Advancing Orchard Lake: Initial proposal to leadership.

1. Executive Director of Institutional Advancement
Advancing
Orchard Lake Schools
November 24, 2015

2. What is our Mission?
For God, Country
and Polonia
The book “For God, Country and Polonia”
is as relevant today as it was when it was
released 30 years ago. It is far more than a
history of an educational community.
The book weaves together Polish, American
and school history to conclude Orchard
Lake's task has been: become an
intellectual, spiritual and cultural
center of the American Polonia -- the
place where American Polonia did its
thinking.

3. Pope Emeritus Bendedict XVI
Catholicism is like
stained glass windows
Far more vivid and amazing to look
outward from the inside than to merely
see the windows from the outside.
Our challenge: Draw people in, whet
their appetites, turn strangers into
visitors and visitors into members of our
family.

4. Destination marketing model: The Mall
❖ We say we are going to Somerset or
Twelve Oaks even though we may
only frequent one or two stores
within the mall. Each tenant attracts
its own audiences though the
overall brand is the mall itself and
each component feeds the greater
whole.
❖ At the University of Michigan,
sports, academics, cultural events
and even individual faculty each
attracts different audiences but each
feed the overall Michigan brand.

5. "Fishers of men"- OLS development hooks
❖ Education: OLS shaping future leaders.
❖ Faith: Shaping priests, the Francis Effect
❖ Polish: where Polonia goes to think.
❖ Mercy: Expertise on Divine Mercy in the Year of Mercy.
❖ The Grotto and Adoration. Both draw local Catholics.
❖ The grounds: Friends join DAC just to have weddings there.
❖ Events: The fair, concerts, exhibits, courses, seminars.

6. All roads lead to Rome
❖ The church fathers leveraged the innovation of their
time, Roman highways, to spread the Good News.
❖ There are numerous roads leading to Orchard Lake,
some congested, some less traveled. Are we using all
these routes effectively and encouraging others to do
the same?

7. Servant Leadership: Saving starfish
❖ A few matchmaking opportunities:
❖ ZIMS vodka founder Terry Olson lives in Grosse Pointe
but bottles his vodka I'm Poland.
❖ The Germacks are Friends of OLS but started an Eastern
Market business with a national following.
❖ Srodek's opening $5 million "Polish plaza" in Sterling
Heights.

8. "We must have faith before we love, or we will
surely end up loving the wrong thing," -
Father Walter Ciszek

9. What is our ultimate Mission?
❖ “Renew the face of the earth, the
face of this land,’’- Pope St. John Paul II in
Warsaw, Poland, June 2, 1979.
❖ “Make Disciples of All Nations”-
Matthew 28:19
❖ “God calls men and women to a
mission… It is the task of
carrying the dynamics of the
liturgy out into the world,’’ -
Catholic Theology by Bishop Robert Barron
❖ “God became human so that
humans might become God”-
Althanasios the Great, First Ecumenical Council

10. What is our ultimate Mission?
❖ “As I was praying for Poland, I heard the
words: I bear a special love for Poland, and
if she will be obedient to My will, I will
exalt her in might and holiness. From her
will come forth the spark that will prepare
the world for My final coming.’’ -
St. Faustina's Diary #1732.
❖ “I considered this message (of Divine Mercy)
my special task,’’ -
Pope St. John Paul II, Nov. 22, 1981.
❖ “I intend to pass on this message to the third
Millenium,’’ -
Pope St. John Paul II, April 30, 2000, Divine Mercy Sunday.
❖ “It is clear that now is the time of mercy,’’ -
Pope Francis, April 11, 2015
❖ Catholic News headline: Polish priests top
“export product’’

11. What is our ultimate Mission?
❖ “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told’’
focuses on Poland and the United
States, tying together the stories of St.
John Paul, St. Faustina, Our Lady of
Fatima, St. Maximillian Kolbe and
Marian Consecration.
❖ Father Michael Gaitley argues that just
as St. Kolbe’s Marian Consecration
efforts evangelized Poland, today’s
wave of Consecrations and Divine
Mercy in the U.S. are fueling the New
Evangelization.
❖ “Where sin abounded, grace
abounded all the more,’’ - Romans 5:20

