Board of Directors

Robert Gittings
Chair

Rob Gittings retired as a partner and vice chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. While at PwC, he specialized in the technology, entertainment and media and telecom industries and led PwC’s Silicon Valley business.

Since retiring, Mr. Gittings has been active in supporting Catholic education, especially in New York City. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Inner City Scholarship Fund of New York which provides scholarships for students to attend urban Catholic schools in New York. He has also volunteered to help the Archdiocese of New York update its strategic plan for elementary schools. 

Mr. Gittings serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Action and Contemplation, founded by Richard Rohr, O.F.M. and is active in his local parish.

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Gittings attended Gonzaga College High School and the College of the Holy Cross before receiving a master’s degree from Northeastern University. His wife Wendy teaches at St. Ignatius Nativity school in Bronx, N.Y. The Gittings have three sons and live near New York City.

Anne M. Jenkins
Vice Chair

Anne M. Jenkins is a native of Omaha, Neb., where she attended Marian High School and Creighton University, earning a B.S. in Nursing. America magazine was a constant presence in the Jenkin’s household during her childhood, where Ignatian principles, heartfelt gratitude for blessings, family, faith, community and a sense of service were modeled and assumed. The Jenkins family also had many connections to the local Jesuit community in Omaha.

Ms. Jenkins worked as a nurse and instructor in Adult Critical Care at hospitals in Omaha, NE,  Newport Beach, CA, and Seattle, WA in trauma, cardiac, burn and neurosurgical I.C.U. units.

From 1984 to 2009, she was the co-owner of Rick Steves Europe (RSE), a culturally broadening travel company with over 100 employees that takes over 30,000 Americans to Europe annually for small group travel experiences. She researched many of the 40-plus RSE books on travel.

Ms. Jenkins has served on the Board of Regents of Georgetown University, focused on Mission and Ministry, and the National Alumni Board of Creighton University. In 2022, Creighton University honored her with its Alumni Merit Award. In 2026, she began her term as Regent for Creighton University. In recent years, Ms. Jenkins participated in a campaign and task force at Seattle University that established the Stephen V. Sundborg, SJ Endowment for Jesuit Teaching & Ministry.

Ms. Jenkins is an active member of her Jesuit church community at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle, WA where she has served as a Eucharistic minister, Lector, nursery coordinator, instructor and Bible study group leader. She also completed a nine-month “19th annotation” Arrupe Seminar with Fathers Peter Ely, SJ and David Leigh, SJ at Seattle University, the Jesuit university in Seattle.

Ms. Jenkins is a longtime subscriber and supporter of America, joining its Board of Directors in September of 2024 and serving on its Governance and Nominations Committee. She has participated in several America Media pilgrimages namely: Francis to Francis (2023), An Ignatian Journey to Spain (2025), Sicily (2025), and Land of the Saints and Scholars: Ireland (2026).

Ms. Jenkins is the mother of two children, Andrew Steves (University of Notre Dame ’10) and Jacqueline Steves Davis (Georgetown University ’12) and two young grandsons. She is one of 12 children, including her brother, John Jenkins, C.S.C., a Holy Cross priest who served as president of the University of Notre Dame from 2005 to 2024.

Ms. Jenkins and her husband, Gerard Centioli live in Edmonds, WA. Mr. Centioli proudly serves as a trustee for Gonzaga University and a board member of the National Italian American Foundation.

Samuel Sawyer, S.J.
President & Editor in Chief

Sam Sawyer, S.J., is the editor in chief of America magazine. Prior to his appointment as editor in chief, he served on the editorial staff with responsibility for America Media’s digital platforms. He has written frequently on issues such as polarization, how the church communicates in a secular world and abortion.

Before working at America Media, Father Sawyer served as an associate pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Washington, D.C., after being ordained a priest in 2014. During his theology studies, he helped to found The Jesuit Post and served as one of its first editors.

During his Jesuit formation, Father Sawyer studied philosophy at Loyola University Chicago and theology at Boston College; he also taught philosophy for two years at Loyola University Maryland. Before entering the Society of Jesus, he worked as a software engineer after graduating from Boston College.

Thomas Blumenthal
Director

Tom Blumenthal is the President & CEO of GEARYS, an iconic store in Beverly Hills selling luxury jewelry, dinnerware, watches, gifts, tableware and more by the most coveted luxury brands. Founded in 1930, Geary’s is the oldest retailer in Beverly Hills. In 1953, Tom’s grandparents purchased Geary’s from H.L. Geary. They sold the company in 1997, and Tom bought it back in 2003.

