Rev. John Belmonte, SJ, PhD currently serves as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Joliet Diocese in Illinois. He has studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy where he completed a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology in 1995. Belmonte completed a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at Westin Jesuit School of Theology and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Loyola University. He served for six years as principal of Marquette University High School, a Jesuit college preparatory high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Robert Birdsell currently serves as President and CEO of the Cristo Rey Network, directing the organization through a strategic planning process that led to a shift in focus for the Network – from growth in the number of schools to the quality of outcomes for students. In the past two years, Birdsell has overseen the expansion of Cristo Rey’s leadership development programs, put in place a disciplined approach to managing growth, and recruited three new outside directors to the Cristo Rey Network board. Birdsell also taught English Literature for seven years at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and at Loyola High School in Los Angeles.
Andrew DeGuire is the Vice President of Strategy & Acquisitions, Building Efficiency, a US $13 billion division of Johnson Controls Inc. DeGuire and his team are responsible for leading the creation of the strategic plan for the Building Efficiency business and the resulting action plan. DeGuire holds a BA in Economics from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and an MA in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He has also studied at the London School of Economics and Copenhagen Business School.
John Papola is an award-winning producer/director in broadcast entertainment and marketing. He is currently a creative executive at Spike TV in their industry-leading brand group. He previously worked for MTV Animation series development and Nickelodeon’s on-air creative group. Papola graduated from Penn State University with a BA in film and video production. The financial and economic crisis and a general concern for the future that comes with being a new dad sparked an intense interest in economics and the business cycle. Papola was introduced to the work of Friedrich Hayek and the “Austrian” perspective on economics and the business cycle by reading Henry Hazlitt’s “Economics in One Lesson”. Most recently, Papola collaborated with George Mason University economist Russell Roberts to create the video, “Fear the Boom and Bust,” a rollicking rap debate between John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek which won the 2010 Sammie Award. Go to Econstories.tv for more information about the film, a list of resources on the long running economic debate, and future projects.
Stephen J. Haessler, PhD is the founder and president of The Freedom and Prosperity Academy. From 2007 to 2010, Haessler was a Senior Fellow at The Robert and Marie Hansen Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in teacher education and curriculum production. He is the author of the Apostles and Markets curriculum, a set of 12 lessons which combine Catholic social doctrine with sound economic principles. He has taught at the secondary level in both public and private schools, and from 1987 to 2007 held an endowed chair in Economics at Marquette University High School, a Jesuit preparatory high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Currently, Haessler serves as an adjunct professor for the Freedom Center at the University of Arizona, as well as developing and teaching an online AP Economics course through The Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy.
Midori Snyder is the designer and webmistress for The Freedom and Prosperity Academy's website and Apostles and Markets website. Snyder, winner of the World Fantasy and Mythopoeic Awards, has published eight fantasy novels for adults, young adults, and children. She also writes short stories, poetry, essays, and In the Labyrinth, a popular blog on art and the writing life. She is the co-director of the Endicott Studio, an organization for myth-inspired arts, with Terri Windling. Snyder also worked with Terri Windling to design and publish the online quarterly, Journal of Mythic Arts.
Matthew Strong is an equity portfolio manager in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Kenyon College with majors in Economics and History and received his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. Over the course of his career, he has worked in investments, marketing, and sales and has taught high school economics.
