The Most Reverend David G. O’Connell is the Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, one of the five Pastoral Regions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Cell Ausaille and Auxiliary Bishop in 2015. Bishop O’Connell received a BA in Philosophy and English Literature from the University College Dublin in 1975, a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977 and a Masters of Spirituality from Mount St. Mary’s College.

Since his ordination to the priesthood, he’s served as Associate Pastor at St. Raymond in Downey, St. Maria Goretti in Long Beach, and St. Hillary in Pico Rivera, and then as Pastor of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension Catholic Church, St. Eugene and St. Michael Parishes.

Nella McOsker, a former TACSC delegate and summer conference leader, is a Vice President of Strategic Relations at Central City Association, a business advocacy organization that works to enhance Downtown LA’s vibrancy and increase investment in the region.

Prior to CCA, Nella worked in public affairs consulting at Strategies 360 and High Lantern Group, supporting clients in a range of industries and specializing in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. Nella participated in the Coro Fellowship in Leadership and Public Affairs. She was a Teach For America corps member in Chicago and went on to teach for the KIPP Network in the South Bronx where she managed and coached new teachers.

Nella graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Political Science an interdisciplinary minor in politics, philosophy, and economics.

Kathleen Bodnar is the Development and Events Associate for the Los Angeles Music and Art School where she manages the organization’s fundraising efforts including donor relations and securing grants for projects that provide equitable arts education for East Los Angeles youth.

Prior to joining LAMusArt, Kathleen began her career in arts education with Arts Alive where she served as the Business Development Director for 8 years. Under her leadership the school-based organization for multidisciplinary arts quadrupled its elementary school partners, serving over 500 children weekly through low or no-cost arts instruction. At Arts Alive, Kathleen spearheaded the restructuring of critical operations including grants management, automated enrollment, and client communications.

In 2018, she completed TNP’s annual Emerging Leaders certification, an intensive program designed to prepare the next generation of nonprofit leaders. She is also a vocalist and board member for the Esquire Music Foundation, a 62-year nonprofit, whose mission is to inspire young musicians teaching and celebrating the Great American Songbook.

Kathleen holds a B.A. in Communication with a minor in Ethnomusicology from U.C. Santa Barbara. As a former Southern California TACSC delegate and conference leader, Kathleen takes the lessons she learned those many years ago and applies them to her personal and professional life to this day.

Drake Gusman has been involved with TACSC for more than 13 years since he first came to camp as a Summer Conference Delegate in 2008. Drake began his volunteering journey with TACSC shortly after his time of being a delegate, filling the role of President, Moderator, and Principal at over 15 conferences. He has been the Camp Director at several TACSC conferences and remains focused on the development of the volunteer staff and the overall logistics of the summer conferences. Drake was employed with TACSC as an associate program director from 2015-2017 and was heavily involved in the leadership days and other events TACSC held throughout the year.

Drake earned his BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is currently a Senior Assurance Associate at RSM US LLP, a public accounting firm. Drake performs financial statement audits for companies primarily in media, technology, entertainment, and industrial products. In his free time, Drake enjoys surfing, hiking, and cooking.

Drake is very excited to take a leadership role with TACSC, the organization that has given him the tools to be a leader in his career and in his life. He looks forward to helping provide insight and direction for TACSC to expand its outreach and continue growing leaders locally who will have an impact on the world globally.

With a robust career in management and strategic business consulting working alongside some of the world’s most recognized companies including Toyota Motor North America, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures, and IBM, Kevin possesses a breadth and depth of transformational leadership expertise. A dynamic coach and motivating visionary, Kevin offers trusted advice, strategic vision, and actionable business plans; he also offers his C-level clients the critical tools to successfully imagine, foster, and ignite a corporate culture that compels others to engage, invest, and achieve.

This commitment to thought leadership and transformational growth began early in Kevin’s career when he received his B.A. in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Combined with his M.B.A. in Information Systems & Operations from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, Kevin established himself as a well-rounded consultant and analyst with a keen and critical sense of what works, how it works, why it works, and what is necessary to catapult it to the next level.