Tom attended Daniel Murphy High School and Marymount California College.

He converted from Judaism to Catholicism in the early 2000s in adulthood and says if he had done so in his early life, he likely would have gone into the priesthood. “In the back of my mind, I always had the idea of being Catholic, but I was involved in my career, and it wasn’t the center of my life. Finally, the Holy Spirit took hold.” He was baptized in 2008 with his parents, who also converted, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels by Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik.

Tom honors those who have taken on religious life and ensures there will be more to take their place through his board membership at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and Santa Clara University’s Jesuit School of Theology. He also supports female empowerment as the chair of the board at Mount Saint Mary’s University in LA. Tom says that his support for religious men and women in the Diocese and religious communities is his way of paying it forward.

Tom was recognized at the Archbishops Awards Dinner in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, an event where the Archbishop recognizes and celebrates the noteworthy contributions of selected Catholic individuals to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Susan S. Braddock
Director Emerita

Susan Braddock is board chair emerita of America Media and most recently served as board chair for Cristo Rey New York High School. She was the tenth president of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Inc., for eleven years and currently serves as the Managing Director for the Metropolitan Opera and is chairman of major gifts. Some of her other former board commitments include the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The New York Historical Society, The Aspen Music Festival and School, The American Beethoven Society at Hunter College, and the Council of I Tatti-Fiesole in Italy.

Susan earned a B.A. from Manhattanville College in 1972. She also studied at the Department of Music at Hunter College from 1991 to 1993 as well as at the School of Decorative Arts at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1979.

Susan was married to Richard S. Braddock. He served on the board of The Aspen Institute and several private companies and served on the board of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Cristo Rey Network. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Together, the Braddock family has six children and thirteen grandchildren.

Binta Niambi Brown
Director

An entertainment lawyer and partner in Manatt, Phelps & Phillips New York office, Binta Niambi Brown has extensive experience working across talent management and development, as well as leading a variety of complex high-value transactions and counseling on special situations. She leverages her background as a record executive, talent manager and artist advocate to advise global icon clients across sports, media, music, film and television on how to build, innovate, expand and protect their businesses and brands. Ms. Brown’s practice focuses on representing industry moguls through the gamut of entertainment transactions, deal structuring and other strategic planning, providing both legal and strategic consulting guidance to her clients across sports, music, media, television and film. Drawing on her deep background in managing and supporting global talent, she offers valuable insight and practical guidance to help creators pursue innovative business opportunities.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Brown founded Omalilly Projects, a talent management, development and production company and consultancy working with multiplatinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning musical artists and record producers, award-winning New York Times bestselling authors, comedians, screenwriters and creative entrepreneurs. She was also a founding co-chairman and co-founder of the Black Music Action Coalition, an organization advocating on behalf of Black artists, songwriters, producers and other passionate industry professionals. Additionally, Ms. Brown served as head of operations and strategy at a Los Angeles-based record label as well as a partner at a global law firm where she advised entertainment and media companies in high-value M&A deals, public and private debt and equity offerings, and secured debt financings. As a corporate lawyer, she has structured, negotiated and closed well over $100 billion in transactions.

Ms. Brown has been recognized for her work by Billboard, Fortune Magazine, the Financial Times, the Root 100 Most Influential Black Americans and many other media outlets.

Ms. Brown received a B.A. with honors from Barnard College in 1995 and a J.D. in 1998 from Columbia Law School. In 2012, she attended the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University and received a “Foundations for Leadership in the 21st Century” certificate. In 2013, she attended The Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University and received the “Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century” certificate. From 201315, she was a Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government Senior Fellow at The Harvard Kennedy School. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a former executive in residence for the New Orleans Startup Fund. She also sits on the boards of the American Theatre Wing, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and is a former trustee of Barnard College, Columbia University. An adjunct professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Ms. Brown is an active liturgical minister and joined the Board of Directors of America Media in June of 2022.

John Connolly
Director

John is a retired financial executive with over 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry. While in the healthcare industry, John worked with private equity firms on many buy or sell transactions and financing arrangements.

John began his career in the accounting profession with Deloitte, becoming a partner in the Firm. He left the Firm to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in the healthcare industry. He held top executive and Board positions with healthcare companies during his career. His last Company, which he co-founded, was a contract manufacturer for the orthopedic industry. Financed by several private-equity firms, the Company became one of the largest contract manufacturers of the orthopedic industry.

John has a long association with the Jesuits having graduated from both Canisius High School and Canisius University. He also has an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Additionally, John is a Certified Public Accountant and completed the three-year Owner/ Management Program of Harvard University. He is active in charitable organizations and served on the Boards of Canisius High School and Canisius University.

