Serra International
2022-2023 Board of Trustees
Greg Schwietz, President, [email protected], joined Serra in 1983 in his longtime home Omaha, Nebraska. He worked in numerous capacities at the club level for many years until 1999-2000 when he served as club president. His commitment to the Serra Club of Omaha continues at the club board level as trustee.
Subsequent Serra Leadership positions include: District Governor, USA Council Region Director, USA Council Board Member, Trustee Serra International Board, and President of the United States Council. Greg currently serves as acting Southeast Region Director on the USA Council board, and Vice President for Communications of the Serra International board.
Greg and his wife, MaryLynn, have been married for forty-five years and have three grown children. They are currently members of Sacred Heart Parish in Omaha. For many years Greg and MaryLynn were in TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) retreats in Omaha, and served on its national leadership team for over 10 years. Greg retired as president of L&M Construction Chemicals in 2017, a family-owned company which produced and sold protective treatments for concrete worldwide. Greg worked in the concrete construction industry after graduating with a business degree from Creighton University in 1974.
Kurt Metyko, President-Elect, [email protected], After St. Anne's Grade School and St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas, Kurt obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Notre Dame University, Class of 1964. Following graduation, he served on active duty in the Army for two years, including one year in Viet Nam, retiring as a Captain. After his service, Kurt joined his father's civil engineering firm and is still practicing today. Kurt became a member of the Houston Serra Club in 1968, joining his father Frank (1977 Serra International President). Kurt held all the Club, District and U.S. Council positions culminating with the 2011 Presidency of Serra's National Council for the United States. He has been a member and past Chairman of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston's St. Mary's Seminary Advisory Board, serving from 1978 until March, 2014. Kurt also serves, since 1997, on the Board of the Shalom Center in Splendora, Texas, a counseling center for Catholic priests and religious.
Emanuele Costa, Vice President for Vocations, [email protected], the 6th of 9 children grew up in Genoa, Italy. He graduated from the University of Genoa with a degree in economy and commerce. After spending twenty years between Genoa, New York, and Miami managing the family-owned shipping business, he started his own private equity company, now based in Milan, Italy. He now resides in Lugano, Switzerland. Joining the Serra Club of Lugano in 1997, he has been Club President, District Governor, and President of the Italian National Council. Emanuele has three children and five grandchildren living in the States.
Moira McQueen, LLB, MDiv, PhD, Vice President for Programs, [email protected]. Dr Moira McQueen was a lawyer before becoming
Director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute. She teaches moral theology at St Michael’s in the University of Toronto and is a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission. Moira and husband Matthew have seven children and eleven grandchildren. She is the President of the Serra Council of Canada, the founding President of the Serra Club of Halton, and proud to serve on the Board of Serra International.
Robert (Bob) Rudman, Vice President for Communication, [email protected], Married fifty-nine years to Missy, four married children, six grandchildren; resides in Franklin, Tennessee. Both an economics major and hockey player graduating from Boston College. Marketing management responsibilities with National Broadcasting Co. (Huntley-Brinkley, Jeopardy and The Macneil-Lehrer Show), American brands and Johnson & Johnson before starting a manufacturer's representative company which developed, for twenty years, new markets of distribution and products for many blue chip companies. He is retired but involved in marketing and consulting for many nonprofit organizations. Currently serving on the board of the Children's Kindness Network (teaching children to stop bullying before it starts). A volunteer with the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, which has honored him for volunteering. Received the Exemplary Community Volunteer Award for 2014 and 2015. Volunteer with the Dominican Sisters at Aquinas College, having served on their Board as well as the School Board of St. Matthews Church. A member of St. Philip Catholic Church serving on their Legacy Committee as well as the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the parish. Bob is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and currently serves on the Advisory Committee of Mercy Community Healthcare.
Margo Geddie, Vice President for Membership, [email protected]. Margo received her B.A. in economics from Skidmore College. She attended the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University with a double major in accounting and finance. She started her career in wealth management with Morgan Stanley more than thirty years ago where today she is a Senior Vice President-Wealth Management. Away from the office, Margo serves on the Advisory Board of St. Mary’s Catholic Seminary and is a member of the Board of Directors of Serra International. She enjoys spending time with her family including two precious grandsons.