12. St. John Paul II and Orchard Lake:
“If the Orchard Lake Schools
did not exist, it would be
necessary to establish them’’
Then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, now Pope St. John Paul II, told an Orchard Lake
audience in 1976 words that now seem prophetic: "We are now facing the final
confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel and the
anti-Gospel. . . . We all realize it is not an easy matter, and a great deal of it
depends upon the outcome on the Vistula. I think that Polonia is perhaps the
most aware of it, and it seems to me that other layers of American society are
less enlightened in this respect and simply eliminate the problem from their
sphere of interests. Polonia, which shares Poland's sentiments, feels the
significance of the confrontation going on at the banks of the Vistula. It is a trial
of not only our nation and Church, but in a sense a test of two thousand years
culture and Christian civilization with all of its consequences for human
dignity, human rights and the rights of nations. As the number of people who
understand the importance of this confrontation increase in Poland and
America, we can look with greater trust towards the outcome of this
confrontation. The Church has gone through many trials, as has the Polish
nation, and has emerged victorious even though at a cost of great sacrifice.”

13. Opportunity: Starting this month
The Francis Effect
Pope Francis will be in America September
22-27 and already traditional media and
social media are exploding with stories.
The “Francis Effect’’ has charted the
increase in people returning to church
because they are drawn to the Holy
Father’s humility and welcoming tone.
The Advancement team can work to draw
in more of these families.

14. Immediate Opportunity
45% of U.S.
adults have a close
connection to
Catholicism
20% of Americans are active
Catholics but another 25% of
Americans have close connections
(prime targets for re-evangelization).
A full 40% of
“Cultural Catholics’’
say they can imagine
themselves returning
to the faith.

15. Immediate Opportunity
‘Hunger for Faith’
St. Paul Street Evangelization started in 2012 in
Oakland County and has exploded into 190 teams in
40 states and a growing number of nations abroad
simply by standing in public places sharing Rosary
beads, prayer cards and welcoming messages.
Right, a blog I wrote for St. Paul Street Evangelization
showing the impact of a priest’s cassock on
downtown Chicago crowds. The Esquire writer
concluded there is a massive “Hunger for Faith.’’
Lesson: Public outreach efforts expand our
community and interest in advancing our growth.

16. Opportunity: Year of Mercy
❖ The Year of Mercy starting
December 8 means growing
numbers of people will begin
searching online to learn what this is
all about.
❖ I’ve attended Divine Mercy events
at Orchard Lake and it’s clear we
have major resources (if newcomers
can find out about them. I only
knew about them because I saw
fliers while on campus). If we
targeted these people online, we
could attract and help far more
people.

17. 2016 Opportunity
The Archdiocese Synod means
massive Michigan attention on
the New Evangelization
Sacred Heart Major Seminary and AOD
are already trying to position themselves
as experts on the New Evangelization
but this also creates opportunities for
Orchard Lake.

18. 2016 Opportunity
World Youth Day in
Poland
The attention on World Youth
Day in Poland (I’ll be there for
17 days) creates new
opportunities to advance
Orchard Lake’s mission.

19. Leverage the Asset
❖ One of the most important lessons I
learned from serving former
University of Michigan President
Mary Sue Coleman was to “leverage
the asset.’’
❖ Universities, like Orchard Lake, are
home to amazing resources and
events and almost always include
many empty seats. Maximizing our
attendance and the number of people
we reach is “leveraging the asset.’’
❖ Orchard Lake is home to many assets
that can be better leveraged.

20. The Power of Anniversaries
❖ For the past five years, my colleagues at the University of
Michigan have been preparing for U-M’s 2017 bicentennial.
❖ Every year, educational institutions leverage the power of
anniversaries to raise money, attract students and supporters
and focus the attention of the public, influencers and alumni on
a story, anniversary or program. I spent years preparing for the
2009 centennial of my student newspaper, The State News, and
the 100th anniversary of the Journalism program. Companies
I’ve worked with (like DE-STA-CO) have also harnessed the
power of anniversaries as Orchard Lake did in 1985.

