September 6, 2007

New director named for Catholic School Development Program

Karin Krasevac-Lenz has joined the Department of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Buffalo as the new director of the Catholic School Development Program (CSDP), an initiative to increase enrollment and strengthen management and leadership of Catholic elementary schools.

With Catholic education a key mission in the diocesan strategic plan, filling the position of CSDP director was a priority. Carol A. Kostyniak was named the first CSDP director in August 2006, but the job was vacated in June when she was named secretary for Catholic education for the Diocese of Buffalo. Kostyniak said she enjoyed her short-tenure as director of the program and has high hopes for the team she, as secretary for Catholic education, and Krasevac-Lenz, as CSDP director, have created.

“We are delighted to have Karin join the Department of Catholic Education as the new director of CSDP,” Kostyniak said. “Karin adds valuable expertise in the area of advancement and institutional fundraising. She will work with the schools, their boards and Home-School Associations to simplify and enhance their fundraising programs. This is extremely important as we work to keep Catholic education strong and affordable for all who wish to attend.”

Born in Gary, Ind., Krasevac-Lenz spent much of her youth in Reading, Pa. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and political science from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass., and moved to Buffalo in 1993 when her husband, Douglas

Lenz, was transferred from Yardley, Pa. They live in Clarence with their three children, Jenna, Gregory and Rosemarie, and are members of St. Mary Parish, Swormville.

“We love Western New York,” she declared. “It is a great place to raise our family.”

Krasevac-Lenz brings a wealth of development and marketing experience to her new position. As executive director of WomenStories, a Buffalo-born breast cancer not-for-profit focusing on psycho-social oncology, she formalized advancement activities and concentrated on development operations. She also served as director of institutional advancement for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy where, in addition to overseeing development, public relations and marketing, she brought to successful conclusion a $13.5 million capital campaign.

In one of her other former positions, Krasevac-Lenz helped establish the formal development function for regional Catholic schools in Southern Indiana. As Friends of Shawe and Pope John Schools, Inc.’s executive director, she developed boards, alumni contacts, fundraising and marketing campaigns.

“I was fortunate to have a several-year long opportunity to help a small Catholic school system in Southern Indiana,” she said. “I worked closely with a parent group to bring a board of trustees, strategic planning, alumni groups, grants, a scholarship campaign and a capital campaign to fruition. The efforts put forth there have born great fruit for those schools.”

Krasevac-Lenz also has been employed as a grants officer and has done pro bono development and strategic planning work. All in all, she said she feels she has a strong background for the position as director of the Catholic School Development Program.

Professional development and practice are not the only assets Krasevac-Lenz brings to her new position. She is an active member of St. Mary Parish, a “much blessed, faith-filled and very active parish community.” Over the years she has served on several committees and co-founded the parish’s family-to-family outreach and faith sharing small groups programs.

What does Krasevac-Lenz see for the future of Catholic education? The road ahead may require redoubled efforts, but she sees a bright future. She realizes that the Buffalo diocese, like many other dioceses, is encountering challenging times as far as Catholic education goes, but believes that Catholic schools are community and diocesan assets.

“I truly believe that Catholic schools will come through these challenges as stronger, more focused educational communities,” she said.

As the CSDP director, Krasevac-Lenz intends to help that process.

“I plan to take this already successful program to the next level,” she said. “The participating Catholic elementary schools have made progress and are poised for further gains. Each group of schools enrolled in the CSDP will have additional support from the program to help them delve into areas that are new to them with regard to advancement and gathering critically needed financial support from alumni and other constituent groups.”

As she travels to schools throughout the Diocese of Buffalo, you can be sure Krasevac-Lenz is formulating ways to increase the focus on education and enrollment.

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