A younger face on Catholic reform

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Call to Action is putting a younger face forward with the naming of a new director to replace Dan and Sheila Daley, who had served as co-directors since the church reform group's founding in 1978.

Jim FitzGerald, 37, will lead the 25,000-member organization, which has been working to reach out to younger Catholics over the past several years. He has a background in non-profit administration and theology -- plus a history with CTA, having served as a board member, chapter leader and local faciliator for CTA's "NextGen" program for reform-minded Catholics in their 20s and 30s.

Jim FitzGerald"He's a young Catholic who's passionate about his faith," said Nicole Sotelo, CTA's NextGen and media coordinator. "I think it's a strong signal for the future."

CTA Board Presidents Patty Hawk and Paul Scarbrough praised FitzGerald's expertise in organizational management, including strategic planning, fundraising, public relations and financial administration. He most recently served as a vice president in the education department for Planned Parenthood of Upstate New York.

FitzGerald has master's degrees in both educaitonal psychology (from the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y.) and theology and ethics (from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut). He will work from Boston, communicating via the internet with the Chicago CTA office.

FitzGerald will meet many of CTA's members at its annual national conference Nov. 6-8 in Milwaukee.