21. Anniversaries continued
❖ Creating events and content (books, web pages, etc.) also
helps institutions position their brand as “thought leaders’’
on that topic.
❖ Orchard Lake is, and should be seen as, a U.S. thought leader
of all things Polish including our heroes who have appeal
beyond Polonia like Pope St. John Paul II, St. Faustina and St.
Maximillian Kolbe. As they said in 1985, Orchard Lake is the
place where American Polonia does its thinking.
❖ Several major anniversaries occur over the next five years:

22. 2017: the centennial of Fatima
❖ Pope St. John Paul II was shot on the
anniversary of Fatima and we learned
in 2000 that Our Lady warned of this
event occurring. JPII reviewed the
documents shortly after the shooting
and focused on Consecrating the world
to Mary.
❖ Every First Saturday, people follow
Fatima guidelines and the 100th
anniversary will draw massive
attention. Orchard Lake can be viewed
as a national (or at least regional)
authority during this anniversary year,
attracting more visitors and supporters.

23. 2018: Centennial of Polish independence
❖ 2018 will mark a century since the re-
establishment of the Polish nation
after 123 years of slavery.
❖ The Polish Mission is already making
plans for this important milestone.
❖ It creates major opportunities for
events, for fund-raising as well as
public relations and marketing,
getting our story out there and
making sure Orchard Lake is viewed
as a national thought leader on
Poland and Polish culture (vital in a
state where Pole’s make up 8% of the
population).

24. 2019: 30th anniversary of the fall of communism
❖ 2019 will mark 30 years since the fall
of communism in Eastern Europe. We
know the media focuses on the 1989
fall of the Berlin Wall but this creates
an opportunity for us to start earlier,
talking about where the first
dominoes actually fell.
❖ 2019 will also be 40 years since JPII’s
trip to Poland that inspired the rise of
Solidarity, the true beginning of the
fall of communism.
❖ 2019 will be 30 years since the first
free elections were held behind the
Iron Curtain, on June 4, 1989.

25. 2020
Miracle on the
Vistula
2020 will be the Centennial of the
Miracle on the Vistula, when Poland
saved a weakened Europe from the
Soviet Army. Most Americans don’t
know this story so my Polish
American reporter friends will find
this story hard to resist.

26. Challenges
❖ Last year, Sacred Heart Major Seminary asked me to
review its website so I studied it, comparing it to two
other seminaries (SS Cyril and Methodius and St. Mary
of the Lake in Illinois) as well as the websites for the
Vatican, Notre Dame and other prominent Catholic
institutions. By every measure, SS Cyril and Methodius
was far behind for traffic, marketing grades, numbers of
indexed pages and other domains linking to you.

31. Challenges offer opportunities
❖ Being so far behind digitally (the website, social media,
public relations, etc.) means there is a tremendous
amount of “low-hanging fruit.’’
❖ Imagine the opportunitities available if we can double
your web traffic and name recognition to attract more
students, more seminarians and more donors.

32. How we get there: Learn from our history
❖ My Grandma Vickie lead the Orchard Lake’s
Ladies Auxilary and grew it to 1,000
members. At the time, Orchard Lake had
strong connections to every Polish church
and many others. She belonged to every
Polish organization and had an amazing
network to reach influencers, Polish
newspapers and could generate tremendous
crowds and raise large amounts of support.
❖ Poles remain the second largest ethnic group
in Michigan but we are more spread out and
it’s not always clear who is and isn’t a
potential student or donor. But modern
branding allows us to replicate many of
those classic communication methods for
today’s modern platforms.

33. Upgrade ‘the new telephone’
❖ Digital Media including websites, emailers, social media
and video now constitute “the new telephone.’’
Operating without digital assets up to date is like
running a school with an unlisted phone number.
❖ Upgrading our efforts will greatly increase our traffic
and engagement with the public. We did the same thing
when I arrived at MEDC to expand the Pure Michigan
brand, telling the web team “tear down this wall.’’
Within a year, we tripled our engagement.