Bob Campney, Treasurer, has been a member of Serra Club of West Omaha since 1989, previously serving as President twice, VP Programs, VP Vocations, Trustee, and more. Bob led the 2017 Serra Regional Conference and served as District Governor 2014-2018. Bob most recently served as Treasurer for the Serra US Council from June 2019 through June 2022. Bob is a retired CPA who spent most of his career as a corporate treasurer and CFO for two different firms. Bob and his wife Rose have two children and seven grandchildren. They are active members of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Bob has led their Vocations Committee for many years, was choir member for more than twenty-five years, and helped form and lead their Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration efforts. Bob is an EMHC and lector at the parish.
Michael Bragg, Past President, [email protected]. Michael graduated from the College of Wooster, with honors, and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University, cum laude. Michael is a partner in the law firm Spengler Nathanson PLL in Toledo, Ohio. In addition to serving as Secretary on the Serra International Board, Michael is the Past President of the Serra International Foundation and the current Serra International District Governor for the Diocese of Toledo. Michael is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, current Past Grand Knight of St. Joan of Arc Council 15905, Past President of the St. Joan of Arc Athletic Board, sits on the Executive Committee of the Maumee Valley Historical Society and sits on the board of Friends of Russian Orphans. Michael has volunteered as a coach and scout leader and sung in the parish choir. Michael is a past president of the Toledo Bar Association Real Estate Committee and currently sits on the Bar Admissions Committee. He is a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish, has been married for thirty-four years and has four children and one grandchild.
Richard Arians, Trustee, [email protected] Richard first joined the Serra Club of Mankato, Minnesota, in 1995, and joined the Rochester, Minnesota, Club when he moved there in 2001. In Rochester, he served two non-consecutive terms as president and a term as District 7-S governor. Upon relocating to the Mankato area, he re-joined his original club, serving a term as President while also serving as the Region 8 director. Richard has been a regular contributor USA Council Rally’s and leadership trainings. He has been the chairman of the Leadership Committee for the past two years.
Mr. Arians has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics Education from the University of Wisconsin and earned an MBA from Augsburg College in Minnesota in 2012. His professional interests include serving as a business consultant for local companies, a USTA tennis umpire, and supplemental insurance agent. He regularly substitutes as a teacher at the Loyola Catholic High School in Mankato, Minnesota. He and his wife Ruth live in Madison Lake, Minnesota, where they are active members of All Saints Catholic Church. They have two children.
Cristhian Arce, Trustee, was born and raised in Villarrica, Paraguay. Currently, he is the President of the Serra Club of Villarrica, and has been a Serran for five years. Arce is his parish's youth coordinator and leads the Pastoral de Juventud ministry there. He considered entering the seminary at a young age but was discouraged by his parents; now he is a lawyer by profession.
Jo-Ann Bresowar, Trustee, [email protected], has been a member of the University of Dallas Serra Club for more than twenty years. She is a past president of the University of Dallas Serra Club and past Chairperson of the District’s Vocational Awareness Program (VAP). In the past, Jo-Ann was President of the Diocesan School Board, chaired Parish Finance Councils, served as a Red Cross Volunteer, is a founding member of the Diocesan Ministry on Disabilities, was Chair of the Laity representation for the Texas Catholic Conference and a Catholic School Grant writer. Jo-Ann attended the University of Dallas, SMU and UTA. Her career was in human resource management with a specialty in International Compensation and Benefits. She worked for major international corporations as well as the US Department of Energy. Jo-Ann retired from Alcon Laboratories in 2010.
It was at a Serra International Convention in Chicago that Jo-Ann first heard of the John Paul II Monstrance. The year was 2014 and she was that year’s Chairperson of the VAP. Since that time, District 46 has had the St. John Paul II Monstrance for adoration in our dioceses for seven consecutive years. Jo-Ann is now the District Governor for District 46. The District is no longer 46E and 46W but is one district which now includes the Tyler Diocese. District 46 (Dioceses of Dallas, Fort Worth and Tyler, Texas) hosted the US Council's Serra Rally in 2022 and will do so again in 2023.
