Associate at Our Lady of Victory Parish on the Northwest side of Chicago, and a Consultant in the Office for Catechesis. Mary Catherine has a Masters in Pastoral Studies and a Masters in Organizational Development, both from Loyola University Chicago.   Dominic Perri Parish Consultant Dominic Perri is a facilitator and organizational development consultant who has worked with Catholic dioceses, presbyterates, religious communities, parishes and national Church organizations throughout the United States. Dominic provides facilitation, strategic planning, board development and executive coaching to his clients. He has facilitated priest convocations for six dioceses. Some of the other groups with whom he has worked are: Georgetown University, Loyola University (Chicago), Paulist Fathers, Irish Christian Brothers of the US and Canada, Jesuits of the New England province, National Catholic Development Conference and the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. Dominic has worked as INSPIRE consultant since Spring 2005. He leads INSPIRE's learning history development and is an INSPIRE parish consultant. Dominic holds a bachelor's degree in Physics from the Catholic University of America and master's degrees in Economics and Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park.   Sr. Lois Prebil, OSF Parish Consultant Lois Prebil is a consultant who is part of INSPIRE as a Parish Consultant. She loves to consult with the parish leadership teams as they expand their team and leadership skills! In addition, Lois presents workshops with the Office for Racial Justice in the Archdiocese of Chicago. A native of Chicago and member of the Joliet Franciscans, Lois holds a master’s degree in organization development from Loyola University in addition to a master’s in mathematics from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Francis. Previously, Lois has served as staff member for St. James Parish in Chicago, as member of her congregation’s Governing Board, and as high school teacher and principal.   Dr. Ron Rojas Parish Consultant I was born in Washington DC , moved to Puerto Rico at the age of 8, where I graduated from High School and eventually obtained a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Puerto Rico ( Mayaguez ). Then I was commissioned as an officer in the USAF, completed my four years, and went back to PR. Worked in the academic sector as a Chairman of the Management and Marketing Department (over 500 business students, Catholic University of Puerto Rico), then in the  manufacturing sector with Intel Corporation (yes, in PR). Stayed in the Air Force Reserve till this date (30 years of service). Moved to Tampa , Florida (1991). I am currently the Managing Associate of the PRISM Leadership Consulting Group (my own consulting business) and have been a management practitioner and consultant in the electronic manufacturing, educational, military and non-profit sectors for over 20 years, having recently conducted over fifty leadership development workshops, seminars and retreats for over 1000 participants attending. I have a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Southern Illinois University with a concentration in Engineering Management, and a doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Sarasota/Argosy ( Florida ). I am also a Healthcare Administrator, certified International health Specialist (IHS) and full Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve, and still live in Tampa. Ordained as a permanent deacon since 1987. Hobbies include wind-surfing, mountain-biking, and reading. Right now I have leadership development and consulting contracts with Loyola University ( Chicago ), Connecticut Counseling Services ( Norwalk , CT ), Workplace ReConnections ( Dayton , Ohio ), and the Institute for Priestly Formation (Creighton University, Omaha) and a few minor workshop contracts in the Tampa Bay area. I've published books on Collaborative Leadership, Spirituality in Management and Leadership and in the process of finalizing and a book on the spirituality of leadership. Finally, I'm assisting five doctoral students from different Universities throughout the U.S. with their dissertations, all on spirituality and management and teach graduate courses (business research, business research) at American InterContinental University-Online. INSPIRE has provided me the opportunity to further understand and help develop not only the basic business skills in parishes, but also help each parish leadership team understand and work towards nurturing a stronger sense of spiritual community.   Anne Burkle Thomas Parish Consultant Anne Burkle Thomas is a Change Management Consultant with the INSPIRE Project. Anne has worked for one of the world's leading consulting firms based in Chicago. She has expertise in strategic planning, leading people through change processes, team training, and helping people work effectively. Before working as a consultant, Ann was a Campus Minister at the University of Missouri, Columbia, a high school Theology Teacher and Spiritual Life Director in Iowa. Anne holds a master's degree in Organizational Development from Loyola University, Chicago and a bachelor's degree in Theology from Briar Cliff University. Anne and her husband Brandon happily parent three young children, Jedidiah, Honor and Asa.   Carole Veronesi Parish Consultant Carole is a principal with the SGC Consulting Group and holds a B.S. from Northern Illinois University and an M.S. from George Williams College/Aurora University. She has participated in ongoing development and learning with National Training Laboratories (NTL), the Consulting Psychologists of the American Psychological Association, and she has been trained in the Conference Model for large systems change. Carole has taught in the Graduate Program at Loyola University Chicago and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College, teaching classes in team development, group dynamics, and group leadership skills. She is a member of the Organization Development Network/Chicago, and previously served on its board. She is published in the 2001 Annual for Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, leaders in human resource development. For more than twenty years, Carole has practiced in a variety of settings, including manufacturing, technology, professional services, health care, higher education, human services, and church staffs and ministries.   Mark Bersano Graduate Administrative Associate Mark Bersano is a graduate student in the M.A. in Social Justice program offered through the Loyola University Chicago Institute of Pastoral Studies. He has a B.A. in English from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and taught English in The People's Republic of China for two years in the late 1980s. Mark comes to the Social Justice degree and the INSPIRE Project after many years working as the systems administrator in Will County government. In his second go-round in life, he plans to follow his heart and heed the call to do something greater than himself. Working for Dan Gast and INSPIRE provides excellent personal mentoring in this area.