34. Leverage like-minded audiences
❖ My growing up on the East Side
introduced me to Hamtramck as well
as Polish communities in Troy and
Sterling Heights.
❖ Working in Ann Arbor introduced me
to the U-M Polish programs and the
Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival and
other Polish events.
❖ In 2013-2014, I met many members of
the Divine Mercy Center.
❖ Each of these groups includes
influencers who would be drawn to
Orchard Lake activities and become
likely participants, donors and friends.

35. Leverage this growing region
❖ I marvel at God’s gifts to Orchard
Lake when I see how empty our
original Detroit neighborhood is
and how populated and affluent
our new home area has become.
❖ Within a 50 mile radius of Orchard
Lake, we can reach a rapidly
growing region (Novi is now the
center of the metro Detroit
population) major influencers and
thought leaders who will be
drawn to our many resources.

36. Job Specifics: Job Description matched with relevant experience
❖ The Executive Director of Institutional Advancement for the Orchard Lake Schools is responsible for overseeing and
coordinating all aspects of the advancement functions that support the mission of the entity. Advancement functions shall
include development, all alumni relations, internal and external public relations and marketing.
❖ Development. I’ve been involved with development work most of my life (my wife and father both had development jobs and
my great grandmother, Victoria Romanska Leszczynski, chaired the Orchard Lake Ladies Auxiliary and was active in most
Orchard Lake development activities for much of her life). My very first paid job was in the phone room for the Michigan
Professional Police Association (started by my dad) to make fundraising calls for the MPPA. That work also included helping
with MPPA events including ox roasts, family fun days and the MPPA newspaper and magazine. My first job while working my
way through college was working for the MSU Development Fund, calling alumni every evening to raise money for Michigan
State. I spent most of summer 2014 and part of the fall 2014 as development director for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Divine
Mercy Center. This year, I’ve also been raising money to help the Diocese of Ontario, Canada, accompanying them to World
Youth Day with Pope Francis in Krakow, Poland in 2016. For more than a decade, I held leadership roles with the Barbershop
Harmony Society where organizing and financing district conventions, concerts, sing-outs, fund-raisers for charitable giving
and black tie dinners were part of my responsibilities. I've also raised money for my alma mater, Michigan State University,
setting up and supporting the Serwach Leadership Award annually since 1988 (which we endowed in 1996). I also served on the
board of the MSU School of Journalism Centennial Committee and belong to the MSU President's Club. I similarly organized
and chaired the State News Hall of Fame and served on the board of The State News Alumni Association. From 2002-2010, my
communications work at the University of Michigan included work on the Michigan Difference campaign, which raised more
than $3 billion. From 2007 to 2011, I focused on advancement and philanthropy while earning a master’s from the University of
Michigan’s No. 1 ranked Higher Education Administration program (former Orchard Lake Rector, Monsignor Walter Joseph
Ziemba, was also a graduate of the same U-M program). In 2012-2013, our firm was hired by the MSU College of Human
Medicine to develop a development campaign (including a website, videos and print materials to raise money for autism
research).

37. ❖ Internal and external PR and Marketing. I’ve done internal and external public relations and
marketing for the past 15 years including work with multiple K-12 and higher ed institutions
(including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, National
Heritage Academies, University of Liggett prep school, Forest Hills Public Schools and Lapeer
Public Schools). I’ve also done PR/marketing work for numerous Catholic organizations (including
the Archdiocese of Detroit, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, St. Clare Montefalco Catholic Church, Old
St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. Paul Street Evangelization and the Congregation of St. Michael the
Archangel, the Michaelite Fathers (based in Poland). I also have extensive experience working to
advance and grow dozens of business brands, including auto suppliers like Tri-Mas, Shiloh, DE-
STA-CO, International Brake and consumer brands like Pure Michigan, Serta and the Grand Rapids
Children’s Museum.
❖ Alumni Relations. I’ve been active or held board roles or spoken at multiple education-related
alumni organizations. In 2010, my wife and I hosted a University of Michigan Alumni Association
trip to Poland. The U-M Alumni Association in 2011 honored me at its Career 360 Networking Event
with five other U-M Alumni Business Leaders. I also spoke at the U-M Alumni Association that year
on “Higher Education for the Public Good.’’ In 2012, the MSU College of Communications
presented me its Outstanding Alumni Award. I also chaired The State News Hall of Fame, serving
on the board of The State News Alumni Association. I am a lifetime member of both the MSU
Alumni Association and a lifetime member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association.

