Meet Our Team
Pat Lynch
Founder & Managing Director
203-438-8475
Pat@CatholicRecruiter.com
Pat Lynch believes that providing exceptional search services involves becoming a strategic partner with his clients in understanding their goals, culture, and vision.
Mr. Lynch’s search career includes significant assignments for Fortune 50 companies and Catholic not-for-profit organizations at all senior levels. Prior to his extensive executive search experience, he managed the recruiting function for Xerox Corporation’s field sales organization, which employed over 1000 people annually. Now in his third decade in the recruiting business, Pat has managed extremely critical and sensitive assignments for Catholic organizations throughout the United States. The beneficiary of sixteen years of Catholic education, Pat believes strongly in Catholic schools and is committed to supporting their mission.
He has the confidence of a great number of clergy and lay senior executives to complete their most important staffing assignments. Mr. Lynch received a B.S. in Economics from St. Michael’s College and serves on a number of volunteer and religious boards throughout the United States.
Arlene M. McSweeney, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President
203-438-9315
Arlene@CatholicRecruiter.com
Arlene McSweeney is particularly valuable by virtue of her knowledge of curricula, testing and administration in dealing with our education clients.
Dr. McSweeney has spent nearly thirty years as an educator and administrator in a variety of school systems and universities and is certified as principal and superintendent in three states. She has been a consultant and partner with Catholic Recruiter Associates for the past fifteen years and has been intimately involved in candidate assessment on very high-profile assignments.
Arlene earned a B.S. in Education from SUNY Oneonta, an M.S. in Counseling from St. John’s University and an Ed.D. in Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Initially, Arlene focused her efforts on senior candidate assessment projects for major consumer products clients. Today, Dr. McSweeney leads Catholic Recruiter Associate’s initiatives to develop an exceptional level of executive recruitment services for the not-for-profit and educational sectors.
Brent Morton
Vice President
914-672-7547
Brent@CatholicRecruiter.com
Brent Morton’s experience leading and recruiting for not-for-profit organizations affords him the unique ability to assess a candidate’s potential as it relates to diocese, parish and community.
Brent Morton joined Catholic Recruiter Associates after 15 years as a Director, Recruiter and Training Specialist in the not-for-profit child care industry. His ability to recruit directors and teachers put him at the forefront of the industry for nearly 2 decades. Mr. Morton possesses a keen insight in discerning the qualities necessary for executive success in the not-for-profit sector. With a strong Catholic background and a focus on interpersonal communication skills, Brent provides the firm with first hand not-for-profit experience allowing him to relate to candidates from diverse backgrounds in an extremely effective way.
After attending Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, Mr. Morton received a B.A in Mass Communications from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Vanessa Sowka, J.D., SHRM-SCP
Director, Talent Acquisition
773-240-9463
Vanessa@CatholicRecruiter.com
Vanessa Sowka’s years of experience as a Director of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition specialist translates into a strong sense of relatability and credibility with our clients and candidates.
Mrs. Sowka began her career as an employment and insurance law attorney, but quickly migrated into Human Resources where she could combine her legal compliance knowledge with a consultative practice of corporate HR. Vanessa brings to Catholic Recruiter Associates over 10 years of broad human resources and talent acquisition knowledge from a diverse array of industries including hospitality, finance and logistics. Mrs. Sowka relates to candidates that seek to transition from corporate positions into non-profit, and understands the sensitivity and sense of urgency that our clients have in seeking that perfect hire.
After graduating from St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix, Mrs. Sowka received a B.A. in English from Arizona State University, and a J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Mrs. Sowka and her family are active parishioners at St. Josaphat Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Member of
National Association of Church Personnel Administrators
.
National Catholic Educational Association