John and his wife, Pat, are originally from Buffalo, New York but now have their primary home in Naples, Florida. John and Pat met while attending Canisius University. Pat is also retired after a long career as a special education teacher. They are parents of three grown children, all of whom have degrees from Jesuit universities. John and Pat have been on the America Media pilgrimages to Spain, Rome and Assisi.

Benjamin Denihan
Director

Benjamin “Patrick” Denihan, chief executive officer of Denihan Hospitality, retired, led the real estate and investment arm of his family’s 60-year-old hospitality business. With a lifetime of experience in the business, he has led many of Denihan’s key milestone initiatives including several acquisitions and recapitalizations and the profitable conversion of numerous assets.

Mr. Denihan focused on financial investments for Denihan in collaboration with other partners and secured new management contracts for Denihan Hospitality that fit within the Company’s overall business growth strategy. He is a sought-after industry leader, often sourced for quotes, profiles, and opinions in key forums such as National Real Estate Investor, Real Estate Investor and FOX Business.

Mr. Denihan was an advisory board member of the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research and is a former board member of the Hotel Association of New York City. He also served as an advisory board member of the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York City, and on the board of a highly respected educational institution, The Benedictine School for Exceptional Children, where he has served in various positions including president of the Benedictine Board of Directors.

Michael Scott Feeley
Director

Michael practiced environmental law for thirty-three years as a partner in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins. Since retiring in 2021, Michael and his wife, Janet, a psychotherapist, reside primarily in Deer Valley, Utah. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Harvard Law School and Oxford University, Michael currently serves as president and chairman of both the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, and the Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He also serves as the director of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. Michael and Janet are active members of the Order of Malta and the Order of St. Gregory the Great. They have two married sons: Declan and Carly live in New York City and Brogan and Maria live in Oklahoma City.

Manny García-Tuñón
Director

Manny García-Tuñón is the President, MasTec General Building Group/President –  Lemartec Corporation, a MasTec Company, a nationally and internationally recognized engineering and construction company. Lamartec is part of MasTec, one of the nation’s largest infrastructure and energy networks and the largest minority-controlled company on the Fortune 500, generating more than $17 billion in annual revenue.

Mr. García-Tuñón’s engagement with public communication began early, when he founded a faith-based music initiative that reached audiences throughout the Archdiocese of Miami and culminated in a performance for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in 1993. This experience launched a lifelong commitment to media and thought leadership as a platform for mentorship and mission. Mr. García-Tuñón also writes a weekly business column focusing on entrepreneurship and values-based leadership for The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. In addition, he served as the Small Business Expert on Univision’s morning show, Despierta America, where his segment “Unos Minutos con Manny” offered practical and inspirational guidance to a national audience.

Mr. García-Tuñón lives in Miami with his wife Helin and their two children, Annie and Danny. Both he and his wife were born in Miami to Cuban parents who emigrated to the U.S. Mr. García-Tuñón graduated from Belen Jesuit Prep in 1988 and is self-described as “a lifelong practitioner of Ignatian spirituality and product of Jesuit education, bringing his faith into every dimension of this leadership.” 

He received his AA at Miami Dade College, a B.S in Construction Management at Florida International University and completed an executive training program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His daughter Annie joined LaMartec in 2022, continuing the family legacy as the company’s fourth generation.

Mr. García-Tuńón is a founding board member of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL); is on the Archdiocese of Miami’s second Synod Council contributing to diocesan strategic discernment; a board member of Radio Paz Media and he has also led a multi-year campaign that raised funds for the restoration of twelve at-risk colonial churches in Santiago de Cuba- an effort that led to the ensemble’s inclusion on the 2016 World Monuments Fund Watch List. Mr. García-Tuńón joined the board of directors of America Media in February of 2026.

Kristin A. Halvey

Kristin Halvey is a proud graduate of the College of the Holy Cross (’87) and New York University Law School (’92).

After practicing law at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy in New York, Kristin left the legal practice to serve as a stay-at-home mother to her three young children and help care for her aging parents.

For the past 25 years, Kristin has been an active community volunteer, especially at her parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Ridgewood, NJ.  Most drawn to ministries that are focused on nurturing the faith life of Catholic adults, especially women. She currently serves as a member of the leadership team for ChristLife, a year-long program that invites people to know Jesus, live as Catholic disciples, and share their faith with others. Kristin has also been closely involved in the Women’s Cornerstone ministry centered on spiritual growth for women through faith sharing and retreats. Having served as a Core Team Member, a retreat formation leader, and a Ministry Head, Kristin is proud and humbled to be a part of a program that has touched the lives of so many and serves as inspiration for similar programs in other parishes and faith communities.