Leveraging his success with billion-dollar empires and cutting-edge initiatives, Kevin, with his wife, started Directed Action, Inc. in 2005. A Women’s Business Enterprise certified company, Directed Action is a boutique management consultancy that navigates clients through complex, risk transformations. As a trusted business partner to c-suite executives, Kevin has steered clients through strategic enterprise change delivering cultural turnarounds that shape businesses and deliver extraordinary results in high-risk conditions.

Kevin’s contributions to organizations transcend the private industry as he has lent his culture-shaping thought leadership in service to local schools, philanthropic opportunities, and community volunteerism. Additionally, he remains actively engaged in civic and professional associations, fulfilling Directed Action’s mission and vision to strive for the advancement of clients and communities. His industry expertise, strong market awareness, and insightful understanding of competitive trends have provided private companies and nonprofits alike the mission-critical transformation that results in the realization of vibrant goals, robust collaboration, and compelling cultures.

Dr. Erin Barisano is the newly appointed Superintendent of Catholic Schools at the Diocese of Orange. Dr. Barisano spent the past five years as an assistant superintendent and WCEA Elementary Commissioner in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where she worked with over 200 elementary schools in the process of school improvement and accreditation. She currently serves as a part-time faculty member in the Catholic School Leadership Academy at Loyola Marymount University where she earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.

Over the past twenty years, Erin served the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as a middle school teacher and elementary school principal. She is a mission-focused leader who is committed to supporting principals in leading their communities to faith and excellence.

Dr. Barisano is a proud product of Catholic education. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a masters degree in Catholic School Administration from Mount St. Mary’s University. Dr. Barisano’s research interests focus on dimensions of spiritual leadership for Catholic school principals. She has presented at educational conferences across the country and will be published in the Journal for Catholic Education next spring. She is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu and Kappa Delta Pi and is the recipient of the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration.

Erin recently relocated to Huntington Beach, CA. She and her husband, Bart, have been married for twenty-one years and enjoy life with their two children, Sophie and Casey.

Christian De Larkin has extensive leadership experience in Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He recently served as principal of St. John Bosco High School, where he has led a successful school growth plan in academics and co-curricular programming. Christian began his career as a member of PLACE Corps at San Gabriel Mission High School, where he served as a Spanish Teacher. He quickly moved into leadership positions and became Vice-Principal of Junipero Serra High School in 2009 before becoming Principal/President in 2012.

Christian is a proud three-time graduate of Loyola Marymount University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education. He also earned a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from LMU, where his dissertation research focused on organizational change through grading policy reform. He holds a California single subject teaching credential and will earn an Administrative Services Credential in the Spring of 2022. Christian is a husband and father of two, a self-proclaimed lover of all things Los Angeles, an avid cyclist, and loves to practice, perform, and teach West African/Afro Cuban percussion.

Christian currently serves as President of St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy, where he leads in the implementation of the school mission, to provide a Catholic University experience for teenagers to grow in faith, learn without limits, and live with purpose. He is responsible for the overall growth of the school, strategic planning, fund development, fiscal management, external affairs, and the oversight of the school’s services & programs.

Jim Evans is an experienced human resource professional. He has over 30 years of human resources experience and was with the Capital Group in Los Angeles for the last 15 years. Before joining Capital, he was vice president of human resources for Russell Corporation in Atlanta with responsibility for the Russell Athletic brand. Before joining Russell, he was the director of the Human Resources Customer Service Center with Pfizer, Inc. in St. Louis, which provided services to 42,000 employees in the U.S. He has also been director of the Center for Employee Services and human resources leader at Pharmacia Corporation; human resources leader for the Agriculture Sector at Monsanto Company; human resources manager for Pizza Hut, Inc. in Irvine, CA; and served in a variety of HR roles for GM Hughes Electronics Corporation in Los Angeles, CA.

He coached youth sports and served on numerous non-profit boards including Child Center of Our Lady (St. Louis, MO), the YMCA (Los Angeles and St. Louis), Westchester Del Rey Little League Softball and Posse Foundation Los Angeles Advisory Board.

A native of Las Vegas, Jim earned a B.A. in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jim Evans retired from the Capital Group in 2021 as a senior vice president of human resources with responsibility for the firm’s global diversity, inclusion, and engagement effort.

He joined Capital with HR professional experience in aerospace, consumer products, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and the athletic apparel industry.

