Board of Directors

The Spitzer Center Directors are prominent Catholic leaders who oversee and support the work of the Center with their faith, talents, and resources.

 

  • Mr. Ricardo G. Brutocao
    Managing Partner of Venture Communications

    Ric Brutocao recently accepted the role of Managing Partner and has served on the Board of Venture Communications, which he con-founded in 1993 to invest in the fast growing communication industry.  Since then it has provided its capital and management experience to a number of real estate developments as well as investing in businesses in the technology and manufacturing arenas. Prior to working with Venture, Ric served as President and COO of DACOR, a high end manufacturer of premium kitchen appliances. He continues to serve on the DACOR Board as well as the boards of three other businesses.  He is recognized as a pro-active member whose long career provided a unique perspective in technology, sales and marketing, manufacturing and finance. Prior to coming on board with DACOR, Brutocao also served as CEO of Advanced Materials Group, served on the Board of Centergistic Solutions, and founded Logical Data Management, a company that pioneered the billing software for the Pay/Cable TV market.

    Mr. Brutocao earned his BS in Electronic Engineering from Santa Clara University and went on to earn an MBA with honors at California State University. Mr. Brutocao has also served his country with distinction as an officer in the US Army. He was an instructor of electronics at Redstone Missile Arsenal and subsequently saw combat in Vietnam and earned a Bronze Star.

    Along with his physician brother, Mr. Brutocao started LifeSavers of America, creating methodology for statistically sampling blood to enable an inexpensive method of harvesting bone marrow used to cure leukemia patients.  LifeSavers was subsequently merged into the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD and Mr. Brutocao served on that board. During its tenure, LifeSavers registered and tested over one million people for the national marrow registry.  President George H.W. Bush honored LifeSavers naming it as one of America’s “Points of Light”. 


  • Mr. John T. Fees
    Managing Partner of Access Venture Group, LLC

    John Fees is an entrepreneur, investor and recognized thought leader in creating new distribution channels through strategic affinity, collegiate and partnership marketing programs. Since 2006, he has served as Managing Partner of Access Venture Group, a capital venture company that purchases, invests in, and operates high potential companies that provide innovative technology and marketing solutions to consumers. He is also the Co-Founder and current CEO of NGI Group, a national sales and marketing firm focused on speciality insurance markets. He is also a partner in Slip Stream Labs.

    Fees is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he received a bachelors of science degree in History and was elected as Student Body President, as well as being chosen 1989 Man of the Year. He went on to completed an MA in business administration at Harvard Business School and co-chaired its annual Business Plan Contest.

    Before joining Access Venture Group, Fees served in variety of high level executive positions, including Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the Arizona State University Alumni Association, Membership Marketing Vice President at Student Advantage, and Senior Vice President of First USA Partners, all collegiate organizations. He has also served as Executive Vice President of Chase Educational Finance, where he was an executive in one of the nation's largest student loan companies.From 2004-2006 he was an executive officer of Collegiate Funding Services. From 1999 to 2006 Fees served as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Y2M: Youth Media and Marketing Networks. Y2M owned and operated College Publisher, the nation’s largest online network of college newspapers serving more than 500 colleges and universities, over 2 million subscribers and 120 national advertisers.

    Outside his professional life, John is an active as leader of the Phoenix Chapter of Legatus International, a Board Member of Foundation for Blind Children and the ASU Presidents Club. He has a keen interest in media/current affairs, Arizona history, private equity investing, and anything entrepreneurial. In addition, he enjoys cooking, photography and is an out-of-form tennis and golf player.

    John Fees lives in Phoenix, Arizona and is married to Melissa Soza Fees, Ph.D.; the Fees have five children.


  • Mr. Umberto P. Fedeli
    President and CEO of The Fedeli Group

    Since 1988, Umberto P. Fedeli has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Fedeli Group, one of the largest and fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in Ohio, specializing in employee benefits and workers' compensation consulting, surety, environmental risk management and estate planning.

    A genuine commitment to his community has led Umberto to contribute much of his personal time and energy to a variety of civic and charitable causes.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a trustee on the Board of John Carroll University as well the Cleveland Catholic Diocese Foundation. He chairs the Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation, a charitable organization that he helped establish in 1995, and currently chairs the Cleveland Catholic Cemeteries Association.  He is also actively involved in Legatus, an international organization of Catholic CEOs, is Chairman of their Cleveland Chapter.

    Umberto served as Chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission for six years and worked on the election campaings of Senator Mike DeWine and Ohio Governor George Voinovich, as well as in other state and local campaigns.