38. ❖ The Executive Director has direct and primary responsibility for development of SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary.
❖ I am very familiar with the SS Cyril & Methodius as well as Sacred Heart Major Seminary, having worked with Maria
Jerome and her husband, Chip, on multiple projects and attended nearly all of their events related to the seminaries
over the past five years. I am active in the Catholic community and have literally been to dozens of events for both
seminaries as well as numerous other Catholic organizations and activities. Here is an article I recently wrote for the St.
Paul Street Evangelization (a national Catholic organization founded in Oakland County in 2012) on the impact
seminarians can have simply by wearing their cassocks and walking through public places on the blog section of the St.
Paul site, dated September 4: http://streetevangelization.com/blog/2015/09/04/showing-your-faith-little-things-
grow-hope/
❖ The Executive Director supervises the individuals who are responsible for public relations, alumni relations, donor
strategy, development, advancement services, mailroom, data integrity, graphic and web design. The Executive
Director is accountable to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.
❖ I’ve held similar leadership roles, leading and managing or advising similar people with similar jobs. In 2011-2012, I
was managing director, communications for a team that included four directors reporting to me (the heads of corporate
communications, internal communications, social media/digital director and the head of the web team). I also managed
the head of the graphics team and worked with everyone on the staff. That team beat Southwest Airlines in a national
competition, winning PR Daily’s Best Online Newsroom Award as well as runner up recognition in contests for Best
Website Launch, Best Facebook, Best Social Media Contest and Best Marketing Video. At Organik, I was managing
director and partner, overseeing all staffers and freelancers and working closely with the president. At Quell, I was
senior director, reporting to the president and managing account executives and creative staff on numerous branding
projects.

39. ❖ Responsibilities
❖ 1. Generate and maintain development plan and donor strategy for the Orchard Lake Schools.
❖ I’ve written or developed numerous strategic plans and proposals for organizations and my four years of graduate school work
at the University of Michigan focused on advancement, including education leadership and philanthropy. This proposal
represents some preliminary recommendations based on my current understanding of your needs.
❖ 2. Oversee OLS Fundraising events: Ambassadors Ball, Chancellor’s Senate, Founder’s Day, etc.
❖ I’ve attended all but one of these events in the past year and others before that. Multiple friends have attended these events as
well and I am confident that we can boost attendance, maintain or improve the quality of the events and increase revenue. I
have organized or worked at similar events for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the Barbershop
Harmony Society (where I held multiple leadership roles requiring me to organize charitable events) as well as numerous
Catholic events. Founder’s Day was amazing but it saddened me to see so many empty seats. One of the main roles of
marketing is filling seats and increasing engagement. I am certain we can do both.
❖ 3. Develop and maintain planned giving program.
❖ My first involvement with planned giving came in 1986-87 when I was still a senior at Michigan State University and proposed
and organized the Serwach Leadership Award, which has been presented annually ever since. Over several years, I received
corporate matches for money I raised for the fund. In 1996, we made the fund a planned, endowed gift. In the 1990s, I was the
nonprofits reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business and philanthropy was a frequent topic as we frequently wrote about topics such
as the massive amount of wealth being transferred from the World War II generation to Baby Boomers and the tax advantages to
setting up foundations and planned gifts. New technology and social media optimize our ability to organize planned gifts. I
would be excited to introduce these methods to Orchard Lake.