A native of Las Vegas, Jim earned a B.A. in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also served on several non-profit boards, including the Posse Foundation.

He and his wife (Mary Jo) have four adult children (Chelsea, Clayton, Jay, and Madison) and reside in Westchester with their two dogs—Ruth Barker and Koda Bear.

South Los Angeles native and long-time advocate for Catholic schools in Los Angeles’ inner-city, Antonio Felix serves as the Director of the LMU School of Education PLACE (Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education) Corps Program – a nationally recognized Catholic teacher service corps, housed within LMU’s Center for Catholic Education. Mr. Felix oversees the program’s mission to serve under-resourced schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Diocese of Orange and Diocese of San Bernardino through the program’s three pillars – professional development, community living and spiritual growth. Mr. Felix resides in South Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

Mr. Felix formerly served in several capacities at Nativity Catholic School, in South Los Angeles, including principal. Antonio also served on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Elementary School Leadership Council as the Deanery 16 Chairperson and as a Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) Visiting Committee Member and WCEA Visiting Team Chairperson. He serves as a board member for STEP (Success Through Education Program) – a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide inner-city students scholarships to local Catholic elementary and high schools.
Mr. Felix earned his master’s degree in Elementary Education along with a California Teaching Credential from Loyola Marymount University, and was awarded the LMU School of Education Bilingual Educator of the Year Award. Antonio returned to LMU and earned a second master’s degree in Catholic School Administration and a California Administrative Services Credential.

As Regional Superintendent, San Pedro Pastoral Region, Thom serves 62 elementary and high schools from Manhattan Beach to Whittier and from Pico Rivera to Long Beach.
He is responsible for leading the vision, strategy, and execution of an integrated series of services and supports to schools designed to increase sustainability, promote academic achievement, advance Catholic formation, and advance school leader accountability so all children served receive a high-quality Catholic education.

Kristel Boulahoud Haddad, proud TACSC alum, is a principal attorney at Jackson Lewis P.C. Kristel represents employers and individual defendants in a broad range of employment litigation including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. She also handles class action wage and hour lawsuits and other complex employment litigation matters.

Kristel attended the University of Southern California where she double majored in Political Science and Policy, Planning, and Development. Kristel earned her Juris Doctor at Southwestern University’s SCALE program and has earned recognition as California Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” for over eight years.

Kristel lives in Temple City, California with her husband, Serge, and three children – Maxwell (age 8), Zackary (age 6), and Abigail (age 1). She serves on her city’s Parks & Recreation Commission.

Since 2020, Paul Hosch has served as the Senior Vice President for Mission Advancement for Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, a Cristo Rey School, in Watts, California. Paul is a member of the Executive Cabinet, where he and a team of seven, lead the school’s governance of 55 employees. He leads an internal department team of 4 whose goal is to raise on average $3.5M to $4M per year.

In 2020, they raised $7M in eight months during the pandemic. Prior to working at Verbum Dei, Paul spent years as a Fundraising Consultant, Annual and Corporation Relations at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, and Regional Major Gift Director for the American Heart Association.

Paul is also the Founder and Principal at Nonprofit Fundraising Management—a firm uniquely focused on providing nonprofit fundraising support to educational and religious institutions looking to make a difference in the community. Paul works with leadership to transform current or develop new programs by elevating their financial resources.

Paul received his Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Southern California. And, if he ever turns in his master’s thesis (Fundraising in the Black Church), Paul will have a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Francisco.

Paul is the Board Chairman Emeritus at Santa Monica College, where he and his fellow members, managed a $20M endowment and distributed over $500K in scholarships annually. Paul is also an annual volunteer at A Place Called Home, where he assists in reviewing applications and interviews applicants.

Personally, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and friends, collecting art, cooking vegan foods, national and international travel, flipping classic cars, going to the gym, yoga, and reading.

Ms. Jimenez was appointed to the TACSC Board of Directors in 2014. She has been involved with the organization since her first summer conference in 1996. Since then she has volunteered for many TACSC summer conferences and student leadership days. In 2005, she earned her BA in Theological Studies from Loyola Marymount University where she was the recipient of the Fr. Robert Graham, SJ Alumni Award, the highest award given to a senior woman for service and leadership.