Jeannette D'Souza, Trustee, [email protected], grew up in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal in India. She graduated in commerce with St. John’s College in Agra, and worked with the airlines until she got married in 1966 and went to live in Kuwait in the Middle East. After settling down with her two daughters, she began work with a local bank that was run by Chase Manhattan Bank. When Kuwait was invaded by Saddam Hussein in 1990, she returned to India. Rather than retire so early in life she preferred to do her bit for the Church, now that she had the time. She began with teaching spoken English to candidates to the Jesuit seminary and has continued doing so for more than seventeen years. But that was not enough. She felt she had a calling to be a counsellor and took several courses in this area. She now runs two parish-based Pastoral Counselling centres with around twenty counsellors in the city of Bangalore. She specializes in marriage counselling and has taken class, in this area, for the Redemptorist Seminarians in Bangalore.
Jeanette and her husband Carlos were introduced to Serra in 2002 and ever since she has been working passionately towards fulfilling Serra's goals in India. She introduced several innovative ideas to foster and promote vocations, in compliance with the local customs, with the help of a hard working and dedicated team. She is currently President of the Serra Club of Bangalore. She came on the Board of Serra International in 2016. Jeanette has two daughters and three grandchildren. They all live in Canada. Her husband passed away in 2011 and since then she makes two trips a year to Canada to be with her family.
Charles (Chuck) Furr, Trustee, [email protected], is the eighth of eleven children and grew up as an active farm boy near Waseca, Minnesota. After twelve years of Catholic education at Sacred Heart Grade and High School, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS degree in agricultural education, intending to teach vocational agriculture However, he spent thirty-three years with the Agricultural Department of Dow Chemical Company in sales and marketing. Joining the Serra Club of Honolulu in 1993, he has been a President and District Governor within Serra before joining the Serra International Board. He is active in his parish, the Knights of Columbus, the Vocations Committee of LARC (Leadership Association of Religious Communities) and more. He stays busy, respecting the memory of his deceased wife, Marilyn, who also made great contribution to Serra, especially in helping to make the Regional Convention of California, Nevada, and Hawaii such a success in October 2004. Chuck has two children and five grandchildren.
Jesse Gallegos, Trustee, [email protected]. After earning a B.S. degree in 1980, Jesse was a public school teacher until 1995, when he earned a Master’s Degree in education administration from Pan American University. From 1995 through 2014, he was a middle school and high school assistant principal and principal. Jesse retired from the public schools in 2014 and currently is a licensed Real Estate Agent with Ideal Realty. Jesse is married to Delma Solis Gallegos. They have two children, Stacey Marie and Ezekiel Jesus.
Jesse was the founding member of the Serra Club of Harlingen which was chartered on August 14, 2001 with the guidance and mentorship of his brother, Dr. Ruben Gallegos, former Serra International President. Jesse has been President, Treasurer, and Secretary of his club. He was District Governor for District 126 from 2017 through 2020. He has attended several Serra International Conventions and USA Council Rallies. As Serrans, service is the priority for our Catholic Church, priests and religious. Jesse is honored to serve as VP Communications for the USA Serra Council. In this position, Jesse’s objective is to move Serra forward and make Serra a name that resonates among all Catholics. Jesse is also the Vice President, Cultural Outreach for USA Serra.
Fred Gorges, Trustee, fgorges@serrainternational.org. Fred Gorges lives near Wichita, Kansas, and is a member of the Downtown Wichita Serra Club. He joined Serra in 1994. He has held positions in his Club as VP of Programs, VP Vocations, and President. He has also served as District 12-2S Governor for five years, and as Region 9 Director for two years.
Fred has been involved in the transportation business for almost 50 years. He owns and operates a transportation company, FCG Inc., that contracts solely to FedEx Ground. Fred and his wife Chris have one wonderful daughter named Grace.
