NCNWR will have a board of directors election during the business meeting Oct. 3 at the conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The slate of nominees includes five members: Denise Bunk-Hatch, Kendra Hadlock, Stephanie Hall-Cabelof, Jennifer Kaminski, Sister Angela Szczawinska, CSFN.
Name: Denise Bunk-Hatch
Title/position: Communications Director
Congregation: Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, Allegany, New York
Number of years in current position: 1+
Number of years as an NCNWR member: 1+
NCNWR conferences attended: 1
NCNWR committee work or other involvement: Member of NCNWR communications committee and the Education and Programming Committee. Spoke as part of a panel for a breakout session on content management systems at the 2012 conference.
Denise has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from St. Bonaventure University, where she was immersed in Catholic heritage and history. She is writing a thesis on integrated marketing for the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany Associate Program with the goal of completing her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications in December from St. Bonaventure. She also has experience in web development and design.
Prior to her current position, Denise was a newspaper reporter specializing in education coverage and animal-related matters. She has served on the board of directors for her local SPCA, and is currently the president/director of a dog rescue she founded independently of the local SPCA after leaving the board. She is also active in her local Mutation Chinchilla Breeder’s Association (MCBA) chapter.
Denise spends her free time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, as well as her many animals. Additionally, she enjoys reading, photography, creative writing and sketching when she finds time.
Why I want to serve on the NCNWR board: I see membership on the board as a way of getting even more out of my NCNWR membership, as I continue to grow and learn from my peers and share my own experiences, as we all have something to bring to the table. I am especially interested in learning how to move congregations forward in a technology-laden world while remaining true to their charism and tradition.
Name: Kendra Hadlock
Title/position: Communications Specialist
Congregation: Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province, Marylhurst, Oregon
Number of years in current position: 3
Number of years as an NCNWR member: 1
NCNWR conferences attended: Registered for Baltimore conference
In her current position, Kendra’s responsibilities include serving as webmaster, creating the weekly internal e-newsletter, and coordinating social media initiatives. She came to her position with the Sisters of the Holy Names fresh from a recent master’s degree in information science from Pratt Institute, where her work focused on social media and web design. There, she was the chair of ASIS&T (The American Society for Information Science and Technology). Her earlier employment includes a volunteer coordinator position with a non-profit arts organization (where she sat on the board of directors as staff representative) and extensive library and database work. Her volunteer history ranges from a superhero-themed literacy outreach non-profit in New York City (826NYC) to fundraising for the first library in the small village where she was raised (Clinton, Washington).
Why I want to serve on the NCNWR board: I am interested in serving on the NCNWR board of directors because I feel that I have a lot to contribute in the area of new media along with successful experience releasing new web projects related to women religious. The sisters I work for are a teaching order, and their charism inspires me to share my skills with my peers, via the NCNWR listserv and potential board service. I appreciate the community of NCNWR members for assistance and context when navigating the waters of communication for women religious.
Name: Stephanie Hall-Cabelof
Title/position: Director of Public Relations and Communications
Congregation: Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Erie, Pennsylvania
Number of years in current position: 13
Number of years as an NCNWR member: 13
NCNWR conferences attended: 10
NCNWR committee work or other involvement: Served on the planning committee for the 2003 conference in Pittsburgh and the 15th anniversary conference in 2009
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 NCNWR, 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.
Stephanie enjoys painting, reading, running, and cycling, and belongs to a local runner’s club and women’s cycling club. In 2012, she accomplished her goal of running a marathon, and this past June, she cycled 100+ miles from my hometown to Niagara Falls, Canada. Stephanie is married, and has two children and two Wheaten terriers!
Why I want to serve on the NCNWR Board: I’d like to serve on the NCNWR Board because I believe in the role and function of his organization and the many benefits it provides its members. It has been invaluable to me in my career with the SSJs. It’s difficult to pinpoint what aspect of NCNWR interests me most, but what comes to mind are conference planning, and strategic planning. Additionally, I have a great interest in social media and how it serves the non-profit sector. I also love good brainstorming sessions! Among the skills and expertise that I bring are creative thinking, graphic design skills and unbridled enthusiasm!
Name: Jennifer Kaminski
Title/position: Communications Specialist/Graphic Design
Congregation: Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Kentucky
Number of years in current position: 8
Number of years as an NCNWR member: 6
NCNWR conferences attended: 1
NCNWR committee work or other involvement: Member of Marketing Committee (2009–present)
Jennifer’s primary responsibility in her job with the Ursuline Sisters is the layout/design of their magazine, newsletters and advertising. She helps with photography, writing, and submitting news items. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in advertising with a minor in business administration from Western Kentucky University.
Jennifer’s previous work experience includes serving as marketing director for Owensboro Medical Practice, public relations representative for RiverValley Behavioral Health, special projects coordinator for Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer newspaper, advertising manager for Mount Vernon Democrat newspaper, Mount Vernon, Ind.; and advertising manager for College Heights Herald newspaper and copy editor for Talisman yearbook at Western Kentucky University.
Prior to joining NCNWR, Jennifer was a member of the American Advertising Federation chapter in Evansville, Ind. She has served as secretary of the board of the Friends of the Daviess County Public Library since 2009. She previously served as secretary for a Citizens Health Care Advocates board, and is a member of a St. Vincent de Paul committee, where she is helping to promote a new thrift store.
Jennifer became an associate of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in 2012. She attends bimonthly associate meetings and participates in the chapter’s quarterly jail ministry visits. At her local parish, she is a Eucharistic Minister and belongs to a team that helps cook meals for a homeless shelter a few times each year. She delivers flowers for hospice to the Ursuline Sisters once a month. Her past volunteer experience includes the United Way and helping with activities at her children’s schools.
Why I want to serve on the NCNWR board: I feel strongly that NCNWR is a rich resource and invaluable in helping its members to do the best possible work for their individual congregations. I have enjoyed helping with marketing committee projects, including designing an NCNWR banner. I like the fact that NCNWR members are educating people across the country about the mission and ministries of women religious. My first mentor when I began working for the sisters was Sister Ruth Gehres, OSU, a former NCNWR board member. It has been a joy for me to work with all of our sisters in a communications capacity.
Name: Sister Angela Szczawinska, CSFN
Title/position: Electronic Media Coordinator
Congregation: Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), Des Plaines, Illinois
Number of years in current position: 3
Number of years as an NCNWR member: 2
NCNWR conferences attended: 2
NCNWR committee work or other involvement: Member of the Education and Programming Committee
Sister Angela has served as the electronic media coordinator for the CSFNs’ 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 master’s and bachelor’s degrees in English philology (teaching and translation) from the University of Warsaw.
Sister Angela spent 17 years in the classroom: two years in religious education, and 15 years in junior high and high school classrooms, first in public 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. During that time, she edited the province newsletter and managed its website.
In autumn 2010, she transferred to the CSFNs’ U.S. province. First stationed in Pittsburgh, she ministered as an administrative assistant at Holy Family Manor while also working on the CSFN web site (www.nazarethcsfn.org). In 2011, she created the province’s Facebook page, and in 2012, she shepherded the redesign of the web site and its conversion to WordPress. Since arriving in the United States, Sister Angela has served on the province communications team, its editorial board, and its ad hoc Strategic Communications Planning Committee. She also is a member of the province’s technology support team.
Why I want to serve on the NCNWR board: As a woman religious, I can bring that perspective to the board; as a person relatively new to the country, I can assist board members in understanding of the viewpoint of NCNWR’s international members. I also look forward to sharing my technical expertise with the web, web site design and social media with NCNWR members.