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NCNWR 18th Annual Conference 
OCTOBER 2-5, 2012
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Conference 

General Session Presenters

Carol Zinn, SSJ

Moving Mountains: The Power of One for the Life of the World

Dr. Carol Zinn, a Sister of St. Joseph from Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA has ministered in the formal and non-formal education profession. She has taught on all levels (pre-K through post-graduate) and has worked in the areas of educational leadership, religious education, sacramental coordinator, and music minister.

Dr. Zinn earned a BS in Education from Chestnut Hill College, PA; a Master’s in Theology from St. Bonaventure University, NY; and a Doctorate in Curriculum Development and Education Foundations from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.  She was also a research fellow at Episcopal Divinity School and Harvard University on the topic: Leadership and Transformation.

Dr. Zinn worked in grassroots-based international movements as consultant and facilitator. In particular, she worked on the United Religions Initiative and the Earth Charter. She works with multi-sector and multi-issue groups in helping people deepen an understanding of global realities, local efforts, and the connections inherent. Dr. Zinn also worked as the Education Program Director for Global Education Associates, a non-governmental organization working to further global systemic change.

Dr. Zinn served as the main representative for the Congregations of St. Joseph, an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations. She represented over 15,000 Sisters of St. Joseph who live and minister in 57 countries.

In this capacity she participated in UN meetings on the topics of Human Rights, Eradication of Poverty, Environment, Peace and Disarmament, Education, Sustainable Development, Women, Children and Healthcare. She also spent time with individual congregations and provinces in helping them connect their particular efforts and energies to the global issues and concerns. This aspect of her work took place in retreat settings, congregational/provincial assemblies, chapter gatherings, and community meetings.

Currently, Dr. Zinn serves on her congregation’s leadership team.

Carole Shinnick, SSND

The Partnership Between Communicators and Leadership

Sister Carole Shinnick, SSND, is a School Sister of Notre Dame who has served in leadership roles within her congregation and in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). She currently is coordinator of Emmaus Leadership Services, which offers leaders of Catholic communities of women religious focused opportunities for ongoing education and development. Sister Carole has worked with and directed the Counseling Service for Religious in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, served as postulant director for her province, served on her provincial council, was elected national secretary for LCWR and served as executive director for LCWR, during which she helped create Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America.

Sister Carole was communications director for the SSND Atlantic-Midwest Province before founding Emmaus Leadership Services. Sister Carole has a MA in American Studies from Fairfield University, a MSW in Clinical Social Work from St. Louis University and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Washington Theological Union. Her skills and interests include writing, photography, project development and travel.

Heather Mansfield

Mobile Technology

Workshop: Why Do I Need an E-Newsletter?
Workshop: Maintaining Your Social Media

Heather Mansfield, owner of DIOSA | Communications,  has over 10 years of nonprofit fundraising and online community organizing experience. In addition to being the Nonprofit Community Manager for Change.org, Heather created and maintains the Nonprofit Organizations MySpace, the Nonprofit Organizations Facebook Page, the Nonprofit Organizations YouTube Channel, and the Nonprofit Organizations Twitter profile. Fueled by a strong passion for the Internet, Heather spends her days helping nonprofit organizations utilize the Internet as a tool for social change. www.diosacommunications.com

Barbara Mullen, CSJ

Spirituality of Communications
Moving Mountains—Breaking Open Charisms

Sister Barbara Mullen, CSJ, a Sister of St. Joseph of Chambery, is director of Mission Advancement for her community, a position that combines PR/Communications and Development. Sister Barbara's professional background covers careers in Nursing, Nursing Education, Gerontology, Healthcare Administration, Communications/Public Relations and Consultation.

Sister Barbara earned a RN Diploma in Nursing from St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Waterbury, CT, and a BS in Nursing from Boston College, MA. She earned a MA in Gerontology Administration from the University of New Haven, CT and a MA in Organizational/Relational Communication from the University of Hartford, CT.

