National Press Club

Sister Donna Markham, First Woman President of Catholic Charities USA,
to Address Pope Francis’ U.S. Trip and Raising Awareness About Poverty in America

Washington, DC – President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, will deliver remarks at a National Press Club Newsmakers news conference on Thursday, September 17 about how Pope Francis’ first trip to the U.S. aligns with its commitment to shine a light on poverty in America. Bringing greater attention to helping the nation’s poor is part of CCUSA’s long standing mission to support all people in need.

One in seven Americans today lives in poverty – about forty-five million people in the country. Often one misfortune or one missed paycheck can change an individual or family’s life and cause them to fall below the poverty line.

CCUSA believes the needs of the poor and vulnerable must come first in a society with deepening divisions between the rich and poor. It is bringing to life Pope Francis’ call to support individuals and families in their journey out of poverty so they can achieve their full potential.

Sister Donna has served in leadership positions in behavioral healthcare both in the U.S. and Canada. She is an internationally-recognized author and speaker in transformational leadership, organizational change management and the effective treatment of the mentally ill. Most recently she served as president of the Behavioral Health Institute at Mercy Health where she led the transformation of the continuum of the delivery of behavioral health services across the seven geographic regions of the health system. An Adrian Dominican sister with a doctorate in clinical psychology, Sister Donna served on CCUSA’s Board of Trustees for eight years, two of which were as Board Chair.

This NPC Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 17 at 10 a.m. in the Zenger Room on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW, Washington DC 20045.

Like all Newsmakers events, this news conference is open to credentialed media and club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

Contact:
Lisa Wolfington, NPC Newsmakers Event Host
443-758-3790, lisa@wolfingtonassociates.com