She served her alma mater as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Women’s Leadership Council. She also served on the Finance Board for Christus Ministries, an Jesuit-sponsored ministry for young adults in the Church. She taught religion and worked in campus ministry at Catholic high schools for 13 years and recently transitioned to parish work. She currently serves as the Director of Liturgy & Worship at her parish, American Martyrs Catholic Church, in Manhattan Beach. She resides in El Segundo with her husband, Mike, and their two young boys.

Mr. Lionetti is a 1987 Graduate of Washington State University with a Major in Business Administration and Minor in Marketing. Don worked for the Xerox Corporation for 8 years and joined the Microsoft Corporation 14 years ago as an Account Manager where he has served the needs of Federal Government clients. Presently and for the past 8 years, Don’s talents have led him to service the Native American tribal government and gaming organizations as well as the Native Alaska Corporations encompassing the entire US market. He is passionate about technology and helping his Native American clients discover solutions to help tribal government and gaming organizations gain efficiencies and better serve their constituents. Don also chairs the Marketing Advisory Board and serves on the National Board of Advisors for the Carson College of Business at Washington State University. He and his wife of 24 years, Julie, reside in Bellevue, WA.

Milana McDermott has dedicated her career to Catholic education and student engagement, and strongly believes that involvement is key to student success. In addition to being a parent of four TACSC delegates and conference leaders, Milana is proud to have built a strong partnership with TACSC as an educator and a volunteer.

For over twenty years, she has served as Dean of Student Life for Bishop Montgomery High School, overseeing the growth of student activities, clubs, organizations, and leadership development programs on campus and in the community. Prior to joining BMHS, Milana was Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Loyola Marymount University where she managed a wide variety of alumni engagement programs. Under her leadership, she grew volunteer recruitment for the reunion program to over 200 volunteers each year, and organized the first on-campus multi-year Alumni Reunion Weekend designed for alumni celebrating five-year to 50-year anniversaries.

Milana holds a degree in psychology from UC Santa Barbara, a masters in school counseling from Loyola Marymount University, and a certificate in servant leadership from Gonzaga University. She has served on a variety of committees and boards, including president of the St. Anastasia Catholic School PTO, St. Anastasia School Board, Notre Dame Academy Schools Board or Directors, HOBY seminar facilitator, and TACSC Summer Conference volunteer. It would be a privilege to continue to contribute to TACSC as a board member.

Sr. Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, Ph.D., a School Sister of Notre Dame, is the Executive Director of the Center for Catholic Education. Prior to her recent appointment she worked at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, serving as Program Director for the Catholic Sisters and Catholic Schools priority areas from 2012 to 2017, during which time she led the granting of $90 million to Catholic Sisters in 23 countries and $25 million to Catholic schools in the U.S.

From 2009-2012 she served as senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary at the Department of Education where she had lead responsibility for achieving President Obama’s 2020 College Completion goal. She was president of two universities, Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore and Holy Names University in Oakland. She was also president of the Fund for Educational Excellence that developed a whole school reform model, which was instrumental in improving student achievement in Baltimore City public schools. She has had professional experiences in Japan, Honduras, China, Rome, Korea, London, Italy and Israel as well as in six countries in Africa.

Sr. Rosemarie earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the Catholic University of America. She has authored publications, made national and international presentations and received numerous fellowships and awards, including named President Emerita of Holy Names University.

Ms. Paetzold recently joined the TACSC Board of Directors. She currently hold the dual position of Principal at Notre Dame High School and Notre Dame Academy Elementary in Los Angeles. She has reorganized and energized her student leadership program and continues to educate others in her successful methods.

Erick Rubalcava is an advocate for Catholic schools, youth, and arts education. Having attended Catholic schools since pre-school, he believes in the values that a Catholic school education instills in kids empowering them to not only seize the opportunities that life has to offer, but to make a transformative impact in their lives and the world. He is passionate about serving the mission of Catholic education because of the foundation he received from the Catholic schools he attended and because of the numerous opportunities to share solid values of faith and knowledge with underserved students who face many challenges in today’s culture.

For the past 25 years he has served Catholic schools in various roles and at various locations including band/music director at Bishop Montgomery High School where he is an alum. From 2003-2010 he served the community of Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, where he taught theology, band/choral music, served as the Director of Campus Ministry, business manager, assistant principal of Student Services and assuming the Principal’s role in 2008. In 2010 he was asked to serve as President of a consolidation effort between Junipero Serra High school and St. Matthias High School for Girls in Downey.

