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
Erica Kline is from Hamler, Ohio and has called Columbus home since 2016. She's an Ohio State graduate and works as a Social Media Specialist at Nationwide. A lifelong Catholic, Erica experienced a profound renewal of her faith over the past year; Her faith went from cultural identity to genuine conviction, and that shift has given her a clarity and urgency about wanting to share it with others. That conviction is what drew her to join CCYAC as the Social Media Manager. She's passionate about using social media to build authentic community and reach young Catholics who are hungry for something real. She's committed to making sure CCYAC's presence there reflects the faith and energy of the community itself. She's excited to connect with young adults in Columbus and help invite them into a deeper life with Christ and His Church!
ERICA KLINE
Trey Vollenweider is a cradle Catholic and graduate of The Ohio State University who has spent his life rooted in the Church. He is actively involved in the young adult Catholic community in Columbus and enjoys Mass, Adoration, and encouraging others to grow in their faith and engagement in parish life. Outside of faith, Trey enjoys time with family and friends, hiking, traveling, and Italian food. Inspired by St. Paul’s boldness and Mother Teresa’s quiet witness, he seeks to live his faith with courage and consistency in everyday life.
TREY VOLLENWEIDER
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
After graduating from Miami University and returning home to Columbus, Abigail succeeded in her mission to find a thriving Catholic young adult community. She is passionate about sharing the joy of the Lord and the blessing of this community with others. She has been an active member of the St Christopher parish, young adult community, and Walking with Purpose Womens Bible study.
ABIGAIL WILLETTE
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
Catherine is a doctoral candidate in sacred theology at the John Paul II Institute (Washington, D.C.) where she is writing a dissertation entitled “A Marian Perspective on the Saints’ Heavenly Participation in Christ's Mission: A Study of Joseph Ratzinger’s Eschatology.” She works part-time as Director of Programs with the Hildebrand Project and collaborates with Word on Fire in the production of English language editions of Joseph Ratzinger’s Collected Works. She is married to Michael and they have a 2.5 year old son, Benedikt. They are members of Our Lady of Peace parish (Clintonville).
CATHERINE DUGAN: Secretary
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, Exhibitor Relations
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, Marketing
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, Volunteers
Eusebio “Seb” Maningding serves as the Director of Evangelization at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Reynoldsburg, OH. He is originally from Washington, DC where he also studied at the Catholic University of America where he received his Master of Catechesis. Seb has served the Church for over a decade in different roles such as youth minister, FOCUS Missionary and theology teacher. He loves coffee, the rodeo, and solo camping and travelling.
SEB MANINGDING: Director, Outreach