Adam R. Lara, Trustee, [email protected], is the President/Owner of National Utilities Discount for the past 18 years. Adam has been involved in the energy/electricity business since deregulation in the State of Texas in 2001. Adam attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Adam and his wife, Betty, joined Serra Club of McAllen in 2014. They immediately were selected to serve on the Board of Directors’ and work together on increasing membership by facilitating workshops throughout the Diocese of Brownsville. When they learned the objectives of Serra, to bring together informed Catholic lay leaders who understand and live their own Christian vocations to service, foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church. To assist members to recognize and respond in their own lives, to God’s call to holiness in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Bishop Daniel Flores has asked Adam and Betty to serve on the Case Development Council for the Diocese of Brownsville. Adam is serving as VP Membership and has been named as District Governor-Elect for District 126. Adam has served on other Boards and Foundations mainly focusing in recent years on Rotary International.
Adam joined Rotary in 2008 and has served in many capacities. Adam served as District Trainer serving over 2000 members in fifty-two Rotary Clubs throughout South Texas. Adam has served as Assistant Governor Area 11, McAllen Rotary Club President, District Strategic Planning Committee. Adam has been recognized for his outstanding leadership service and was named “District Rotarian of the Year”. Adam and Betty have 4 boys and 2 grandchildren.
Anne Larkins, Trustee, [email protected]. Anne Larkins has been a member of the Serra Club of Melbourne, Australia, for more than 15 years. She joined her father, an uncle and a cousin in the club after coming to meetings as a guest for many years. She served as VP Membership and was the Club President from 2012-2015. She joined the Serra Council of Australia New Zealand and the South Pacific as a trustee, then VP Membership and has served as President since 2016.She has attended a number of Serra International Conventions and USA Serra Rallies over the past 10 years and values the connections with an international community of Catholics. Anne has a 25+ year career as a management consultant. She has a strong practice in probity and in public administration governance and program review. Anne serves on the Bayside Mission Pastoral Council – a Council representing 6 churches in the Melbourne bayside region.
Anthony Mangione, Trustee. Biography to come.
Giuseppe Miccoli, Trustee. b. Mar 19, 1955 in Ravenna, Italy. Degree in Physics, University of Ferrara, 1979. Senior Researcher at IMAMOTER Institute - Italian National Research Council - C.N.R., 1985-2020. Married with Eleonora Carletti, 1983, 1 child. Since 2004 Serran serving at SERRA Club Ferrara, District 76 Emilia Romagna, Italy. President of SERRA Club Ferrara, Italy (4 ys, 2006
Morie Ratuiste, Trustee. Morie and his wife, Cocot, have been active Serrans since joining Serra Club of Tri-Cities, WA, in 2010. He currently serves as the Pacific Northwest Region Director of the USA Council. Morie concurrently participates in the USA Council Program Committee, Serra Hispanic Ambassador Committee, and as a Serra Mentor as part of the USA Council’s SPARK program to launch and to support parish-based vocation ministries. He introduced the 9 for 9 Challenge, an effective membership initiative rooted in intentional prayer for potential new Serrans. He has authored several articles for Serra Magazine. He also oversaw the development of the pamphlet Vocations Apostolate Daily Prayers (available in the Vianney Vocations Serra Store), encouraging others to pray for vocations, for which he received a Missionary of St. Junipero Serra Award in 2021. Morie and Cocot are privileged to promote vocations with their eldest son, Fr. Kyle Ratuiste, who serves as the Director of Vocations of the Diocese of Spokane. Their youngest son, Kevin, is an officer in the US Air Force and is married with three daughters. Morie earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. He works for Lamb-Weston Inc., a major international producer of French fries and other potato products.
Malena Salas-Dosal, Trustee, comes from a large Catholic family of eight kids. Malena and her husband Fernando have been married for 35 years, and are parents of two single sons, who continue to live as a family. She graduated in commerce and worked in a major bank in Mexico City, at the International Division, until she became mother. Malena and Fernando were invited to join Serra in 2009, and ever since she has been working hard in her Club, later in the National Council, and now as a Trustee. They have been active in their parishes, and enjoy volunteering their community together. She is a “Minister of the Word”, after studying the Bible for five years. Malena and Fernando are currently coaches of the “Family Support Foundation”, Love and Life Programs Mexico (marriage programs), by Fr. Jaroslaw Szymczak. She is still in charge of her family and the direction of her home.
