LEADERSHIP

The Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership enjoys the support of a distinguished Board of Directors and Board of Episcopal Advisors. These individuals help contribute to the success of the Spitzer Center and those whom we serve. Our mission is clear, to empower Catholic organizations to overcome self-limiting behaviors by enhancing culture, strategy, and leadership. The Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership is committed to this mission and aims to exceed expectations in our valued relationships with clients.

Father Robert Spitzer

Founder, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership

Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., is the founder and president of the Spitzer Center. A scholar, teacher, author, and seasoned leader, Fr. Spitzer is a pre-eminently a theologian and philosopher. His other fields of expertise, however, include management science, finance, ethics, and physics. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1952, Fr. Spitzer entered the Society of Jesus in 1974, was ordained a priest on June 11, 1983, and took final vows April 4, 1992.

Through the Spitzer Center, he hopes to bring knowledge and decades of experience to bear on the needs of the Church, with the goal of helping Catholic organizations to grow in wisdom, faith, effectiveness, and zeal for God’s work.

Fr. Spitzer has been instrumental in shaping the vision and curricula of the Center. His live speaking engagements are reserved for diocesan clergy retreats and convocations, major diocesan events, and associations of Catholic educators and physicians.

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Formerly the president of Gonzaga University for 11 years, Fr. Spitzer significantly increased the programs and curricula in faith, ethics, service, and leadership. He led the efforts to build 20 new facilities, increased the student population by 75%, and raised more than $200 million for scholarships and capital projects.

He has written five books on such diverse topics as: practical spirituality, faith and physics, philosophy, pro-life apologetics, and leadership and organizational development. His scholarly articles have appeared in various business, philosophy and scientific journals.

He has produced seven television series for EWTN: Healing the Culture, The Spirit of Catholic Leadership, Suffering and the Love of God, Finding God through Faith and Reason, Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life, Jesus-Emmanuel, and The Heavens Proclaim the Glory of God.

A much sought-after speaker, Fr. Spitzer has personally conducted retreats and convocations for priests, deacons and educators in many dioceses across the United States. He has also addressed corporate, academic, scientific, and governmental audiences, including senior leaders at the Pentagon, Tony Blair’s Cabinet in London, and leaders of both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict.

His many media appearances include: Larry King Live (debating Stephen Hawking and prominent colleagues on God and modern physics), the Today Show (debating on the topic of active euthanasia), The History Channel in “God and The Universe,” and a multiple part PBS series “Closer to the Truth.”

In addition to the Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership, Fr. Spitzer has founded six other institutes:

The Magis Center of Reason and Faith in Irvine, CA (www.magisreasonfaith.org)
Ethics and Performance Institute in Coeur d’Alene, ID (www.learnepi.com)
Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education (www.cjbe.org)
Healing the Culture in Seattle, WA (www.healingtheculture.com)
University Faculty for Life at Georgetown University (www.uffl.org)
Philosophical Foundations of Physics at Georgetown University

Laurence (Larry) Smith

Executive Director, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership

Larry Smith is the new Executive Director of the Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership. Prior to that Larry was the CEO and president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver, CO for five years. Larry spent 30 years in the cable television, satellite distribution, entertainment, technology and consumer electronics retail industries in North America and Europe.

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He has held senior positions at Mod Systems, Archos SA, On Command Corporation, EchoStar’s Dish Network, Request Television, CNBC and The Home Shopping Network. Larry holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He and his wife Robin are the grateful parents of 3 children.

Jim Berlucchi

Founder, Senior Consultant and Former Executive Director, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership

James Berlucchi helped co-found the Spitzer Center which he oversees in Ann Arbor, Michigan. An educator, executive coach, speaker and author, he has partnered with Fr. Spitzer to produce the entire curricula. As the lead presenter of the Spitzer programs, he has worked with scores of leadership teams and staffs in dioceses, parishes, schools, hospitals and apostolates across the U.S.

Mr. Berlucchi is also certified with two other prominent institutes: Human Synergistics and The Pacific Institute. This expertise allows him to integrate complementary and time-tested diagnostic and training tools for the benefit of the Catholic organizations he serves.

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He is the work/life columnist for Faith Magazine and the author of Person to Person – How to be Effective in Evangelism and The Ambassador Prayer Journal. A published composer and recording artist, he has led music and worship for more than a quarter of a million Catholics worldwide.

He formerly served as the Executive Director of Legatus, an international association of Catholic CEOs, where he directed a six-fold growth of membership over ten years. A frequent speaker at Catholic men’s conferences he was one of 50 delegates to the Vatican’s first international pontifical seminar on the role of sport in the modern world. Some of his other initiatives include hosting a Catholic television series, The Choices We Face, launching a pro-life campaign, Battin’ 1000, with 100 major league baseball players, directing a Christian performing arts company, and overseeing numerous evangelization and educational programs. Mr. Berlucchi holds an M.T.S. from Madonna University, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Judy, are the grateful parents of eight children and enjoy a steadily increasing number of grandchildren.

Tim Ryan

Director of Client Services, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership

Tim Ryan has worked over thirty years in the secular workplace as an information technology professional from consultative to executive roles. Throughout his career he recognized the importance of relationships and a sense of purpose in the effective performance of organizations. This recognition evolved into a set of skills related to strategic planning and organizational development. He soon recognized how these principles coalesced with theological values that extol the need for common vision, values, and meaning. This led him to an academic pursuit resulting in a Master of Pastoral Studies degree from Loyola University New Orleans, with an emphasis on spirituality in the workplace and marketplace ministry.

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Throughout his secular business career he has unapologetically and actively engaged in efforts to encourage a spirituality in business and the workplace. He has facilitated business leader roundtables that explore the need for a spirit of service in the mission of businesses and organizations. He wrote the Worklife column for FAITH Catholic Publishing for a number of years, and wrote reflections for the campus ministry team at the University of Detroit – Mercy. He has had an active role in parish leadership, has spoken to numerous groups on the subject of faith and vocation; as well as appearing as a guest on FAITH TV in Lansing, MI speaking on work, family, and ministry issues. Tim was trained as a Certified Associate of the Spitzer Center in 2008, and since then has been actively “spreading the word”. He and his wife Dawn are trained facilitators of the FOCCUS marriage preparation program, are the parents of three adult children, and new grandparents with their first grandchild.