"I truly value the experience of serving on the CWR Board of Directors. It is an opportunity to be directly involved in the larger picture and vision of a great organization."

Leadership/Board

CWR 2017 Board of Directors

CWR Board of Directors: Szczawinska, CSFN

Angela Szczawinska, CSFN

Electronic Media Coordinator

Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth

CWR Chair — Sister Angela has served as the electronic media coordinator for the CSFN's U.S. Province since 2010, when she transferred to Holy Family Province from Warsaw, Poland. A native of Poland and member of her congregation since 1989, she holds both a master’s degree and a B.A. in English philology (teaching and translation) from the University of Warsaw.

Sister Angela spent 17 years in the classroom, first in public grade schools and later at Nazareth Academy High School in Warsaw, where she also served as assistant principal. From 2004 – 2010, she served as provincial secretary and councilor for Holy Name of Jesus Province in Warsaw.

After the transfer to the U.S. Province, she ministered as an administrative assistant at Holy Family Manor in Pittsburgh, PA while also working on the CSFN website and Facebook page. Sister Angela has served on the province communications team, Editorial Board and Strategic Communications Planning Committee. She also is a member of the province’s technology support team.

CWR Board of Directors: Gatliff, CMP, CAE

Kathryn Gatliff, CMP, CAE

Director of Communications/PR

Sisters of Saint Francis

CWR Vice Chair -- Kathy has more than 30 years of experience serving in the fields of communications, marketing, education and meeting planning. She earned her bachelor’s of science in education, and spent the first part of her career as an elementary school instructor. Prior to her employment with the Sisters of Saint Francis, Kathy served as the director of marketing and education for the Midwest Society of Association Professionals, as the founder of Meetings du Jour, and as the executive director of an international non-profit organization for credit and finance professionals. In her former profession, she obtained both the Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designations, and was a past recipient of Planner of the Year Award by the Minnesota Chapter of Meeting Professionals, and the Industry Innovator Award from the State of the Industry Program, sponsored by Meetings: Minnesota’s Hospitality Journal magazine.

CWR Board of Directors: Kress, PBVM

Beth Kress, PBVM

Communications and Media Relations

Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

CWR Treasurer — Sister Beth Kress, PBVM, is communications specialist for her congregation, the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dubuque, Iowa, and the coordinator of public relations and marketing for their sponsored ministry, Presentation Lantern Center and managing editor for monthly news for the Phyllis M. Taylor Hotel Hope in New Orleans, LA. Beth began a career in communications as a high school teacher of English, journalism, mass media and publications. While earning a master’s degree in journalism education (University of Iowa) and a master of journalism degree in public relations (Louisiana State University) she gained experience in reporting and publicity. For 30 years, she has worked with non-profits in Catholic education and for women religious regionally, nationally and internationally, including as a Catholic schools system coordinator of public relations and telecommunications, as the first coordinator for the International Presentation Association (1989–1995) and as the first CWR coordinator (1995–1997). A member of CWR since its beginning in 1995, Sister Beth has served as a regional liaison for Region 10 (Iowa) and is presently chair of the organization’s Finance Committee. Beth is a founding member (1993) of Sisters United News (SUN) – Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley.

CWR Board of Directors: Brandlon

Jennifer Brandlon

Director of Communications & Administrative Services

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

Jennifer Brandlon manages communication and administration for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S-Ontario Province. Since 1980, she has worked in journalism, marketing and communications, including reporting for The Associated Press, editing magazines, directing marketing programs for an investment research firm, and serving as brand manager for an international musical instrument manufacturer. She graduated from the University of California-Berkeley, where she focused on American immigration history. She also studied Spanish at the University of Durango in Mexico and theater at Portland Community College. With an incurable love for writing, she is involved in the Portland songwriting community and serves on the editorial board of the Episcopal Café, an online forum for the Episcopal Church.

CWR Board of Directors: Dickerson

Eileen Dickerson

Director of Development

Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart

Eileen Kelly Dickerson is development director for the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A Philadelphia native, Eileen was taught by the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart at Cardinal Dougherty High School. Eileen holds a bachelor of arts in journalism degree from Rider University. Her communications experience includes newspaper reporting and feature writing, advertising copywriting, ghostwriting, public relations and publicity, marketing, event planning and nonprofit organizational communications. Eileen is the co-author of “Chuse Thy Clothes With Thine Own Eye,” an award-winning book on Quaker history.

CWR Board of Directors: Hall

Stephanie Hall

Director of Public Relations/Communications

Sisters of St Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Stephanie has 30 years of experience in communications and related fields. Prior to joining the Sisters of St. Joseph, she provided professional freelance services including copywriting, marketing and public relations for a variety of clients while raising her youngest child. Other professional work experience includes serving as creative project coordinator for a regional magazine, advertising for a large real estate firm, and account services in the advertising industry. She also worked in marketing and public relations for McDonald’s Corporation.

