About - Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative

Borrowing the phrase duc in altum from the Gospel of Luke, which was oft-quoted by St. John Paul II,

our schools seek to “go out into the deep” and become beacons of light for the ministry of faithfully Catholic education in our nation.

Our Mission

DIA Schools Collaborative seeks to share the collective wisdom and resources of its like-minded, faith-filled school members for the betterment of each institution, the growth and support of passionately Catholic education at-large, and the transformation of the culture of our society.

Our Beliefs

DIA Schools Collaborative Belief Statements

We are schools committed to supporting the New Evangelization of the Catholic Church in the United States.
We are schools who have a deep and abiding love for the Catholic Church and all her teachings.
We are schools who maintain that the ongoing spiritual formation of students, parents, faculty, and staff alike is at the heart of the work we are called to do as Catholic schools.
We are schools committed to sharing our best practices, resources, and personnel for our mutual benefit.

We are schools open to sharing relevant data in order to establish performance benchmarks in all facets of school administration.
We are schools with leadership committed to meeting frequently to collaborate and advance the mission of the collaborative.
We are schools that believe parents are the primary educators and, as such, must be fully supported in their efforts to provide an integral formation to their children.
We are schools that strive to live the works of mercy and reflect the missionary nature of the Catholic Church.

Our Impact

It is so refreshing to meet people who desire to make their schools not only centers for learning, but furnaces of evangelization!

The DIA network provides inspiration to “go deeper” in the formation of our school communities.

Our growing roster includes schools and dioceses from across the US, and beyond. DIA Members represent:

Large and small Catholic schools
High school and elementary
Single gender and co-ed
Order-sponsored, diocesan and private
Diocesan Offices of Education

The combined structures and experiences in these organizations inspire protection, promotion, and strength of our schools’ Catholic mission.

DIA participants

Episcopal Endorsements

Bishops and Archbishops from the host dioceses and archdioceses of past Schools Summits endorse the efforts of Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative.

See their communications here.

“

It is my wish that this initiative might expand and grow so that many more young people in our Catholic schools can reap its benefits and renew our communities and the Church at large.

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Most Rev. Timothy P. Broglio

Archbishop for the Military Services, USA
“

The DIA Schools Collaborative is dedicated to promoting sound Catholic identity and commitment to a robust catechetical approach that meets young people where they are, and then sends them out with the tools necessary to tackle a challenging contemporary culture.

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Most Rev. Timothy E. Freyer, D.D.

Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of Orange, California
“

I am pleased to endorse the DIA Schools Summit and hope to see this initiative continue to grow as school leaders work to enhance the faith experiences of young people and thus renew our Catholic Schools.

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Most Rev. J. Mark Spalding

Bishop, Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee
“

I wholeheartedly endorse this fresh endeavor within the Church for the cultivation of academic and spiritual excellence, combined with Magisterial fidelity.

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Most Rev. Andrew H. Cozzens

Bishop, Diocese of Crookston

Leadership

Staff
- Kyle Pietrantonio
  
  Executive Director
  
  DIA’s Executive Director, Kyle Pietrantonio, was named to the position in 2020. Previously he was Head of School at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta, Georgia.
  
  He’s also experienced as a school principal and teacher in Catholic schools, was a founding board member of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, and currently, Pietrantonio serves as Vice Chair, Ignatian House Board of Directors and works in Executive Search for Partners in Mission.
  
  Pietrantonio graduated Georgetown University with a A.B.; he’s alumnus of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program with a M.Ed. in secondary education; and doctoral studies were completed at The Catholic University of America in educational leadership and policy.
  
  He and wife, Meghan, have three children.
- Father Paul Kostka
  
  Chaplain
  
  Father Paul Kostka, is DIA Chaplain and founding member of DIA. He was ordained for the Servants of Christ Jesus by Archbishop Aquila in 2013. Currently, Fr. Paul is mobilized to Active Duty with the Navy and is serving as Chaplain to the US Naval Academy.
  
  Fr. Paul earned his undergrad from Franciscan University, has Masters of Divinity from St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, and Masters in Education Administration from Marymount University.
- Karen Maginn
  
  Coordinator
  
  DIA’s Coordinator, Karen Maginn joined the team in 2018. Previously, she was in Admissions and Advancement at St. James Academy, Lenexa, Kansas, since it opened in 2005.
  