40. ❖ 4. Cultivate new major donors.
❖ Cultivating major donors was part of my work at the Divine Mercy Center. Because the Divine Mercy devotion, St. Faustina and
Pope St. John Paul II began in Poland (and because I am Polish) many of the major donors we cultivated were Polish (like Dr.
Clark Okulski). But because I grew up in Grosse Pointe, we pursued other major donors as well like Art Van Elslander. My
Grosse Pointe background as well as my alumni activities at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and my
attendance at dozens of Catholic events has introduced me to numerous potential donors who are now becoming more active in
giving as our children graduate and move on. When Quell asked me to prepare a list of potential clients from my own address
book, I was able to develop a list of more than 400. I am certain I could prepare a bigger list for Orchard Lake.
❖ 5. Manage direct mail campaigns and enrollment programs.
❖ I’ve been involved with multiple direct mail campaigns and even secured and used my own bulk mail permit from 2002-2007.
Earlier this summer, I prepared an extensive plan for the University Liggett Schools for growing their enrollment and replacing
scholarship students with more students who can pay full tuition. At the University of Michigan, I served on the Provost’s
advisory committee that reviewed all budgeting and planning for the U-M system. Our provost at the time, Teresa Sullivan, was
active in the Old St. Patrick Catholic Church choir with me and went on to become the president of the University of Virginia.
❖ 6. Manage grants, foundations and wills/trusts.
❖ Michigan has a very large number of foundations. I’ve managed and applied for grants, worked with numerous foundations
(both Catholic foundations like Our Sunday Visitor Institute and secular foundations like the Kresge and Kellogg foundations)
and also worked with wills and trusts including planned giving. For two years following his death, I performed all the duties of
executor of the estate of my late father-in-law.

41. ❖ 7. Create an online giving program along with social media and development website links.
❖ I have extensive online and social media experience including work with e-commerce and online giving. My firm,
Organik, worked for the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine to revamp all of its web and social
media tools, creating a “digital toolkit’’ for development staff as they raised money for autism research. I’ve overseen
teams that have built numerous websites and have individually built websites and set up and managed social sites as
well. In 2012, a team I lead won PR Daily’s Best Online Newsroom award. In 2015, I was a contributing author to The
Book of Social Media Strategy and Tactics Volume 1.
❖ 8. Manage and produce internal and external publications.
❖ I have extensive publications experience actually dating back to my middle school years through the present. I was
editor in chief of my weekly high school newspaper and my daily college newspaper (that won collegiate journalism’s
highest honor). From 1973-1992, my parents published magazines I wrote for. I spent the first 14 years of my career as a
reporter for newspapers. I also edited, wrote and produced the district newsletter for the Barbershop Harmony Society
from 2002-2007 and wrote for the internal weekly newspaper and alumni publications for the University of Michigan
from 2002-2010.
❖ 9. Act as staff liaison to Women’s Council.
❖ I was delighted to read this job requirement since my Great Grandma Victoria served as the chairwoman for the
forerunner of this organization, the Ladies Auxiliary. I have frequently connected boards and staffs but this particular
one would have a special meaning to me.

42. ❖ 10. Demonstrate stewardship of Seminary, Prep and Polish Mission donors through phone calls and face-to-face solicitation.
❖ My very first jobs in high school and in college were making such donor calls. I later made face-to-face solicitations while serving Michigan
State, my own firm and other causes. Such efforts are also an important part of the New Evangelization, an opportunity to help the Church
save souls while building relationships between the Church and its flock.
❖ 11. Interface with Seminary, Prep and Polish Mission representatives to establish cohesive development strategy and implementation.
❖ I already attend numerous seminary events (and an occasional prep school event) because of my friendship with Maria Jerome, who
actually invited my wife and I to such activities even before she worked for the Seminary. And I have been attending Polish Mission events
for many years, mainly because I am drawn to Polish culture and history. So I would enjoy working with all three.
❖ 12. Supervise Directors, Assistant Director, Administrative Assistant and other staff members.
❖ I would be honored to work with your team. I’ve managed directors and other staffers at MEDC, Organik and Quell and enjoy helping
others.
❖ 13. Supervise the production of materials and products for all development- related goals.
❖ I have been overseeing production for similar projects for most of my life (my parents owned a print shop and served as publishers for
numerous publications) and I continued such work in journalism, marketing and public relations.
❖ 14. Generate an Annual Giving Report for review by OLS management and various boards.
❖ I’ve generated and/or produced numerous annual reports for clients and prospective clients, including work on detailed annual reports for
Arthur Andersen and the University of Michigan. During the Michigan Difference Campaign, I similarly contributed to the giving reports.