Over the last decade he has served as Principal and then as President at St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy (formerly St. Matthias High School) where he has led a tremendous turnaround effort. Under his leadership, the school grew enrollment by nearly 200 students, developed the consultative board, transitioned to coed, strengthened its Catholic identity and academic programs, and underwent significant capital renovations, including a new football and track stadium. He was appointed to serve as an Assistant Superintendent of High Schools for the Department of Catholic Schools in August 2020.

Prior to his roles and leadership in Catholic schools, he served as the director of Youth Ministry establishing the LIFE TEEN program at his home parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Gardena where he actively serves as the director of music for the 5:30 Sunday youth Mass. During his time as youth minister he had the opportunity to lead and organize youth pilgrimages to Paris, Rome, and Toronto for the Catholic World Youth Days with Pope John Paul II who established these global gatherings for youth in 1980. He had the opportunity to serve as a member of the Synod preparatory commission for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles which set the foundation for a diocesan synod that established a strategic vision for the Catholic Church in Los Angeles. In 2017 he was recently selected as a member of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles delegation in the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Prior to entering church ministry, he worked for the Walt Disney Company serving as a stage manager at the Disneyland Resort where he also established an outreach program to Hispanic performing arts groups for the Guest Talent programs and Entertainment divisions. From 1999 until 2009 he founded and directed the Young Musician’s Academy, a small music studio in Gardena that provided musical instruction and performance opportunities to underserved youth. Over the years he has mentored and counseled hundreds of youth seeking to help them discover their true purpose in life and providing them the tools and skills necessary to become the best version of themselves so they will positively impact our world and future society.

He holds a master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy, a bachelor’s degree in business management, and a certificate in the theology of Catholic Youth Ministry.

In 2010 he successfully completed New Executive Director’s Institute sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the Developing Development Program sponsored by the Weingart Foundation and offered through the Executive Service Corps of Southern California. These two program provided him valuable tools, skills, and training in the Non-profit sector. He resides in the city of Gardena and enjoys playing music, salsa dancing and living life with his wife of 15 years and 2 daughters ages 12 & 9.

“As an education administrator, I believe in the values that a good education instills in kids empowering them to not only seize the opportunities that life has to offer, but to make a transformative impact in their lives and the world. I am passionate about providing opportunities to share solid gospel values and knowledge with underserved students who face many challenges in today’s culture. With 25 years of experience serving primarily in Catholic schools, I have utilized my skills and abilities to enhance the communities and organizations I have been called to serve always with the goal of improving the community, providing a strategic vision for its evolution, and setting a solid foundation for a sustainable future.”

Since 2002, Dylan Stafford has been a leader at UCLA Anderson’s Fully Employed MBA Program, expanding from 560 to over 900 students and becoming the #2 graduate program student body in all of UCLA. Dylan created SuperSaturdays (over 7,000 admission interviews to-date conducted by almost 2,000 volunteers), FEMBAssadors, FEMBApalooza, and the UCLA Drive Time podcast, among other initiatives. He teaches Stand & Deliver, and is training to teach Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model.

Since 1996, in both Bloomberg BusinessWeek and US News & World Report, FEMBA has ranked between #1 and #6 in the nation. FEMBA consistently earns top marks for Student Satisfaction, Caliber of Classmates and Teaching Quality.

Before UCLA, Dylan was a Change Management and Human Resources Consultant for Siemens AG, one of the world’s largest companies. From the Silicon Valley he was promoted to a three-year assignment at the global headquarters in Munich, Germany, where he founded InterGreat!, a social-networking platform for high-potential European managers.

Dylan earned his MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in Finance and Marketing. He graduated with honors from Texas A&M University, was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served on the Ross Volunteers, the Honor Guard of the Governor of Texas. He speaks German and Spanish.

In 2018, Dylan released his second book, Building a Winning Organization. In 2010, he published his first book Daddy Muscles.

Originally from Texas, Dylan now enjoys life in Los Angeles with his wife Marisa, their two sons, and two Maltipoos. They are members of St. Monica’s Catholic Community, in Santa Monica.