A Message From Our Presdent: Michael Wentz

A message from our President, Michael L. Wentz

Sisters and Brothers,

It is with deep humility and profound respect that I assume the role of President from our leader of so many years, Paul Pelosi. Paul has been President for fully half of the club’s 10 year history and was responsible for leading the club to national recognition as a “model club,” exemplifying the mission and objectives of Catholic Professional organizations. It will not be easy to fill his shoes and I am very thankful he has agreed to mentor me in my first year as President. I am also very grateful to Paul for the wonderful Board of Directors he has built up over the years; I will need their help and wisdom!

This year the club is focusing on the value the Club offers to members and sponsors. We wanted to improve Club networking capabilities using social networking services like Facebook and LinkedIn.  The plan is to offer members and sponsors these resources to reach Club members and their “friends.” For example, event sponsors will receive ad space on our website, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, thereby extending the value of sponsorship to a much larger audience. We are also considering offering members placement on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for their business. These social networking sites will help leverage our advertising dollars, provide a resource for members and sponsors, and extend the Club’s reach to a greater number of people.

I’m sure it is no surprise to you to learn that rising costs have increased Club operating expenses. We examined club operating procedures to see where we could improve efficiencies and cut costs, and commissioned a competitive analysis of other Catholic Professionals clubs’ pricing and offerings to see how we compared. The result is a balanced package of asserting some new cost saving measures, improving efficiencies by investing in online capabilities, and yes, raising our fees. It is our hope and prayer that the modest increases will be offset by the greater value we are offering and not adversely affect club membership or Speaker Series event attendance.

This year we are increasing our emphasis on the Scholarship Program. The Club feels that one of the most important things we can do is help foster the development of Catholic moral values in our youth. The Scholarship Program asks our High School students to wrestle with a moral dilemma within the context of Catholic moral teaching. I am always amazed at the insight, clarity and depth of thinking these young people demonstrate! The new emphasis will help insure that we are making our Scholarship Program the best it can be for our youth.

Ultimately, the Catholic Professionals Club is for you, its members. It is you that make the club what it is and as we begin our 10th anniversary season, I wish to gratefully thank you for your commitment and dedication to this wonderful Catholic organization and I look forward to your continued participation in the Club and seeing you at our next morning Speaker Series!

God Bless You,

Michael Wentz