Roberto Sebben, Trustee, [email protected], has been a member of the Serra Club of Vale do Iguaçu in Brazil since 1990. He has served his club as president and has also been a district governor. Serves as speaker at the ECC-Meeting for couples with Christ. Assists in the liturgy of the Catholic Church as a musician. He is graduated in civil engineering at the Federal University of Parana. Serves on the engineering board as an advisor. Works as a physics teacher and is an expert in civil law. In the field of civil construction develop projects and construction of residential and commercial buildings. Roberto and his wife, economist Sandra Mara, have two sons, the oldest being a spinal surgeon and the other a plastic surgeon.
Our Staff
John Liston, Executive Director, [email protected] - After graduating from Archbishop Quigley High School Seminary, John earned a Bachelor of Science from the Darla Moore School of Businessmen at the University of South Carolina, receiving degrees in international business, human resources management, and entrepreneurship. He obtained a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a certificate in advocacy.
Before becoming Executive Director of Serra, John worked for the law firm of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman, LLP, as a civil defense attorney. In addition to his work for Serra, John is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he teaches courses in negotiation, mediation, and client counseling. John also serves as the treasurer for Innovation Experts, a non-profit that provides support services for public libraries.
Barbara Prieto Luster, Membership Coordinator, [email protected] - Barbara's background includes working in the music and programming departments in broadcasting. Currently, her favorite hobbi
es are music, which she builds and manages internet music channels in her spare time, and spending as much free time with her close-knit family. Barbara enjoys long conversations and jokes with her 93 year-old father, her teenage son, seven siblings, and several nieces and nephews. Being from a large family, spending time with them is a priority. We are all very different, but this makes gatherings more interesting!
Giovana Rodriguez Garcia, Administrative Assistant, [email protected] - Giovana comes from Guanajuato, and is fluent in Spanish and English. She graduated from Harold Washington College with her Associates of Arts in 2016 with a focus on Accounting. Her work experience prior to Serra is more than seven years in customer service and three years in office administration.
John A. Gorman, Director of Development, [email protected], manages his own Fundraising Consulting firm and is thirlled to work with The Serra International Foundation. John previously worked with such organizations as Boys Town, Catholic Mast Media, Legionnaires of Christ, FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) and the Scalabrini International Migration Network. Prior to his consulting work John led the development efforts as Director of Philanthropy for Catholic Medical Mission Board, an international healthcare provider.
John is a results-drivennonprofit executive experienced in developing and implementing innovative fund development and communication programs for a variety of non–profit organizations. His proven ability to provide team leadership, driving performance, program improvement, quality initiatives to achieve revenue goals is well documented. As a visionary leader known for the ability to win community support, develop key coalitions and build relationships with a shared sense of purpose. His background is strong in management principles, budgeting practices, cross departmental project management, information technology utilization, team building and public speaking.
John is graduate of Manhattan College and holds a diploma is Marketing and Economics with extensive studies in Religion and Philosophy.
Grace Gorges, Communications Coordinator, [email protected] - Grace Gorges is currently in her third year at Kansas State University, pursuing a degree in graphic design with a minor in entrepreneurship. She has practiced freelance design for over two years, and in her time at college has been involved in a vast variety of design projects.
Since childhood, Grace has attended Serra conventions with her parents all across the globe. While away at Kansas State, she enjoys being with her friends and growing in her faith at St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center.
Sarah Knob, Bookkeeper, [email protected] - Sarah worked full time at the Serra Office in Chicago from 2013 through 2019 before relocating to Los Angeles, California, where she is now an independent contractor, serving Serra from afar. She has more than twelve years of office administration experience both in the private and not-for-profit sector. Sarah received a B.A. in Humanities & Spanish from the University of Steubenville and holds a certificate in basic accounting. Her work experience includes simultaneously managing general bookkeeping for multiple company files, and working in conjunction with certified public accountants to provide financial reports to board members. She enjoys using her skill set in the not-for-profit sector and is happy to still be a part of the Serra team.