In addition to her membership in CWR, Stephanie served on the board of directors for the Achievement Center, an agency that serves special needs children for 13 years; and eight years on the Saint Vincent Health Center Board of Corporators. She held previous memberships with the National Catholic Development Conference, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the Public Relations Society of America.

Stephanie was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph throughout elementary and high school and then attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. She has participated in numerous webinars, workshops and seminars on various topics including development, public relations and social media for non-profits. She has been an associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph since 2002.

CWR Board of Directors: Hurst

Spalding Hurst

Communications Specialist

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth

Spalding Hurst manages the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth's communications efforts in design and technology. He has a background in film production and television. He began working with the Sisters in 2008 and enjoys inspiring the involvement in furthering their mission. His passions include traveling with his wife and two children and many glorious pursuits of paddling rivers.

CWR Board of Directors: Martin

Katherine Martin

Development and Communications Director

Dominican Sisters of San Rafael

Kate studied history at Stanford University and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco in organizational behavior. Her professional career spans four decades as a marketing and communications professional in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. She was educated by the Dominican Sisters and has been working for the congregation for 19 years. She has been a member of CWR since 2007. Married with two adult daughters, Kate has long volunteered in several organizations in her community where she learned the art of grassroots fundraising.

CWR Board of Directors: Merry

Jean Merry

Communications Director

Sisters of St Francis of Assisi


Jean Merry has been a member of CWR since 2003, when she became the communications director for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis, Wisconsin. Jean previously served two terms on the CWR board and chaired the 2010 CWR Conference (Denver) Committee. Jean has also served on the CWR Marketing Committee and two other conference committees. She is currently a member of the CWR Finance Committee and the 2016 Conference (Indianapolis) Committee.

Jean has been involved in communications and/or marketing since 1970, first as an English and communications teacher for 11 years, and then in marketing and PR positions for a manufacturing company and an employee benefits foundation. From 1989 to 2003, she was in charge of marketing and communications for Prudential’s agricultural divisions. In addition to her position with the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, Jean also does communications and design work on a part-time basis for her husband’s marketing company, which serves agricultural clientele.

CWR Board of Directors: Rupell

Cecilia Rupell

Director of Communications/PR

Sisters of St Joseph of Philadelphia

Cecilia’s 30-year career as a communications professional includes employment in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. She has worked in the civil engineering, transportation, health care, recreation/hospitality and health insurance industries. Her professional career has provided many opportunities including the development and management of internal/external marketing and communications programs, corporate identity plans, strategic planning, writing, social media, relationship management, facilitation, special events, video production, graphic design and advertising.

A native of Pittsburgh, Cecilia was educated by the Sisters of Charity and is a graduate of Duquesne University. She has previously served as President of the American Society of Highway Engineers—Franklin Section, as a Wilkinsburg, PA Borough Council Member and on the Borough’s Zoning Hearing Board.

CWR Board of Directors: Turney

Philippa Turney

Province Secretary

Sisters of St Ann

After graduating with a General Arts degree from the University of Toronto (New College), Philippa (who also goes by her nickname, Pippa) worked for a Quebec-based airline, a federal government film agency and as assistant to a member of the Ontario legislature. Later, she moved to England where she ran a clinical drug trial and then spent the next 25 years in northern Italy raising two sons and teaching English.

Philippa is fluent in Italian and French and believes that the cultural component of foreign language learning has heightened her awareness of the challenges of communication. Philippa has been with the Sisters of St. Ann since 2009, where her communications responsibilities include website design and content, newsletters, weekly news bulletins, and managing social media.

CWR Board of Directors: Sanders, IHM

Annmarie Sanders, IHM

Director of Communications

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Annmarie Sanders, IHM, serves as the director of communications for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. She has worked for the past 30 years in communications for her congregation, Marywood College and in Peru for Latinamerica Press/Noticias Aliadas. She holds a master of arts degree in public communications from Fordham University. She also serves as a spiritual director. She is the LCWR liaison to the CWR board.

CWR Board of Directors: Scheiber

Carol Schuck Scheiber

Editor, HORIZON and Focus on Vocation Ministry

National Religious Vocation Conference

Carol Schuck Scheiber is an independent writer and editor. She serves as editor of HORIZON, journal of the National Religious Vocation Conference, and "Focus on Vocation Ministry," its monthly online newsletter. She also is content editor for VISION: The Annual Vocation Discernment Guide. A 1982 graduate of Michigan State University, she started out in magazine publishing. In the 1980s she was an editor for Salt, a Catholic social justice magazine published by Claretian Publications in Chicago, and a staff writer for Loyola University publications. Pursuing her interest in social change and world cultures, she spent two years as a field worker for the Archdiocese of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela. Carol is the NRVC liaison to the CWR board.