Leadership Roundtable inaugurated the J. Donald Monan, SJ Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal to inspire a culture of giving that promotes excellence in Church management and leadership. The Monan Medal seeks to thank and inspire philanthropists of the Catholic Faith who emulate and personify the vision, character, creativity, and commitment to excellence of the late Rev. J. Donald Monan of the Society of Jesus. 

Fr. Monan’s life was a living testimony to how best practices, implemented in collaboration between clergy and laity, can transform a Catholic institution to bring excellence to management and mission. Fr. Monan dedicated his life to spreading Christ’s mission through the inclusive partnership of the clergy, religious and lay Catholic leaders. He worked to build and lead Catholic initiatives of service grounded in the foundation of solid best practices in temporal affairs, principles that include thoughtful governance disciplines, accountable management, creative human and financial resource stewardship and effective communication.

The J. Donald Monan, SJ Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal is an annual honor conferred upon Catholic philanthropists who have invested generously and faithfully in the Catholic Church’s work to lead through exemplary temporal affairs, and whose giving reflects Fr. Monan’s deeply held belief in collaborative excellence and partnership.

Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan

Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan is Chairperson of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation, one of California’s largest philanthropic organizations. Since its founding in 1952, the Leavey Foundation has donated more than $200 million to educational, medical, and Catholic institutions.

The Leavey Foundation was a major supporter of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Foundation’s donation to Santa Clara University, the second largest gift in the university’s history, helped build the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation. And, the Foundation supports the Catholic Education Foundation.

The Foundation has also donated to Georgetown University, Loyola Marymount University, Saint Paul the Apostle Church Los Angeles, the Paulist Fathers, Homeboy Industries, and Sisters of Social Service, among many other contributions.

Kathleen is a longtime trustee of the University of Southern California and a Trustee of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation. She is an alumna of USC (‘57). The Leavey Foundation provided the lead naming gifts for Leavey Library and McCarthy Quad, established the Kathleen L. McCarthy Honors College at USC Village, and endowed the first Trustee’s Chair at the USC Gould School of Law.

In addition, Kathleen has been a Dame of the Order of Malta, Western Association and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Lewis Ranieri

Lewis S. Ranieri is founder and chair of Ranieri Solutions LLC, which is focused on financial services and the use of cognitive technologies. Lewis serves as chair and senior managing partner of Ranieri Partners LLC, an advisor and manager of private investments.

Lewis is the Chairman of Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation, which he formed in 2005 at the request of the Most Reverend Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The Foundation provides scholarship support to Long Island families in need, who wish to give their children a Catholic elementary education. Throughout the 16-year history of the Foundation, Lewis has played a crucial role in fulfilling the mission, which is to ensure the excellence as well as the continuance of Catholic schools on Long Island, by increasing awareness and providing scholarships and program funding for the needs of students and schools. Through his tireless fundraising efforts and exemplary service, Lewis had led the Tomorrow’s Hope board in granting $25 million in tuition assistance to more than 20,000 students since its inception.

Lewis has a strong belief in the value of Catholic education, and the conviction that today’s children are tomorrow’s hope. He believes that a Catholic school education is an essential ingredient to one’s spiritual maturity and serves to provide the religious foundation and moral framework that becomes the basis upon which all life’s decisions are made. He firmly believes that his Catholic family upbringing and Catholic school education instilled in him the integrity and moral grounding to pass the tests he’s faced through the years, even long after graduation and throughout his career.

Considered the “father” of the securitized mortgage market, Lewis helped develop the capital markets as a source of funds for housing and commercial real estate. Formerly Vice Chairman of Salomon Brothers, Inc., Lewis established Salomon’s leadership position in the mortgage-backed securities space and led efforts to obtain federal legislation to support and build the market.

Regarded as an expert and innovator in both the mortgage and capital markets, Lewis has served as Co-Chairman on the National Association of Home Builders Mortgage Roundtable continuously since 1989. Bloomberg Businessweek named him one of “the greatest innovators of the past 75 years,” and in 2005, he received the Distinguished Industry Service Award from the American Securitization Forum.

John M. Connors, Jr. Family

John M. “Jack” Connors Jr. is known throughout Boston as a business leader and philanthropist who is dedicated to bettering the lives of the city’s residents and the Catholic Church.

Jack is a founding partner and chairman emeritus of Hill Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Inc. one of the top 20 advertising firms in the United States and a past chair of the Board of Trustees for Boston College. Under his leadership, Hill Holliday evolved from a one-room shop, founded in 1968, to one of the top 20 advertising firms in the United States.

Jack and his wife Eileen Connors are well known for their Catholic philanthropic work within the Archdiocese of Boston.

At the invitation of Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Jack has served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the Campaign for Catholic Schools since its inception in 2010. The Campaign for Catholic Schools is described as a change-agent for rebuilding Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston through new models that introduce lay governance, strong academics, facility improvement, new technology, and innovative teacher support.

Under Jack’s leadership, the Campaign for Catholic Schools raised more than $62 million for Boston’s Catholic schools and forever changed how the Archdiocese approached education.

In addition to his support for the Church, Jack also co-founded and raised more than $45 million for Camp Harbor View, a program that serves more than 1,000 youth each year from Boston’s underserved neighborhoods through a Summer Camp, Leadership Academy and Youth and Family Support Services.

Jack has served as on the boards of Boston College; Partners HealthCare System; Partners- In-Health; Harvard Medical School; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Emmanuel College; Covidien and Hasbro; The American City Coalition; Brandeis University; and Camp Harbor View.

He has been honored with the Kennedy Institute’s inaugural Award for Inspired Leadership, in recognition of his service to the city of Boston and commitment to civic engagement and was recognized by The American City Coalition as “an articulate advocate for Boston’s world-class hospitals, and is a passionate and respected voice in the Catholic community for greater lay participation in the Church.”

Leadership Roundtable identifies Catholic organizations and institutions that strive to implement best practices in their management, finances, or human resource development. At its annual meeting, Leadership Roundtable recognizes examples of such organizations and presents them with Leadership Roundtable Best Practices Award.