Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the fiduciary body who conducts the activities and affairs of the University. All corporate powers are exercised by or under their direction. All members have committed to the Affirmation of Service outlined here. Members include:

Officers

Name	Position
Deacon Mark Wieczorek JD, PhD	Chair and Secretary
Derry Connolly PhD	President, JPCatholic University

Members

Name	Position
Derry Connolly	Founding President, JPCatholic, Escondido, CA
Nick DiNapoli	Co-founder and Creative Director, Drive Studio, Carlsbad CA
Dr. Matt Gerlach	Headmaster, Chesterton Academy, Hopkins, MN
Martin Harold	JPCatholic co-founder and VP of Admissions, Escondido, CA
Fr. Scott Herrera	Pastor, St Mary’s Parish, Escondido, CA
Kevin Meziere	JPCatholic co-founder and CFO/COO, Escondido, CA
Paul Polito	Retired Principal with Polito Eppich (Certified Public Accountants), Vista, CA.
Cheri Hubka Sparhawk	Attorney, Hubka & Hubka Attorneys, La Mesa, CA
Tom Tomkins	Retired Cable TV Executive, Escondido, CA
Deacon Mark Wieczorek JD, PhD	Patent Attorney, Dexcom, San Diego, CA

Board Committees

Committee	Name
Audit Committee	Chair - Paul Polito; Member: Kevin Meziere
Nominating & Governance Committee	Chair – Cheri Sparhawk, Member: Deacon Mark Wieczorek
Finance & Planning Committee	Chair - Nick DiNapoli; Members: Kevin Meziere, Martin Harold
Academic Affairs Committee	Chair - Matt Gerlach; Members: Martin Harold
Executive Compensation Committee	Chair - Deacon Mark Wieczorek
Development Committee	Chair - Tom Tomkins; Members: Martin Harold

Note: The President is an ex-officio member of each committee with the exception of the Compensation Committee. The Chair will attend/participate in committees as appropriate.

Bio

Derry Connolly

The president of John Paul the Great Catholic University. He has a Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from Cal-Tech; BSc and MSc in Mathematical Science from University College, Cork, Ireland; holds 8 US patents; has 15 years of industrial experience with IBM and Kodak; and 12 years of academic experience with UCSD. Derry and his wife Lidy have 5 children and a growing number of grandchildren. They attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Rancho Penasquitos.

Nick DiNapoli

The co-founder and creative director of Drive Studio in Carlsbad - a design and production studio specializing in network branding, identity creation, TV show packages, promotion and new media outlets.

Dr. Matt Gerlach

Dr Matt Gerlach, a Twin Cities native, has recently assumed the role of headmaster at the Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities (Hopkins, Minnesota). He holds a Ph.D. in Theology from Marquette University, as well as a Master of Arts in Theology and a Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies and Philosophy – both from the University of St Thomas, St. Paul, MN. He recently served as inaugural Vice President for Character, Virtue & Ethics at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, WI. Matt has had a distinguished career serving in Catholic educational leadership positions in parish, high school, university, and seminary settings. At the University of Mary, he launched the Catholic Studies Program and, as Administrative Chair of University-Wide Programs, oversaw Catholic Studies, a new Honors Program with a classical emphasis, the Rome Campus and other Global Studies programs, and Liberal Arts Core. Instrumental to the Catholic renewal efforts at U-Mary (and still active in the Catholic Studies movement today), he went on as a Dean at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI to lead the intellectual, spiritual, moral, and apostolic formation for lay adult students serving in parish, diocesan, and other ministries. His primary academic interests is to inspire the pursuit of faith, wisdom, and virtue, and to foster a Christ-centered educational environment, grounded in the tradition of Catholic Liberal Education, focused on forming students to live as mature, joyful disciples equipped to transform our culture for Christ.

Martin Harold

JPCatholic co-founder and VP of Admissions. He joined 6-months prior to opening, with no enrolled students, as the first and only FT employee. He singlehandedly recruited 30 students that Summer. He has developed a very sophisticated admission's department and has recruited all JPCatholic students. He has been critical in building the student body to sustain the university. He graduated Franciscan University in 2006 with a BA in Political Science and an MBA.

Fr. Scott Herrera

He is Pastor of St Mary's Parish, Escondido and a graduate of Franciscan University.

Kevin Meziere

JPCatholic co-founder and COO/CFO. He began volunteering at JPCatholic during the Summer of 2006, while a college sophomore, and built JPCatholic’s IT infrastructure, He became a full-time employee in 2009. He built our online learning platform. He managed our IT infrastructure and campus facilities. He conceived the Escondido campus and managed the facility build out. He graduated Franciscan University in 2009 with a BA in Management Information Systems, studying Information Technology and Accounting.