    Umberto has received many honors from business, educational and ethnic organizations, including being named "Man of the Year" by the Americans of Italian Heritage and the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame. He was recognized by John Carroll University's Business School as one of Fifty of its Finest, and has been the recipient of both the Grand Illusion Award from the Ohio Cancer Research Associates and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Norman Cohn Hope Award for Outstanding Philanthropic and Community Service.  In 1998, he became a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, administered by the Holy See in Rome.

    Umberto is a proud alumnus of St. Joseph High School and John Carroll University. He resides in Gates Mills, Ohio with his wife and their five children. 

     
  • Mr. Paul R. Fransway
    Butzel Long, P.C.

    Paul R. Fransway is a shareholder in the law firm of Butzel Long, P.C. in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  He received his bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 1972, his law degree from the University of Houston, magna cum laude in 1977, and a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the University of Houston in 1987.

    Mr. Fransway specializes in the representation of nonprofit organizations such as colleges, universities, public interest law firms and primary and secondary schools, providing counsel with regard to their structure and operations.  His nonprofit clientele include the University of Michigan, Cleary University, the Eastern Michigan University Foundation, Legatus, the Thomas More Law Center, Ave Maria College, Ave Maria University and The Ave Maria Foundation.  

    Mr. Fransway also represents local and national franchise companies with regard to their franchise, general business and trademark issues, including Domino’s Pizza, Midas, HCX Salons, The Coffee Beanery, Ltd., and Pro Golf. 

    He has also been actively involved in local government and non-profit community activities. He has served as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals (1986-2000), the Planning Commission (1988-1998, Chairman in 1995-1996) and the Board of Trustees (1996-2002) for the Charter Township of Lyon (Oakland County, Michigan).

    Mr. Fransway is a member of the Washtenaw County and American Bar Associations, and the State Bar of Texas and State Bar of Michigan.  In addition to other activities, he belongs to the Taxation and Intellectual Property sections of the Michigan, Texas and American Bar Associations. 
     

  • Mr. S. Michael Joseph
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – DACOR

    Under the leadership of S. Michael Joseph, chairman, president and chief executive officer, DACOR has become a market leader in the multi-billion dollar, high-end kitchen appliance industry, well respected for product performance, quality and innovation in the North American marketplace.  In 2005, DACOR marks its 40th year in business and was recently given the “Family Business of the Year Award” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

    After graduating from Stanford University, Mike Joseph served nearly five years in the United States Marine Corps, including a year of duty in Vietnam in 1968. In 1971 he joined his parents, Stan and Florence Joseph, who had founded DACOR in 1965.  Mike became President in 1975 and assumed his current position of Chairman/CEO in 1982. Mike has been inducted into the National Kitchen and Bath Hall of Fame, a distinction only ever conferred upon 60 individuals. He has also been featured in several books including Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs. 

    On the personal side, Mr. Joseph has been married to his wife Lynn Joseph for 31 years. Together, they have raised four children who have all spent some time working for the company. Mike and Lynn are both members of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Newport Beach. He is a Knight of St. Gregory, a Knight of Malta and a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher. The family also directs a local charity, the Joseph Family Foundation, which supports several Church, Catholic school, and Pro-Life causes.

  • Mr. Paul M. Lawless
    Partner of Lawless, Edwards & Warren 
     

    • Paul Lawless of Lawless, Edwards & Warren, is one of the county’s leading financial advisors for public executives and owners of large, closely held family businesses.

    Paul received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Business from Florida Atlantic University and has continued professional studies throughout his career, earning the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation from the American College, Bryn Mawr, PA.

    He is an active South Florida community member and has served on various boards. At the moment he serves on the boards of the 100 Club of South Palm Beach County, Royal Palm Improvement Association, O’Meara Ferguson, Whelan & Conway, Ave Maria University, The Boca Raton Police & Firefighters Pension Board, and Legatus.

    Paul is a Knight of Magistral Grace in The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. He also serves as a Steward of St. Peter and Member of The Papal Foundation.

    Paul makes his home in Boca Raton with his wife, Lynn, and four children.

     

  • Mr. George Patrick Murphy

    President/CEO GPM Enterprises LLC

    George graduated with honors from the University of Southern California, earning a BS and an MPA. He has also attended several Executive Development courses at the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business and has been a Guest Lecturer at the University of Hawaii School of Law.

    George has held prominent positions many prestigious companies in his long career; he was President/CEO of GPM Enterprises LLC. He also served as Senior Operating Partner for Hudson Ferry Capital and Executive Advisor to Mason Wells Capital. He is the retired President /CEO Technical Concepts, LLC, retired Chairman of the Board Atlas Paper Mills LLC, retired Vice President of the Asia Pacific region for Scott Paper Co. and Kimberly-Clark Corp and retired North America Vice President of Sales and Channel Development for Scott Paper Co. and Kimberly-Clark Corp.