Outside of her parish community, Kristin has been a member of the Board of Trustees for York Street Project since 2013. Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Jersey City, NJ, York Street strives to break the cycle of poverty by serving families in need of housing, education and supportive services. 

Kristin’s connection to Jesuit spirituality began at Holy Cross and has continued with annual retreats, participation in the Magis program and a certificate in Spiritual Direction. She is a long-time America subscriber and supporter and has joined pilgrimages to the Holy Land (2023) and Ignatian Spain (2025). She served as a volunteer for the 2024 Outreach Conference and looks forward to continuing her involvement in the future.

Kristin lives in Ridgewood, NJ, a few miles from her childhood home. Her son, Colin, graduated from Tufts University and Harvard Law School and now lives in New York City while working as an associate at Cravath, Swaine and Moore. Her daughter, Grace, attended the College of the Holy Cross, worked until recently at Understood, a nonprofit providing research and support to those with learning differences and is currently attending Fuqua Business School at Duke University. Her youngest child, Meghan, recently graduated from Vanderbilt University, works for a technology start up and volunteers on political campaigns.

She is grateful for the many ways that God is present in her life and appreciates opportunities to help others feel His presence in their own lives, as well.

Peter W. Howe
Director

Peter W. Howe, C.P.A., is a retired partner of Ernst & Young and serves as the Vice Chair of America Media’s Board of Directors.

In addition to his over 35+ years of professional experience with Ernst & Young, Peter is a Trustee Fellow of Fordham University, where he served as a Trustee for with years, and serves on other commercial boards.

Peter holds a B.S. degree from Fordham University, an M. B. A. from Pace University, and was an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Business School.

Outside of his professional life, Peter enjoys participating in marathons, having completed the New York Marathon (5 times), the Chicago Marathon (6 times) and the Marine Corps Marathon.

M. Jane Huerter
Director

M. Jane Huerter retired in 2005 after 30 years of service from the Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. Her position at retirement was Executive Vice President, Corporate Services Operation and Corporate Secretary. In addition to the corporate secretarial function, the other divisions reporting to her were Human Resources, Administration, Brand Management/Public Relations, Federal Government Affairs and State Government Affairs and the Chair of the Corporate Contributions Committee. Mission oriented in her entire career, she advocated for outstanding corporate responsibility, equitable treatment and a good working environment for the company’s employees and excellent service to their policy holders.

Ms. Huerter received her Bachelors of Arts degree in 1972 and law degree in 1976 from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She has maintained a strong relationship with Creighton having served on the University’s National Alumni Advisory Board as well as the law school Advisory Board. She was also awarded the Creighton Alumni Achievement Citation in 1996, was inducted into the Creighton chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society in 1997 and was given the School of Law Alumni Merit Award. 

Active in civic affairs during her career and after retirement, Ms. Huerter has served on a number of boards, including Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, US Bank’s Omaha Advisory Board, Boystown Board of Directors and the College of St. Mary, as well as Mercy High School and Creighton Prep.

Ms. Huerter is currently involved with St John’s parish, a Jesuit parish at Creighton University serving in Adult Faith Formation, and on the Worship Commission as an acolyte. She has also been asked by the Archbishop to serve on the Archdiocesan Synodality Implementation Team.

Her husband passed away in January 2021. She is blessed with a large family: she has four stepchildren, ten step-grandchildren and one great grandson. Additionally, as the oldest of 10 siblings and 33 nieces and nephews, her family considers her the matriarch.

Anne Kelly
Director

Anne Kelly is the vice president of studio management and services at Netflix. She previously held positions at the CBS Corporation where she was the executive vice president of finance for the entertainment division, and prior to that, spent over 15 years at The Walt Disney Company in a variety of media and entertainment finance roles.

Ms. Kelly received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Ms. Kelly joined the board of directors of America Media in June of 2023 and serves on the finance/audit committee. She is also on the board of directors and treasurer of Mustard Seed Communities, U.S.A., a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that provides residential care to children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Ms. Kelly is an avid golfer and tennis player. She resides in Southern California.

Karl Kiser, S.J.
Director, Member of the Corporation

Karl Kiser, S.J. is a provincial of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus. Father Kiser has served a variety of leadership positions as a Jesuit, including extensive board member experience. He was a superior of the Jesuit novitiate in Berkley, Mich., then briefly taught at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in Detroit, Mich., before being named its president in 2002, a position he held for 14 years. Since 2016, Father Kiser has been the pastor of Gesu Parish in University Heights, Ohio.