  Maginn’s degrees include B.S. from University of Northern Iowa and Masters from Drake University. Karen and husband, Dennis, have three grown children and one grandchild.
Directors
- Rich Meyer
  
  President
  
  Rich Meyer, founding DIA Board Chair, has served as President of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, since 2012. Currently, he’s also a member of the Board of Visitors for the Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America; Board Chair of Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative, and participates with the San Juan Capistrano Legatus Chapter.
  
  In the past, he’s served on the boards of several independent and parochial Catholic schools. Meyer holds degrees from University of Illinois; Masters from Benedictine University and Middlebury College. He and his wife, Anne, have eight children.
- Andy Tylicki
  
  Treasurer
  
  Founding DIA Treasurer, Andy Tylicki, has served as President at St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas, since 2011; he was hired in 2004 when the school opened and held other positions such as Athletic Director and Principal.
  
  Past experiences include chairing the President Search Committee for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. Tylicki’s undergraduate degree is from Emporia State University, and he has Masters from Benedictine College. Andy and wife, Missy, have three children.
- Dr. Todd Flanders
  
  Secretary
  
  Founding Board Member and current Secretary of DIA, Dr. Todd Flanders, is the Headmaster at Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minnesota, since the school opened in 2000.
  
  Currently he’s also a speaker on education, religion and the free society; lectures with the Acton University program and the Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute; serves on the advisory board of the University of St. Thomas’s Center for Catholic Studies; is on the board of regents of a Catholic independent secondary school; and is a video contributor to HeroicMen.com.
  
  Flanders’ undergrad is from the University of Chicago; Masters is from Truman State University; and Ph.D. in Theology is from Boston College. Flanders and wife, Jane, have four children.
- Deborah Nearmyer
  
  Director
  
  Deborah Nearmyer is St. James Academy’s Director of Faith Formation and founding team member since 2004. Currently she’s also Founder and Co-Director, Camp Kateri Tekakwitha, among other roles in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
  
  She’s a speaker and presenter on the spiritual life, mission-driven schools & missionary discipleship. Nearmyer’s educational credentials include Bachelors from University of Kansas; commissioning by Holy Family School of Faith; and training with Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England.
  
  She and husband, Deacon Dana, have five children and four grandchildren.
- Patrick Reidy
  
  Director
  
  Since 2014, Patrick Reidy has been the Vice President of Mission & Faith at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, overseeing student, staff, and parent formation. He is an international presenter on Saint John Paul II’s Catechesis on Human Love (Theology of the Body).
  
  He recently completed his M.A. in Catholic School Leadership in Notre Dame University’s Remick Leadership Program. Reidy’s education includes a B.A. from St. Norbert College; M.A., from Indiana University; and a B.Phil (Philosophy) from St. John Vianney Seminary. Pat is happily married to his wife, Sandra.
- Kate Sell
  
  Director
  
  Kate Sell is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience in business and nonprofit consulting. Sell is Founder and Managing Partner, Mission Advancement Partners. With a specialty in the Catholic sphere throughout the United States and abroad, Kate helps Catholic organizations of all sizes to live their unique mission more effectively with innovative evangelistic strategy and to utilize their resources to most effectively serve the needs of the modern Church. Having worked with a variety of organizations including for-profit companies, national nonprofits, bishops, dioceses, parishes, Newman/campus ministry centers, Catholic schools, and ministry-based organizations, Kate has experience in all phases of organizational change and development, as well as the communications strategy and messaging necessary to bring initiatives to the forefront.
  
  As a wife and mother of five children, Kate has been a Catholic school parent for almost 20 years. Her love and dedication to the success of Catholic education in the formation of students and families is a personal and professional passion. Kate and her family live in Atlanta.
- Tim Navone
  
  Director
  
  Tim Navone is in his 28th school year at Marin Catholic and in his 12th year as President. Prior to his current role, Navone served in a variety of capacities including Director of Advancement, Director of Summer School, Director of Communications, Director/Founder of Summer Scholars, and also spent 15 years as Golf Coach. Navone has been a part of the Master Planning and fundraising processes that have resulted in over $47 million in capital improvements during his time at Marin Catholic.
  