43. ❖ 15. Manage process and systems for prospect research, donor cultivation, information tracking and data mining.
❖ I have extensive research experience including experience with data mining, information tracking, lead cultivation and automated
marketing and inbound marketing. Research was also a key part of my graduate school work and professional work at the University of
Michigan.
❖ 16. Maintain all functions of the Raiser’s Edge database for advancement; ensures information is accurate and consistent when
entered into the system from all resources.
❖ Tracking and obtaining strong data, I’ve told clients, is the difference between driving at night and driving at night with the headlights
on. Patterns tell stories and help you find the best matchmaking opportunities. Raiser’s Edge is a good system I am familiar with, though
I am also familiar with other systems as well.
❖ a. Generate reports for the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Rector, Headmaster, Polish Mission Director. b. Coordinate prospect and
donor information. c. Generate and distribute acknowledgement letters, invoices, miscellaneous tax forms for all contributions.
❖ Personalization is one of the most important gifts of modern marketing and communications technology but I like to be both classic and
cutting edge believing no one likes reading form letters but everyone treasures a personal note. Each are part of the relationship-building
process.
❖ 17. Serve as staff support to the Regent Development Committee.
❖ At U-M, my wife and I both worked frequently with some or all of the eight Regents who oversee the University and I myself have
served on committees and as staff support for committee members in both education and the nonprofit world.
❖ 18. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by Chancellor or Vice Chancellor.
❖ I am always happy to help Orchard Lake and the Church.

44. ❖ Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
❖ • Firm commitment to support the mission of the Orchard Lake Schools and live the principles and values of the
Catholic faith.
❖ Orchard Lake is part of my heritage, something my family has been involved with supporting going back nearly 100
years. Catholicism, and particularly being a Polish-American Catholic, are a major part of my identity. I attend daily
and Sunday Mass and go to Confession at least once per month. I have been a Lector at Old St Patrick Catholic Church
since 2006 and sang in the church choir from 2007-2011. I pray daily, including the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet,
the Chaplet of St. Michael and the St. Joseph Novena. I attend first Friday and first Saturday Eucharistic Adoration. And
I am well-read in Catholic literature as well as Polish history. My oldest possession is a Polish crucifix from the 17th
century, which reminds me daily of the challenges Poles have overcome and endured through the centuries.. Many
things I now do “for fun’’ or pleasure would in fact, be helpful to me if I were chosen for this position.
❖ • Demonstrate a high degree of personal integrity.
❖ As Pope Francis said in an interview last year, “I am a sinner.’’ But each day, I say the Prayer of Consecration to Our
Lady of Czestochowa, “I consecrate myself to you, good Mother, totally - with body and soul amid joy and sufferings, to
obtain for myself and others your blessings on this earth and eternal life in heaven.’’
❖ • Ability to travel and work weekends and work evenings.
❖ My three children are all grown up and on their own. My wife and I frequently attend Catholic events on weekends and
evenings and would be happy to continue to do so.