Paul Polito

Recently, retired as Principal with Polito Eppich - certified public accountants in Vista, CA. Mr. Polito specializes in business consulting, including accounting and tax planning services, and has experience in mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses. His clients include closely- held businesses involved in mining, manufacturing, real estate development and agriculture. Shortly after graduation in 1969, from Loyola University, he co-founded a publishing and marketing firm, establishing an international distribution network and sold his interest in 1972. While attending graduate school in accounting, he worked as a marketing director for a start-up cosmetic company. After a stint as a State Board of Equalization Auditor, he spent several years with the national and large local accounting firm. In 1981, he established his own accounting firm, which merged in 1989 with Robert H. Carter & Co., predecessor to Carter, Polito & Muscio, Inc. Paul has written numerous articles on business management and succession planning. He is a member of the Palomar College Foundation and serves as Treasurer and Chairman of its Finance and Investment Committees.

Cheri Hubka Sparhawk

Cheri Hubka Sparhawk is an attorney at Hubka & Hubka Attorneys in La Mesa, California. She graduated from Western State University College of Law. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1982.

Tom Tomkins

A retired cable television and telecommunications executive, Tom is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. He began in cable television with TelePrompTer Cable Television as a salesman. He became sales manager and later director of sales and marketing for the Nevada and Northern California markets. When Westinghouse (Group W Cable) purchased the company, he was promoted to General Manager of the Mendocino County operations. He joined the Times Mirror Cable Television Company (TMCT) as General Manager of the Palos Verdes and San Pedro cable systems. He was promoted to regional VP of the company’s Southwest Region based in Midland, TX. He oversaw operations of eleven systems in three states—Texas, Arkansas and Arizona. He moved to TMCT’s San Diego operations as VP and general manager based in Vista, CA. Tom became SVP of operations with Linkatel, a fiber optic alternate access network serving San Diego, where he oversaw the construction and initial customer acquisitions. Tom next joined Charter Communication as VP and General Manager of its Inland Empire systems until medical retirement. Tom served in the US Army from 1968-71. Married for 45 years to his wife, Margaret - they are parents of four children and nine grandchildren.

Deacon Mark Wieczorek

A Partner Attorney at Dexcom, a San Diego medical device company. He has experience in all phases of IP development, including patent prosecution, strategy & analysis, & portfolio development & management. He has prepared & prosecuted patents involving circuits/devices; semiconductor materials, devices & fabrication; devices in medical diagnosis & treatment; computer hardware & software; wireless devices & systems. He advises individuals, start-up companies, universities & research institutes, & large technology & manufacturing companies. In 1998, he became Director of IP & Corporate Counsel for Innercool Therapies, an early-stage medical device company. Mark has a JD from the George Washington University Law School, an MA and PhD in Physics from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Physics from CalTech.

Trustees Emeriti

Laura Badillo	(served 2018–2023)
Deacon Frank Reilly	(served 2017–2022)
✝ Luis Calingo	(served 2015-2021)
Don Rez	(served 2013-2020)
Betsy Komives	(served 2015-2018)
Margot Kyd	(served 2012-2018)
Paula Brock	(served 2014-2018)
Paul Colucci	(served 2005-2017)
Alan Lane	(served 2005-2015)
Dominic Iocco	(served 2009-2015)
Mike Murphy	(served 2012-2015)
Fr. Cavana Wallace	(served 2011-2013)
David House	(served 2010-2012)
Fr. Anthony Saroki	(served 2006-2011)
Philippe Dardaine	(served 2003-2011)
Scott McKenna	(served 2003-2009)
Sandy Murphy	(served 2009-2011)
Deacon Frank Mercardante	(served 2006-2011)
John Wakelin	(served 2006-2011)
Ed Snow	(served 2003-2011)
Larry Schauf	(served 2006-2011)

Founding Trustees

✝ Wes Fach BA, JD

He died on Saturday, October 27, 2012 after a tough battle with cancer. He was an attorney with over 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. He had served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Sicor Inc., a generic drug manufacturer, and Associate General Counsel of Warner Lambert (now part of Pfizer). He also served as legal counsel to several medical device and diagnostics companies in the San Diego area. Before moving to San Diego in 1984, Wes practiced law in New York and San Francisco. He received his B.A. in Mathematics from Harvard College in 1972 and his J.D. from Columbia University in 1975. Wes and his wife Vicki have 6 children and a growing number of grandchildren. Wes and Vicki attended St. Michael's Parish in Poway and had been active in numerous marriage and family life ministries at the parish and diocesan level.

Ed Snow

He is a Principal at TTM Engineering, an engineering services firm focused on the embedded software market with experience in code management, defect tracking, automated test, regression test, and test management at any point in the product lifecycle. He was formerly Vice President of Engineering at DriveCam, a company that focuses on improving risky driving behavior by predicting and preventing crashes using its exception-based video event recorder. Ed has MSEE in the Real Time Operating Systems from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked with Digital Equipment Corporation and Hewlett Packard. Ed and his wife Anne live in Rancho Bernardo and have 2 children. They attend St Michael's Parish, Poway.

Philippe Dardaine

(served 2003-2011)

Scott McKenna

(served 2003-2009)