Planning committee & Board Members:
Planning committee
Nathan Forsthoefel is the Coordinator for Youth and Young Adult Ministry at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville, Ohio. An alumnus of FOCUS and The Ohio State University, Nathan is committed to the proclamation of the Gospel to young people in central Ohio. Verso l’Alto! To the Heights!
NATHAN FORSTHOEFEL
Noah is a ministry leader at Damascus, Home of Catholic Youth Summer Camp. Since 2014, Noah has spoken to thousands of youth through serving with NET Ministries and now Damascus for five years. Noah’s greatest passions are to see the Church make prayer her number one priority and for cities to be transformed by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit!
NOAH GILCHRIST
Sr. John Paul Maher, O.P., is a Dominican Sister of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. She is currently serving in the Diocese of Columbus as the assistant superintendent for Catholic culture in the Office of Catholic Schools.
With Our Lady, St. John Paul, and St. Maria Faustina, she asks the Holy Spirit to visit all those involved in the Young Adult Conference. Come Holy Spirit! Come through Mary!
SR. JOHN PAUL MAHER, O.P., Spiritual Advisor
Emma McGreal is an Otterbein University alum and soon to be teacher. She is originally from Cleveland and she grew up attending Saint Basil the Great. She hopes to see a generation that through relationship with the Lord finds their true purpose in life. She enjoys golfing, hiking, and spending time with friends in her free time.
EMMA MCGREAL
Vanessa Veneziano is an Administrative Assistant for a CPA firm named Baker Tilly. She was born and raised in Italy as a cradle Catholic and decided to move to Columbus this year to stay closer to her family. Her passion is music and singing and she sings in the choir of her parish, along with a local band where she practices songwriting.
She loves engaging with the Columbus Catholic community and believes that becoming an active part of it is the best way to serve it.
VANESSA VENEZIANO
Faith is an alum of Otterbein University in Music and Business. Her home Parish is Church of the Ascension in Johnstown, Ohio, where she grew up. She is also involved in Saint Paul the Apostle Parish in Westerville, Ohio. Faith is passionate about showing the light of Jesus to others through actions and interactions, Jesus is in the little things!
FAITH WEINER
Kaitlyn serves as a missionary at Damascus Catholic Mission. She has a passion for inviting every person into an encounter with the person of Jesus, and seeing them walk in the truth of their identity. If not at Damascus, you can probably find her at the airport on the way to another state for some new adventure.
KAITLYN WOERNER
Board of Directors
Our Board also serves as part of our planning committee.
Maria is a part-time professor and advisor of Catholic Student Ministry at Otterbein University. Professionally, she has a very hybrid background, having served in a number of senior leader roles with significant responsibilities. Maria is a member of Saint John Neumann Parish.
MARIA TARBELL: President
Denis Veneziano is a Project Manager at DWL Architects + Planners. He was born in Italy where he grew up as a cradle Catholic but found the joy of a deeper faith through his encounter with Opus Dei. After moving to the US in 2014 he became involved in youth and young adult ministry. In recent years he served as the Vice President & Director of Outreach for Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Columbus Chapter, before embracing his new role with CCYAC. He loves cooking, sand volleyball, and traveling, but is most passionate about virtuous leadership.
DENIS VENEZIANO: Vice President and Director, Development
Kate is the director of youth and young adult ministry at Saint John Neumann Parish, where she enjoys making a positive impact on teens and young adults through the power of Jesus Christ and facilitating encounters with His love.
KATE GIDDENS: Secretary and Director, Theology
Jessica DePeel is an Ohio University alum and staff auditor at Julian & Grube. She is involved in the leadership team for The Table, the young adult ministry at Christ the King Catholic Church. In her free time, she enjoys game and movie nights with friends and hiking.
JESSICA DEPEEL: Treasurer
Mary is a member of Saint Joan of Arc Parish and has a passion for helping young adults.
MARY JEFFRIES: Director, Volunteers
Brad Pierron is an Ohio State University alum and missionary program director at Damascus Catholic Mission Campus. As a missionary, he is passionate about spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to young adults today, and as a southern Ohio guy, he loves sports, sweet tea, pizza and ice cream.
BRAD PIERRON: Director, Programming
Amanda Mahle is a convert to the Catholic faith and has a passion to bring others to the good new of Jesus Christ. She is a wife of 25 years to Andy Mahle and mother of three adult children. She currently works as an Administrative Assistant at Church of the Ascension in Johnstown and photography as a side job and life long passion.
AMANDA MAHLE: Director