He studied Theology at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. (1993-97), at Comillas University in Madrid, Spain, and also at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 1977, at Gesu Parish in University Heights, Ohio.

After ordination, Father Kiser was superior of Loyola House, the Jesuit novitiate in Berkley, Mich. (1998-2002), and served at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. He worked in campus ministry for one year (2001-02) before becoming the president of the school (2002-16).

Father Kiser has extensive board experience including service at UDJHS, John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio, and Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. He has also served on the boards of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Mich, Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich, Boys Hope Girls Hope in Detroit, Mich and the Honduran Children Rescue Fund in University Heights, Ohio.

Robert McCarthy
Director

Bob McCarthy is a lawyer and a deacon in the Catholic Church.  He is a partner in the Capital Markets Practice Group of the global law firm Dentons, where he advises financial institutions in connection with the acquisition, sale and financing of assets. Mr. McCarthy is a member of the Policy & Planning Board at Dentons and previously served as Managing Partner of Dentons’ New York office and as a member of the Global Advisory Committee.  Prior to joining Dentons, Mr. McCarthy was a partner in the law firm Thacher Proffitt & Wood, where he served on the Firm’s Executive Committee.  He was ordained as a deacon in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York in 2012 and he is currently honored to serve the people of the Church of Saint Anne in Garden City, N.Y., where his family members have been active parishioners over the last thirty years. 

Mr. McCarthy is the Vice Chair, and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Africa-America Institute, a premiere US international organization dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for young Africans and improving global understanding of Africa.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Bronx Community Foundation which supports and invests in community power to eradicate inequity and build sustainable futures for all Bronxites. Mr. McCarthy is also a member of the board of directors of the Commonweal Foundation. 

He attended the University of Virginia from which he received a B.A. in Political and Social Thought from the College, and a J.D. from the School of Law. He earned an M.A. in Pastoral Studies from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. 

Mr. McCarthy is married to Mary Jean McCarthy, a Clinical Professor of Education at Adelphi University. They have four grown children, Ellen, Bridget, Katherine and Robert, and four grandchildren. 

Tom McGinn, M.D., M.P.H.
Director

Thomas McGinn, M.D., M.P.H. is executive vice president of physician enterprise at CommonSpirit Health, the largest nonprofit Catholic health system in the U.S. In his role, Tom oversees one of the nation’s largest medical groups working closely with several medical schools.

He is a widely published and internationally recognized health care researcher and professor of medicine at both the Baylor and Creighton University Schools of Medicine. Tom previously served as professor of medicine at Hofstra University Zucker School of Medicine and deputy physician-in-chief at Northwell Health. Tom’s research, lectures, and work have focused on innovations in providing the highest quality, evidence-based health care with a special focus on caring for underserved communities. Tom attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, received a bachelor’s degree from Creighton University, served three years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine; and a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University.

Gilles Mongeau, S.J.
Director

The Reverend Doctor Gilles Mongeau was born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa. He has been a Jesuit for 39 years, and a priest for 27 years. After studies in philosophy in the United States and at the University of Ottawa, he obtained the Master of Arts degree in medieval philosophy, as well as the licence in philosophy. After further studies in Toronto, Fribourg (Switzerland) and Boston, he obtained the doctorate in theology from Regis College and the University of Toronto, as well as the Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from Regis College. From 2003 to 2018, he taught systematic and pastoral theology at Regis College and Centre Sèvres (now Facultés Loyola), the Jesuit faculty of theology in Paris. His areas of expertise are the systematic theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas and the spiritual theology of Saint Ignatius Loyola. In 2015 he published Embracing Wisdom: the Summa Theologiae as Spiritual Pedagogy through the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies Press. In addition to his intellectual ministry, Fr. Gilles has worked in parish ministry, university chaplaincy, hospital chaplaincy, ministry to LGBTQ Catholics, and in various retreat and spiritual direction ministries. He has developed pedagogies of human and spiritual formation for ministry candidates (both lay and religious), and until 2018 was superior of the Jesuit first studies community at Cardoner House in Toronto. He is presently the assistant to the provincial for the Jesuits of Canada.

Brian Paulson, S.J.
Director, Chair of the Corporation

Brian Paulson, S.J., is president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Father Paulson has served in a variety of leadership positions as a Jesuit. From 1993-98 he was the vocations director for the Chicago Province (now the USA Midwest Province). After 11 years as president of Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago (1999 to 2010), he was named rector of the Loyola University Jesuit Community in Chicago before becoming provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province (now the USA Midwest Province) from 2014-21.