  Navone, a convert to the Catholic Faith, earned his Bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University in 1989 and did his post-graduate work at the Southern Marin Bible Institute. He and his wife, Kathy have two children. His son attends St. Thomas in Minnesota and his daughter in finishing her Master’s in Theology at Notre Dame.
Advisory Board
- Dr. Greg Bottaro
  
  Clinical Psychologist and Founder
  
  Dr. Bottaro is a clinical psychologist and founder of the CatholicPsych Institute. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a graduate school in Arlington, Virginia, that integrates Catholic philosophy and theology with sound, empirically validated psychology.
  
  While discerning a religious vocation with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs), he learned how to hear God’s voice and live a life in service to others. He ultimately chose the path as a psychologist. The CatholicPsych Institute began in 2012 and has since grown to 5 offices with 12 therapists serving clients around the globe.
- Most Rev. Thomas A. Daly
  
  Bishop
  
  Bishop Daly was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1987; in addition to pastoral duties, his assignments included teaching and serving as President of Marin Catholic College Prep and Archdiocesan Director of Vocations.
  
  Pope Francis named him the seventh Bishop of Spokane in 2015. Bishop Daly is Chair of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education. He is also on the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis; the Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions of the Committee for National Collections; and the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. Bishop Daly is a consultant to the Committee on Religious Liberty.
- Mary Pat Donoghue
  
  Executive Director
  
  In 2018 Mary Pat Donoghue was named Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for USCCB. A Catholic school student her entire life, she earned bachelors and masters degrees in education from University of Maryland and Trinity University, respectively.
  
  More than 25 years of experience later, she was named principal of her childhood school, St. Jerome, and oversaw its rise to a thriving school after nearly being closed when she first joined the team.
- Kristin Meyer
  
  Founder & President
  
  Kristin Meyer is the founder and President of Capital Commercial Real Estate. She is highly engaged in Catholic Apostolates both domestically and internationally through her husband’s work as Executive Director of Napa Institute.
  
  Mrs. Meyer sits on the President’s Advisory Council of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), and JSerra Catholic High School Advancement Board. She has a Master’s Degree in Education and was formerly an elementary school teacher. Kristin lives with her husband, John, and new foster son, Noah, in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
- Stephen D. Minnis
  
  President
  
  A native of St. Joseph, MO, Minnis graduated from Benedictine College in 1982. He holds JD and MBA degrees and Minnis served as an Assistant DA and an attorney in corporate policy before becoming President of Benedictine College in 2004. Under his leadership, Benedictine College has experienced unprecedented growth as enrollment has increased from 1,000 students to over 2,000. The campus facilities have also seen exponential growth.
  
  During his presidency, Benedictine was named by US News and World Report one of “America’s Best Colleges” and recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society as one of the top 20 Catholic universities in America. Recently the college announced a new vision to Transform Culture in America.
- Anthony Pienta
  
  Executive Director
  
  For nearly two years, Anthony has been the Executive Director of the Altum Fund. Previously, Anthony served for ten years in various roles at The Philanthropy Roundtable, most notably mobilizing a growing group of donors who are committed to creating a renaissance in Catholic education. Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, business, and theology from the Franciscan University.
- Alan Sears
  
  Director
  
  Alan Sears currently serves as director of Kingdom Alliance Builders which assists first-time CEOs of apostolates to become more successful. He is well known as founder of Alliance Defending Freedom, ADF International, and ADF Foundation. As founder, the first president, CEO, and general counsel Sears served ADF for 26 years and continues to serve ADFF today.
  
  Sears earned his Juris Doctor from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Sears served in numerous positions within the Reagan and Bush administrations at the Departments of Justice and Interior, has been on local parish and diocese school boards, and chaired Catholic Education Arizona. Sears has received many awards including the 2017 Edwin Meese III Originalism and Religious Liberty Award, The Thomas More Award, and Saint Juan Diego Leadership for the World Award He also received the 2017 William Wilberforce Award from The Colson Center, and with his wife, Paula was invested in the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great as Knight and Dame per Pope Francis.