A local nonprofit leader has been appointed president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, an Alexandria, Virginia-based group that represents 167 organizations at nearly 3,900 locations.
Kerry Alys Robinson will become the second layperson and second woman to lead Catholic Charities’ national ministry when she starts in the role on Aug. 23.
Robinson’s philanthropy has deep roots in Catholicism.
“The gospels call Catholics and all people of good will to serve those most in need of our aid,” Robinson said. “The staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities agencies around the country answer that call every day: feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted and welcoming the stranger. I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be a part of this life-giving mission.”
Robinson is currently an executive partner of Leadership Roundtable, an organization that promotes best practices and accountability in management in the Catholic Church. There, she has helped the church harness the expertise of lay members, assisted church leaders and worked to empower women.
Also, Robinson serves on the leadership team for the Hartford Bishops Foundation, which advances the mission of the Archdiocese of Hartford by encouraging philanthropy
Previously, she was the director of development for St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University, where she led a $75 million expansion.
Robinson is also the executive director of the Opus Prize Foundation, which awards an annual $1 million prize honoring a ministry dedicated to alleviating human suffering.
A graduate of Georgetown and Yale, Robinson is an author and sought-after international speaker.
She and her husband, Dr. Michael Cappello, a professor of public health and infectious diseases at Yale, have two children.
Robinson succeeds Sister Donna Markham, who is retiring this summer as president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. Robinson was selected after a national search and was unanimously appointed by the organization’s board.