    George has sat, or sits, on the Boards of several  Private Equity Portfolio Companies  in which he has invested.  He also currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Spitzer Center.

    George and his wife Bonnie have been married for 36 years and have three daughters and six wonderful grandchildren. The Murphy’s currently reside in both Park City, Utah (attending St. Mary’s Parish) and Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Augustine by the Sea Parish).

  • Mr. Michael A. Patterson
    Partner of Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer, Inc. P.S.

    Mike Patterson is the Senior Principal and President at Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer. He has significant civil trial and appellate experience, having tried more than 100 cases to verdict in both federal and state courts and having argued over two dozen cases in federal and state appellate courts. 

    Mr. Patterson concentrates his practice on high-stakes, high-profile litigation and has represented various Catholic Dioceses, charitable or social services, religious societies, and schools and institutions of higher education across the country, as well as a variety of other communities of faith and religious organizations. He also has represented numerous local government entities and many well known private clients. He successfully defended the Highline School District in the notorious Mary Kay Letourneau case and has exceptional experience defending high-profile sexual misconduct litigation and catastrophic personal injury cases.  With his experience trying big cases, he is frequently called upon to serve as the media spokesperson for clients involved in difficult situations. He has been interviewed by ABC, CBS, and NBC. Mr. Patterson is also a nationally recognized speaker on a wide variety of litigation and best practices issues.

    In addition to defending clients, Mr. Patterson has served as consultative counsel and panel counsel throughout the country. He also has served as an expert witness in numerous matters involving fiduciary duty and insurance issues.

     
  • Mr. Stephen F. Stumpf
    CEO of Durr Heavy Construction


    Stephen Stumpf is CEO of Durr Heavy Construction, a New Orleans-based construction firm specializing in demolition, site preparation and utilities. Stumpf and his wife, Donna, purchased the company from his father-in-law in 1976. Initially serving as president of the company, Stumpf became CEO in 1988, a position he retains today. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a “mom n’ pop” business into one of the top general  contracting firms in the region.

    Stephen Stumpf attended De La Salle High School in New Orleans (where he currently co-chairs the school’s capital campaign and has recently received the Signum Fidei award); after high school, he went on to earn a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Orleans.

    Stumpf has more than 30 years of entrepreneurial and leadership experience in operating a variety of companies in the New Orleans region. He has served as president of Airline Landfill in St. Charles Parish. Stumpf is also managing member of Fort Knox Climate Control Storage, Country Cottage Estates, St. Tammany Mitigation Services, Marshland Holdings, Stumpf Stables and a variety of real estate investment companies.

    He presently serves on the New Orleans board for Iberia Bank and the statewide boards for Blueprint Louisiana and the Louisiana Trooper Foundation. He is a former chairman of the board for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, as well as a past president of Associated Builders and Contractors Bayou Chapter and of the Legatus Northshore Chapter. His other professional involvements include the Jefferson Business Council, the Jefferson Chamber, JEDCO, Committee of 100, Tulane’s Family Business Forum and the World Presidents’ Organization.

    Stumpf takes great pride in giving back to the community. His companies actively work with a variety of charities across the state, including the Good Shepherd School, Tiger Athletic Foundation, Young Leadership Council, Archbishop’s Community Appeal, The Catholic Foundation, Jesuit High School, Mount Carmel Academy, Bridge House, and multiple churches of various denominations. An especially dear charity is the Louisiana Special Olympics.

    Stephen Stumpf considers his greatest achievement to be his marriage to Donna, which is 35 years strong this year. Steven and Donna have three children: Dana, Stephen and Shana.  His hobbies include traveling, going fishing, being a Tiger fan and watching his race horses win at the track.


  • Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, Ph.D., S.J.
    President, Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership; former President of Gonzaga University

    Robert Spitzer, Ph.D, S.J. is the founder and president of the Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership. A scholar, author, and seasoned leader who retired in 2009 as president of Gonzaga University, Fr. Spitzer’s expertise spans such fields as management science, finance, ethics, physics, philosophy, and theology. His work on the principles of successful leadership, derived from extensive research on four continents, forms the basis of his book The Spirit of Leadership: Optimizing Creativity and Change in Organizations (New York: Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2003).

    A much sought-after speaker, Fr. Spitzer averages more than 100 presentations per year to corporate, academic, scientific, religious, and governmental audiences. He has addressed senior leaders at the Pentagon, Tony Blair’s Cabinet in London, and leaders of both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict.

    Fr. Spitzer is also the founder and chairman of the Magis institute and was formerly affliated with the University of Seattle, where he was a trustee and the founder of both the Institute of Professional Ethics and the Institute on Character Development.