Marino Appointed President and CEO of Catholic Education Arizona

PHOENIX - Dec. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- Alan Sears, Board Chairman of Catholic Education Arizona, announced today that Donna J. Marino has been selected as the next President and CEO of Catholic Education Arizona. She will start on Jan. 2.

“I am pleased that Donna will be joining Catholic Education Arizona and I look forward to working alongside her,” Sears said. “There were many great candidates, to whom I am thankful for the chance to meet with and consider.”

Marino, a lifelong Catholic and proven philanthropic leader, will direct the school tuition organization’s efforts to ensure Catholic education is available, affordable and accessible to families wanting to send their children to one of the 39 Catholic schools within the Diocese of Phoenix.

“I am honored and privileged to join Catholic Education Arizona at this point in its history. Their success is providing much-needed financial support to students in our Catholic schools is well known,” Marino said. “Working with our Pastors, Principals, our distinguished Board of Directors and our dedicated staff, it is my hope that we can increase the money available so that all families seeking a Catholic school education for their children are funded. I am grateful to Bishop Olmsted and Bishop Nevares and look forward to returning to service for the Diocese of Phoenix.”

Marino most recently served as Chief Administrative Officer for Childhelp, a national child welfare/behavioral health organization dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse. From 2007 to 2013, Marino served as President and CEO of the Catholic Community Foundation in Phoenix, where she led the philanthropic efforts for what is the ninth largest Catholic foundation in the United States.

“Catholic Education Arizona is vital for the formation of students who will be disciples in this world, loving God and neighbor,” said MaryBeth Mueller, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “Donna will be instrumental in the continued development of this important organization.”

Catholic Education Arizona is the largest provider of scholarships to low-income families attending private schools. Since its inception in 1998, the generosity of local individual and corporate contributors has allowed Catholic Education Arizona to continually increase scholarship funding for Catholic schools, beginning with students of families with the greatest financial need. This year a record $17.4 million in contributions were made to assist nearly 50 percent of Catholic school students. To date over $126 million in tuition support has been awarded through over 87,000 scholarships to lower-income families with qualified financial need.