Spiritual Forum Moderator & Panelist Bios
Moderator
Alexia Kelley
President and CEO
FADICA (Friends and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities)
Alexia Kelley is President and CEO of FADICA, Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, the leading philanthropic peer network serving as a catalyst for a vital Catholic Church, Catholic ministries, and the common good.
In partnership with the Board and membership, she developed the organization’s comprehensive strategic framework which focuses on member-driven joint initiatives, strategic partnerships, research, and the spirituality and vocation of philanthropy.
Ms. Kelley has worked for over 25 years across faith-based, nonprofit and government sectors, including 10 years at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ anti-poverty initiative. She also served previously in the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Her first job after college was with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), the oldest ecumenical advocacy organization in Washington D.C.
Ms. Kelley co-edited Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary and co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division.
She earned a B.A. in religion from Haverford College and an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School.
Panelist
Father John M. Bauer
Pastor
Basilica of Saint Mary
John M. Bauer was ordained a priest in 1979, and has been Rector and Pastor of the Basilica of Saint Mary since 2007. (He always uses his middle initial in any correspondence because he had an uncle, John T. Bauer, who was a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis until his death in 1993. He also has a cousin John J. Bauer, who was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2008.) Prior to being named Rector and Pastor of the Basilica, John served as pastor of St. Therese Church in Deephaven, MN (1987-1999) and Pastor of Lumen Christi Church in St. Paul (1999-2007).
In addition to his parish assignments, John has served on the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board, and also served a term as Executive Director of the Presbyteral Council. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Consultors for the Archdiocese. In 2009 -2010 he co-chaired a committee on Strategic Planning for the Archdiocese. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Catholic Elder Care in North East Minneapolis.
Panelist
Kim Smolik
Partner
Leadership Roundtable
Kim Smolik, Ed.D, serves as a partner of Leadership Roundtable. Throughout her career, Kim has proven to be a dynamic and committed advocate for leadership development, community service, and social justice. She has a passion for helping others to become agile and collaborative leaders whose skills serve a purpose-driven mission and have measurable impact. Kim founded the Nonprofit Servant Leadership Program that offers Catholic young adults the opportunity to give back as they develop their leadership and nonprofit management skills during one year of full-time service in Washington, DC. She also developed international service programs for Franciscan Mission Service in Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Guatemala and Jamaica.
During her eight-year tenure as Executive Director of Franciscan Mission Service, Kim forged strong ties between Franciscan constituencies domestically and internationally. From this platform, she began to regularly contribute to national and international thought leadership in the Catholic Church. She has been a guest speaker or facilitator at various Catholic gatherings in the United States and abroad, including the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, United States Catholic Mission Association, and Catholic Volunteer Network, on whose executive board she served from 2006 through 2012.
Kim has developed a solid track record of success in the strategic oversight of Catholic nonprofit operations. For her efforts, she was awarded a highly competitive Leadership Fellowship with the Archibald Bush Foundation. Kim received her Doctorate of Education from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. Her dissertation research focused on racial justice in the workplace, adult transformational learning, and organizational development, particularly in a Catholic context. She has an MA in Curriculum Development and Cross-Cultural Education from the University of Alabama, and a BA in History and Education from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. Kim is also a Certified Intercultural Development Inventory Administrator, a certified Co-Active ® leadership and executive coach, and an experienced facilitator in diversity and racial justice trainings. Kim has extensive cross-cultural expertise, having taught high school, college, and adult social justice advocacy programs in Cuba, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico. She has worked in and traveled to over 55 countries.
Panelist
Mary Kennedy
Parish Administrator
Saint Olaf Catholic Church
Mary Kennedy is the Parish Administrator at Saint Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. She serves on the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee, and is a board member for Catholic Strengths and Engagement Community (CSEC), a network of committed leaders sharing best practices toward building more engaging parishes where people have the opportunity to develop and offer their God-given talents as good stewards.