Father Paulson entered the Society of Jesus at Loyola House Jesuit Novitiate in Berkley, Mich., on September 12, 1981. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1992, and professed final vows on March 25, 2001. A native of Waukegan, Ill., he attended St. Anastasia Grade School and Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wis. When the school closed in 1975, he finished his high school education at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

After graduating from Georgetown, he entered the Society. “Anything else I thought about doing in life would have felt like I was playing house or running away,” Father Paulson says of his vocation. “I feel like I’ve been blessed from a very young age with a lively sense of who God is. God’s presence has been very real and accessible to me, so if I could help share that gift with other people, I would love to be able to do that.”

Since joining the Jesuits he has earned a master’s degree in political philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, a bachelor of sacred theology degree (STB) from Centre Sèvres in Paris, a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a licentiate in sacred theology (STL) from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He has served on the board of trustees at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School, the Lumen Christi Institute of Chicago and was a trustee associate at Boston College after 16 years of service on the board of trustees.

Luis Perez, Esq.
Director

Luis J. Perez is consistently ranked among Florida’s premier corporate lawyers. His practice focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters, including international transactions. His client base is a blend of domestic and international businesses operating in the United States and Latin America. Luis is a member of The Florida Bar.

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Perez has been involved in multiple pro bono projects, including serving as guardian ad litem for abused or abandoned children. He has also led programs to improve conditions for economically disadvantaged communities in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Cuba. 

Mr. Perez is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on its membership committee. He is also a member of the Cuban Association of the Knights of Malta. He is an Advanced Leadership Initiative Senior Fellow at Harvard University and Senior Editor for Climate and Environmental Solutions for the Harvard ALI Social Impact Review. 

Mr. Perez graduated from Rollins College and The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He is married to his law school classmate, Linda Orth Perez. Their daughter, Elizabeth, is a graduate of Boston College and works at Cristo Rey New York High School.

Barbara Williams Perry
Director

Barbara Williams Perry is a veteran of 40 years in television news. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana School of Journalism, she began her career at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul, where she started on the assignment desk and eventually became a reporter. In October of 1976, Ms. Perry joined WMAQ-TV in Chicago, the NBC owned-and-operated station. As part of the “NewsCenter 5” team, she worked as a general assignment reporter, covering stories ranging from the death of Mayor Richard J. Daley to the first running of the Chicago Marathon. During that time, Ms. Perry broke the story that CDC researchers had found the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease, a bacterial infection that broke out during a convention of the American Legion. In 1979, Ms. Perry joined WTTW-TV, Chicago’s PBS station. She worked on the news and public affairs team, producing programs on topics of local and national importance.

From 2005 to 2010, Ms. Perry served as President of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. During her time in that position, she established new scholarships and started a Silver Circle Awards ceremony in Milwaukee, WI, honoring television professionals who have worked in the industry for more than 25 years. As a Governor of the Chapter, Ms. Perry chaired the Silver Circle Production Committee in Chicago and has written several regional Emmy productions. She was a Trustee on the national board of NATAS from 2006 to 2016 and worked with leaders of NATAS chapters in creating the Presidents’ Council of NATAS. She first served on the Executive Committee as the Representative of the Presidents’ Council and went on to be elected First Vice Chair.

Ms. Perry currently sits on the board of Arrupe College of Loyola University in Chicago. She is a Trustee Emeritus of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She has served on the boards of Chicago’s Cristo Rey High School as well as the Convent of the Visitation School in St. Paul, MN, her alma mater.

Grace Cotter Regan
Director

Grace Cotter Regan, a lifelong learner and leader committed to Jesuit and Catholic Education, serves as vice chair of America Media. In 2017 she was named the first female president of Boston College High School, an all-boys Jesuit school . Grace was missioned as the 28th president of the high school in 2018.

Grace is mission-driven and results-oriented. She brings a lifetime of knowledge and a commitment to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion to BC High. Prior to her appointment at BC High, Grace served as Head of School at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn, Mass. During her six years at St. Mary’s, she focused on academic quality and operational vitality, creating an operational business model focused on enrollment, fundraising and long-ranging sustainability. Grace completed a $20 Million fundraising campaign at St. Mary’s before she concluded her tenure there in Dec. 2018.

From 2005-12 Grace served as the Executive Director and Provincial Assistant for Advancement for the New England Province of Jesuits. From 2000-2005, she served as the Executive Director of the Boston College Alumni Association. The lion-share of her career has been in the non-profit board, communications, philanthropy and stewardship with the Boston Public Library Foundation, the College of the Holy Cross, Simmons University, Mount Alvernia Academy and Notre Dame Academy. She also served as a volunteer with the International Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Belize, Central America and has traveled extensively through that area.

