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Louis is Superintendent of Schools and Secretary of Education for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware. Before assuming this role in 2012, he served as assistant superintendent in the diocese, and also as director of curriculum PreK-12 and professional development for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He has served as principal and teacher for several Catholic schools in Pennsylvania and as a professor at Neumann University and Chestnut Hill College. In every role, Louis sees his ministry in Catholic education as both an invitation and gift as he journeys with others and encounters Jesus Christ. Louis has a doctorate in educational leadership from Immaculata University.

Marc Martinez is the founding principal of St. Peter’s Catholic: A Career and Technical High School, in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where he will open the school in the fall of 2023. Prior to being named founding principal, Marc served as Dean of Academics at St. Pius X High School in Houston, TX, and before that, he was the principal at O’Connell College Prep in Galveston, TX and of True Cross Catholic School in Dickinson, TX. Marc began his educational career as a 2nd grade teacher, and has taught 4th grade, 5th to 8th grade Math, 7th & 8th grade religion, and has coached baseball and volleyball, while also serving as athletic director. In every role, Marc sees his ministry in Catholic education as a vocation and an opportunity to serve God and others. Marc has earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Saint Louis University, a master’s in private school administration from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor’s in business administration from St. Edward’s University.

Dr. Melanie Palmisano has extensive service to Catholic schools as a teacher and administrator on the elementary, middle, high school levels as well as the university undergraduate and doctoral levels. She recently retired from the Diocese of Baton Rouge after thirteen years in service as Superintendent of Schools and currently provides leadership coaching and school improvement consulting through Inspir-ED Consulting, LLC specializing in the areas of resilient leadership and school improvement. Dr. Mel earned a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Secondary Education from Loyola University of the South. Her publications include articles for NCEA’s Momentum and The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on accreditation and school improvement. Dr. Mel has provided presentations and workshops to schools, districts, and professional organizations on a wide variety of topics with the goal of providing support for educational improvement. Dr. Mel’s focus is to bring joy to the work of Catholic schools, and she is especially happy to share the journey as a coach to graduate students at ɬÀï·¬ÏÂÔØ.

Ms. Lytia Reese currently serves the ministry of Catholic education in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh as Superintendent of Schools, where she leads 28 Catholic early childhood, elementary and high schools. A product of Catholic schools K-college, Ms. Reese received her Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Christian Brothers University and received her Master of Arts in Instructional and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis. She has dedicated her vocation in education to serving under-resourced students and embodied the tradition of her Dominican roots by modeling her instruction and leadership around the four pillars of Dominican education: preaching; prayer; study; and community. A teacher for over 15 years, she spent much of her career serving students attending Title I schools. In 2012, she began her appointment as Principal in Jubilee schools in the Diocese of Memphis, which students who would not have been able to afford a Catholic education without significant financial assistance. She continued her service to under-resourced students in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston as the Assistant Superintendent of Urban Achievement. There, she oversaw and supported 13 schools whose primary mission was to serve students who could not afford a Catholic education. Prior to becoming an educator, Ms. Reese worked in the financial sector as a manager at The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Memphis Branch. She discovered her love of teaching through her involvement with Junior Achievement where she taught financial literacy to middle-schoolers.

Patrick is the Executive Director of the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, a network of 13 schools in Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Massachusetts. A liaison between the Xaverian Brothers and the schools’ leadership teams and boards, he assists schools in animating the mission of a Xaverian education while promoting strong governance at the board level. Previously, he served the Archdiocese of Omaha for 15 years as a K-8 principal, a high school president, and Superintendent of Schools. In his role as superintendent, Patrick restructured the staffing of the Catholic School Office and was a key team member in the Archdiocese’s Ignite the Faith Capital Campaign which raised $53 million for various needs throughout the archdiocese. The newly developed leadership team strategically invested a significant portion of these funds in Catholic education, leading to the highest Catholic school system enrollment gain in the country in the years following the program investments. Patrick has also held leadership roles in private, non-denominational schools in Maryland and Massachusetts. He earned his bachelors from the College of the Holy Cross, a master’s in educational administration from Harvard University, and his doctorate degree from Creighton University.