Welcome – Executive Director

Feast of Saint Junípero Serra
July 1, 2023

Dear DIA Collaborators,

I hope that this message finds you in a season of renewal and refreshment this summer. I am drafting this note on the heels of attending two great conferences: the Amazing Parish Summit in Phoenix and Partners in Mission’s annual advancement institute.  I have been trying for the last few years to attend the Amazing Parish one, and I was so pleased that calendars aligned this summer to do so.

Many have likened the mission and ministry of DIA to that of Amazing Parish, so I was eager to experience first-hand to see how AP works with parish leadership teams as DIA does with Catholic school leadership teams.  Indeed, there are many analogs in terms of leadership philosophy, best practices, and a shared affinity for the work and works of Patrick Lencioni, founder of Table Group and passionate Catholic husband, father, and son of Christ.

I walked away from my time in Phoenix with that “retreat-high” we can experience when we come back from a powerful spiritual time-out.  It’s the same feeling many have described as the DIA Summit concludes.  Our attendees return to their school communities armed spiritually, intellectually, and with the support of other soldier-leaders to “cast out” and become furnaces of formation and instruments of evangelization for all who come in contact with our schools’ missions.  In short, the mission of DIA is to “rechurch our Church” using the extraordinary relationships ripe for evangelization in our Catholic schools. 

We have spent the past several months planning and programming our 9th  annual Summit, which The Catholic University of America will host on its campus October 16 – 18.  There is no doubt this one will be our best ever!  

I am also pleased to share that our newest strategic partner, The Spitzer-Magis Center, will be using their Journey To Excellence leadership development program for aspiring school leaders.  If you wish to nominate a rising star from your diocese or school for this amazing leadership development program, please do so here.  

I thank you for your continued interest and support of DIA.  We are encouraged by the growing interest in the work we are doing in the vineyard of Catholic education.  May God continue to bless and renew you this summer! 

St. John Paul the Great, Patron Saint of DIA, pray for us!