Grace is a graduate of the Emmaus Principal’s Cohort of the Roche Center for Catholic Leadership at Boston College. She earned a certificate in Catholic Leadership from the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Grace has a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from the Boston College School of Ministry and Theology and a master’s degree in education in student affairs and higher education administration from the University of Vermont. Grace graduated cum laude from Boston College in 1982 with a B.A. in theology and sociology.

Grace lives in West Roxbury, Mass. with her husband Bernie, a retired produce broker and Boston College alumnus, and their wheaten terrier named Seamus. They have two incredible sons. Bartley is a 2012 graduate of BC High and a 2016 graduate of Stonehill College, where he played quarterback on the football team. He currently works in partnership development at Shields Healthcare Solutions. Luke graduated from St. Sebastian’s School in 2009 and Bowdoin College in 2013 where he was captain of the baseball team. Luke is a safety manager with Suffolk Construction and is working on the Montage Spanish Peaks Development in Big Sky, Montana.

Thomas A. Roberts
Director

Mr. Roberts is a strategic advisor and consultant. In this capacity he has, among other things, served as the Lead Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of a REIT listed on the NYSE, as an Advisory Director of a leading global strategic advisory firm and as an expert witness in merger and acquisition disputes.

Mr. Roberts practiced law in Dallas, Texas and New York City for over 43 years. He was a Senior Partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a major international firm, where he was a partner for over 20 years. He retired in 2015.

Mr. Roberts’ practice primarily involved domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, contested takeovers and private equity. He also regularly advised companies and/or their board of directors with respect to complex, high profile strategic, crisis management and corporate governance matters. He was twice elected by The American Lawyer as Dealmaker of the Year.

Mr. Roberts served as Chairman of the Corporate Department at Weil, Gotshal from 2000 through 2012 and was a member of the firm’s governing body from 1994 through 2014. He was also the leader of the expansion of the firm in London, Prague, Warsaw and Silicon Valley and for opening of offices and the development of practices in Boston, Providence, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing.

From 1998 to 2010 Mr. Roberts served on the board of directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and from 2006 to 2010 served as the Chairman of the board of directors. He also served, for many years, as a member of the board of visitors of the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Mr. Roberts is a graduate of both the Georgetown University College of Arts and Sciences and the Georgetown University Law Center.

He served two terms as a board director of America Media from 2019 to 2025 and was reelected to the board in 2026.

Colleen Flynn Roohan
Director

Colleen Flynn Roohan grew up in Santa Barbara, California and attended Marymount International, London.  She graduated with a BSN from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana and MSN – NP from California State University, Long Beach.

She currently serves on the board of trustees for Saint Mary’s College as well as the school’s Graduate Nursing Advisory Council. The college is a private Catholic women’s liberal arts college founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

Ms. Roohan also serves as the Board President of the Catholic Education Foundation of Los Angeles (CEF), a non-profit that supports tuition assistance within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The foundation supports over 200 Catholic elementary and high schools by awarding scholarships to children and their families. Last year CEF provided more than 17,000 scholarships in excess of $25 million.

Ms. Roohan has been an active parishioner for many years at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Pasadena. Recently, she transitioned her firm, Drawing Near Nurses Consulting, into ministry work where she assists friends and parishioners navigating through medical crisis, dementia management, palliative care and end of life.

Ms. Roohan and her husband Ed met in their freshman year in college and reside in Altadena, CA.

They have four adult children, Eddie (Loyola Marymount University ‘10), Mary Kate (University of Notre Dame ’12), Joseph (Georgetown University ’14) and Sheila (University of Notre Dame ‘18/ ACE ’20) and currently have two wonderful grandchildren.

The Roohan’s are supporters of Outreach Ministry and attended the America Media pilgrimage in Rome in September 2025. Their daughter, Mary Kate Roohan (Psy. D) led an Outreach Webinar for LGBTQ Catholics. 

Peter H. Smyth
Director

Peter H. Smyth is president of the Hundred Club of Massachusetts and the retired chairman and chief executive officer of the former Greater Media, Inc. He adds significant value to organizations that seek to innovate, drive results, achieve growth, and improve interactions both internally and externally.

Mr. Smyth is an innovator and thought leader in the radio broadcasting industry, and is also a highly active philanthropist and source of guidance and expertise for large charitable organizations. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017 following a 30-year career with Greater Media, Inc.