Her communications/public relations experiences span 25+ years. For eight years, Sister Barbara was part of the community relations/public affairs department at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT where she worked in graphic design and edited the hospital newsletter. She also provided graphic design and editorial services to the Archdiocese of Hartford for its required "Safe Environment Program" on child safety. She serves as media and communications consultant to various CSJ-ministries across the United States. 

Sister Barbara has provided organizational consultation, visioning and long-range planning services in New England. She has served in various positions in her own community including Vocation Director, Formation Team member, General Chapter Planning Committee and International Communication Committee; and more recently as part of her Congregational leadership team where she served as LCWR Region 1 chair and as a national board member for LCWR.

Sister Barbara is a longtime member of NCNWR. She previously served on the NCNWR board and was co-chair 2001–2002. She is a member of the New England Communicators for Women Religious (NECWR).

Workshop Presenters

Tanya Mullin 

Virtual Meeting, Vibrant Reality

Tanya Mullin is the computer specialist/communications director for the Sisters of St. Martha in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in information systems with honors from St. Francis Xavier University in 2003.  For the past six years, Tanya has had a dual role with the Marthas which covers a wide range of duties, from external publications, photography, and website development to networking and technology infrastructure. A member of the NCNWR board, Tanya serves as the NCNWR Website and Technology Manager.

Judith Horak

Reconfiguration: Communication Challenges and Opportunities (Panel) 

Judith Horak is national communications director for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), headquartered in suburban Chicago. She is responsible for internal and external communications for the CSFNs in the United States, where five provinces merged in 2007.

Judy has worked as a news reporter and editor, and she worked in marketing communications for the Chicago Board of Trade and several Chicago public relations agencies.  She served as director of corporate relations and communications for the Chicago Sun-Times and worked in communications for the Archdiocese of Chicago.  During her tenure at the Chicago Sun-Times and HLB Communications in Chicago, Judy helped manage strategic communications for mergers, acquisitions and downsizing for a variety of corporate clients – experience that was most useful when she joined the CSFNs as their merger was about to be finalized.

Before joining the CSFN staff in 2007, she worked in communications and pastoral ministry for several Chicago parishes and church institutions. Judy holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and journalism from Purdue University and is working towards a master’s in pastoral studies from Catholic Theological Union. 

Debbi Della Porta

Reconfiguration: Communication Challenges and Opportunities (Panel) 

Debbi Della Porta was hired as the director of communications for the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy five years ago to help with informing the congregation’s internal audiences about the community’s reconfiguration/re-imagination process. The Mid-Atlantic Community includes parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Debbi’s communications specialties are strategic planning and the use of research in devising communications strategies. Debbi participated in the “Reconfiguration: Communication Challenges and Opportunities” panel discussion at the 2006 NCNWR Conference in San Antonio, Texas. At that time, she shared the Mid-Atlantic Community’s communication plan and explained what worked and what didn’t.

Prior to coming to the Sisters of Mercy, she worked in school public relations for 10 years, as a public relations consultant for four years, and as the public relations director for a Lutheran non-profit agency for four years. Her education background includes a master’s degree in professional communications and a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Debbi, who is NCNWR vice-chair, also is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the American Marketing Association.

Pat Milenius

Reconfiguration: Communication Challenges and Opportunities

Pat Milenius joined the staff of the Congregation of St. Joseph in May 2007 as development director just as the congregation went through a reconfiguration that joined seven congregations of Sisters of St. Joseph into one. In 2008, she assumed the role of director of mission advancement, leading the congregation’s combined communications and development team. Pat came to the Congregation of St. Joseph after nine years as a consultant to several religious ministries and not-for-profits, working in the areas of fundraising, communications, marketing, and board development. Prior to that, Pat served for 11 years as development director at a multi-service center helping families in need on Cleveland’s west side. Pat holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Miami University and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.