Archbishop names Paul Martodam CEO of Catholic Charities

The Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, appointed Paul Martodam of Phoenix, AZ, as the new CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Archbishop and Board of Directors will formally introduce Martodam during Catholic Charities’ Annual Meeting Dec. 3. He will begin his duties as CEO Jan. 1, 2010.

Martodam is CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services in Phoenix, a position he has held since 1993. During his time in Arizona, Martodam increased the organization’s revenues from about $8 million to more than $35 million annually and created several new innovative programs to meet the needs of Arizona’s changing population.

"I am indeed pleased to welcome Mr. Paul Martodam as the new chief executive of our Archdiocesan Catholic Charities. A native of Minnesota, he has served the diocese of Crookston, St. Cloud, and most recently Phoenix in the work of Catholic Charities," Nienstedt says. "Besides the obvious administrative skills that he has gained over these years, he has a deep spirituality that motivates his enthusiasm for this ministry. I look forward to working with him in the years to come."

Nienstedt appointed Martodam to the position with the unanimous recommendation of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors Search Committee. The committee conducted a national search to fill the top position at the Twin Cities largest social services agency.

"It is with great humility that I accept the challenge of leadership of this great organization. The outstanding ministry of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis to people who are homeless, children and seniors dealing with significant life issues and struggling families is recognized nationally," Martodam says. "I am eager to engage with our many partners in government, business and philanthropy to build community capacity to reduce poverty and human suffering."

He will take over from Robert Spinner, who has served as interim CEO since June 2009.

Prior to his position as CEO in Phoenix, Martodam served as assistant director of Catholic Charities Community Services of Phoenix. Between 1980 and 1992, he was assistant director of administration for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

He holds a bachelor’s in psychology from St. Louis University and a Master’s in Public Administration/NonProfit Administration from St. Cloud State University. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities USA and served on the board of the Council of Accreditation of Children and Family Services and is a founding member of Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition.

"The position attracted many extremely well-qualified candidates from social services, business, government and other fields," says Tom Horner, a member of Catholic Charities Board of Directors who chaired the search committee. "The outstanding field of candidates speaks to the high regard in which Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis is held in Minnesota and around the country.

"We were especially gratified that so many were eager to lead Catholic Charities during a time when demand for our services is at a record high, and our ability to meet the demand is challenged by the economy and cuts in public funding," Horner says. "We remain hopeful this diverse group of leaders continues to engage with us to find new and innovative ways to meet the needs of our community."

The CEO of Catholic Charities is appointed by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Martodam will be the first non-priest CEO since a 1977 merger of multiple Catholic social service agencies created Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Northside offers kids and families a safe place to learn and grow

Northside Child Development Center offers children a rich learning environment — children who attend Northside consistently score higher on kindergarten readiness tests than other kindergartners — and a safe place to go after school.

Watch the video below and learn how Northside positively impacts the lives of the children and families it serves.

Trader Joe's helps fill food shelf gap

Use of Catholic Charities' food shelves has increased 42 percent in the last year. To help meet that increased demand, Catholic Charities relies on many individuals and organizations who donate food and time to help feed those most in need.

One of those organizations is Trader Joe's. Learn how they help Catholic Charities' food shelves by watching the short video below. As always, feel free to leave feedback in the "Comments" section below.



Find out how you can support Catholic Charities' food shelves.

Join Catholic Charities in the 2009 Walk to End Hunger

Start a new tradition this Thanksgiving Day and help people in need by taking part in the Walk to End Hunger. Sign up to join Catholic Charities' team and walk with us Thanksgiving Day November 26, 2009 at the Mall of America.

Participants will walk as much or as little as they'd like through the mall. The food drive will gather thousands of non-perishable food items for local hunger relief agencies, including Catholic Charities.

Learn more about Catholic Charities' involvement in the Walk to End Hunger from Catholic Charities' Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Kate Kelly.

We ran out of blankets last night.

“We ran out of blankets last night.” That note yesterday from a Dorothy Day Center client volunteer continued, “We don’t have enough blankets for the number of people staying here.” Some blankets can’t be used because they have too many holes from being washed so many times.

We found more blankets to fill the gap. But we still need help. 200-250 people sleep at Dorothy Day nightly, including 42 women in the women’s shelter upstairs. A $15 donation covers a hot meal and someone’s night at the shelter. Make a gift now to help the homeless.

Or, see more ways to help.