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Greater Media, Mr. Smyth oversaw all strategic initiatives and operations for twenty-one AM and FM radio stations in Boston, Charlotte, N.C. Detroit, Philadelphia and New Jersey, as well as other media properties. He helped revolutionize the broadcasting industry by advocating for and adopting new technologies such as HD Radio and internet streaming, and by developing innovative content to meet the emerging demands of the industry and its advertisers.

He was named a “Giant of American Broadcasting” by the Library of American Broadcasting in 2014. Radio Ink Magazine twice selected Mr. Smyth as “America’s Best Broadcaster”— in 2005 and 2011.

In addition, he has been recognized as one of Radio Ink’s “40 Most Powerful People in Radio,” ranking among the top ten. In 2007, Radio Ink named him “Radio Executive of the Year,” while he also received the “Humanitarian of the Year” Award from the Hundred Club of Massachusetts and the Golden Mike Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

Among his achievements, Mr. Smyth was largely credited with creating the concept of “FM Talk” radio, with the establishment of the all-talk 96.9 FM WTKK in 1999; while also being unafraid to exit the format after a 14-year successful run to take advantage of changing market tastes and opportunity. Mr. Smyth is highly sought across multiple industries as a director, board member, adviser and consultant, and has served in corporate governance leadership positions for some of New England’s most prestigious institutions.

In addition to serving on the board of America Media, Mr. Smyth is also serving on the boards of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Radio Advertising Bureau, and as chairman of the Home Base Media Labs. Mr. Smyth is also an emeritus Trustee of New England Baptist Hospital and served for nine years as chair of that board’s finance committee.

He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. and in 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Commerce degree from Suffolk University in Boston.

John Tomczak
Director

John Tomczak is a Buffalo native with a distinguished career in healthcare, dedicated to improving patient outcomes, advancing medical technologies, and supporting his community. He is the President of Niagara Frontier Orthopaedic Supplies, a leading distributor of orthopedic devices in New York, representing Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Since 2007, under his leadership, the company has become one of the nation’s most successful medical device distributorships, with a focus on joint replacement technologies and exceptional service.

Mr. Tomczak’s leadership philosophy is shaped by the values instilled by the Jesuits and Christian Brothers, emphasizing service, integrity, and continuous learning. He began his career as a healthcare consultant and recruiter, later excelling in medical device sales and distribution.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mr. Tomczak is committed to community service. He founded One Jesuit Buffalo, a network connecting Jesuit alumni and friends in Western New York, and has been an active participant in the Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network (JFAN). In 2022, One Jesuit Buffalo was honored with the Michael Kirwan Shining Light Award for supporting the Nativity Miguel School of Buffalo.

Mr. Tomczak is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. He and his wife, Maureen, are avid supporters of America Media, and have traveled on pilgrimages with them to the Holy Land, Spain, and Italy. Mr. Tomczak also values his annual Ignatian retreat at Manresa House of Retreats in Louisiana, where he and his son, John Jr., renew their spiritual commitment.

The Tomczak’s have three adult children: John Jr., in New York City working in cryptocurrency; Grace, a resident physician in child psychiatry in Buffalo; and Joe, an accountant at KPMG in Manhattan. The Tomczaks are active members of the Canisius University Parish Community in Buffalo.

Mr. Tomczak’s mission is simple: “Keeping people moving.” Whether through his leadership at Niagara Frontier Orthopaedic Supplies or his community and spiritual work, he is dedicated to improving lives and ensuring access to the best medical care.

Michael Zink
Director

Michael Zink was a Citigroup Managing Director who spent his 28-year career overseas. Starting as a corporate banker in West Africa, he held roles in corporate and investment banking and in-country management. Mr. Zink worked for Citigroup in nine countries – Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Tunisia, Russia, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, China and Singapore. His last role was chief executive of Citi’s eight-country Southeast Asia business, the largest Citigroup business in Asia. 

In May 2016, Mr. Zink retired from Citi and now resides in Boulder, Colorado. Since retiring, he has focused on education, Catholic causes and community service.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Zink was raised in a family of six sons. He met his wife Betsy, a New Englander, while they were both serving as Peace Corps volunteers in Kenya in the 1980s. Betsy is a doula and a CNA, currently working with hospice patients and elderly homebound patients. The Zink’s raised their four children while on their overseas odyssey. Emily and Katherine now live and work in Colorado, Alexandra lives and works in Boston, and Gabriel is in graduate school in Chicago.

Mr. Zink earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and spent his junior year abroad at the University of Edinburgh. After returning from the Peace Corps he earned an MBA from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr. Zink has been director of the board of America Media since June of 2022 and served as the chair from 2023 to 2026.