Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis Announces New CEO

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – November 9, 2009 – 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.”

In the last 12 months, Catholic Charities saw unprecedented demand from people needing help meeting their basic needs. In September, visits to Catholic Charities food shelf increased 91 percent compared to September 2008. The two main overnight shelters for adults are full.

Catholic Charities, the human services arm of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is structured as a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. It operates on an annual budget of $36 million, serving about 35,000 people without regard to their faith. 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.

Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis is a member of Catholic Charities USA and was honored by the Charities Review Council for meeting the Council’s strict accountability standards, demonstrating responsibility, integrity and transparency as a non-profit organization. Further information on that approval can be found at smartgivers.org. Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation. More information on Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis can be found at cctwincities.