
Father Robert Spitzer
Founder, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership
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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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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Jim Berlucchi
Founder, Senior Consultant and Former Executive Director, Spitzer Center for Visionary Leadership
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 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.