45. ❖ • Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) and ten years experience or more with a proven track record of success and effective
fundraising experience.
❖ I earned my bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University and earned a master’s in Higher Ed Administration from the
University of Michigan. The U-M Higher Administration program is ranked the best in the nation and my academic advisor, John
Burkhardt, was a former seminarian who helped put together the merger of the University of Detroit and Mercy College into U-D Mercy.
Two of my role models, former Orchard Lake Rector Walter Joseph Ziemba and former MSU President John DiBiaggio, were both
graduates of this same U-M program, as was Professor Burkhardt. My fundraising experience stretches over most of my life: my first paid
jobs in high school and college involved “dialing for dollars.’’ by calling alumni or the public for support. For much of the past 20 years, I
have helped the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, the Barbershop Harmony Society and multiple Catholic
organizations raise money and advance their causes.
❖ My fundraising experience includes:
❖ -Three years on the development team (including daily phone calls to donors) for the Michigan Professional Police Association
(1980-1983).
❖ - One year as a caller for the MSU Development Fund (1983).
❖ - Four years as the nonprofit/philanthropy reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business and Crain’s Nonprofit News (1996-2000),
❖ - Communications support to U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and to the Michigan Difference Campaign from 2002-2010.
❖ - 10 years of development work (including raising money for the Holly Ear Institute and the Harmony Foundation) for the Barbershop
Harmony Society (1997-2007).
❖ - Providing development tools for the MSU College of Human Medicine (2012-2013).
❖ - Recent advancement work for the Divine Mercy Center (serving as their director of development in 2014) as well as advancement work
for St. Clare Montefalco Catholic Church and the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel, the Michaelite Fathers.
❖ - In June 2015, prepared a plan for University Liggett Schools on how they can increase paid enrollments as they shift from a student
body that is mostly receiving scholarships to a student body primarily paying full tuition. Am currently raising money for the Diocese of
Toronto’s 2016 trip to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland.

46. ❖ Knowledgeable in computer-based fund-raising managing Raisers Edge, desktop publishing and web services.
❖ I am familiar with Raisers Edge and have also used several other forms of marketing automation and fundraising
software.
❖ • Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and a
demonstrated capacity for self-starting leadership and productive teamwork.
❖ My communications skills are extensive. I have won numerous writing awards and teams I lead have won national
awards, beating out bigger competitors. I have helped brand or rebrand more than 40 different organizations, including
startups as well as long-established organizations with deeply ingrained organizational cultures that had existed for
more than 100 years. I studied management and organizational behavior in graduate school and that has helped me
work with a number of different types of management styles. Catholic role models I’ve learned from: Bishop Robert
Barron and his Word on Fire ministry, Matthew Kelly’s Dynamic Catholic organization and the St. Paul Street
Evangelization organization that began in Oakland County in 2012.
❖ • Candidate must have basic knowledge of tax aspects of charitable giving and be proficient in Microsoft Office,
applications.
❖ I wrote extensively on charitable giving in my years as the Crain’s Nonprofit reporter, do my own taxes and have
worked for or with accountants since 2000, learning much about charitable giving rules and benefits. I have extensive
Microsoft Office experience.

47. ❖ • Ability to coordinate and advance several programs and/or projects simultaneously.
❖ A colleague once called me “the Juggler.’’ I have been juggling multiple projects at once throughout my career.
❖ • Create an office environment that is driven by weekly fundraising and marketing awareness targets (published
metrics) and deadlines that requires a high level of staff collaboration and work product output.
❖ My meeting with Tony’s team in March showed me there is a great deal of excitement about the idea of beginning a new
capital campaign. I have worked on both capital campaigns (at the University of Michigan and Michigan State) and
marketing and political campaigns. As I am writing this, our friends at Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor are in the midst of
their own campaign and I can’t recall the last time I heard Orchard Lake mentioned on Catholic Radio (we can change that).
Every fundraising effort includes a deadline and a goal and a sense of shared responsibility. By focusing on something bigger
than ourselves, we energize both staff and supporters toward something important. Our friend, Father Larry Webber of the
Father Solanus Casey Center and the Capuchin Friars, in Detroit, compares faith to food: the smell of bacon can instantly
make us hungry while the smell of burnt toast can immediately erase our appetite. Father Larry, who has done an amazing
job raising money and advancing the case for the Father Solanus cause, argues that God similarly develops us throughout
life by giving us just enough to satisfy our hunger and curiosity for more, knowing that too much at once would overwhelm
us while too little would leave us starving. Advancement efforts similarly must be ongoing and ever raising the bar higher.