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ABOUT US

Through the leadership and guidance of Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly in 1996, the Catholic Education Foundation was formed as an independent 501 (c) (3) organization for the primary purpose of supporting Catholic parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky.

Our Vision is that every child has access to a Catholic education.
Our Mission is to raise sufficient funds to support Catholic education and make Catholic schools accessible by all.

We support Catholic education through grants for:

  • Religious education for parishes and schools
  • Professional development for educators and catechists
  • Technology enhancements for our parishes and schools
  • Tuition assistance for families

The Foundation does not support capital building projects, institutional salaries or post-secondary education needs.

An independent Board of Directors governs the Foundation and oversees the daily management of the President. All Funds received by the Foundation are exclusive property of the Foundation and are invested in the name of the Foundation by an Investment Committee of the Board and all grant awards are approved by the Catholic Education Foundation Board.

The Foundation does not advocate or influence the specific direction of any particular school issue but rather simply supports the Archdiocesan approved plans for education.

The Foundation is a qualified 501 (c) (3) organization.

Our Staff

Richard A. Lechleiter
President
Rich joined the Foundation as its President in April 2014, having previously served on the Board of Directors from 2006-2012. During the last two years of his Board term, he served as its Chair. In January 2014, Rich retired from Kindred Healthcare, Inc. after serving as its Chief Financial Officer for 12 years. Rich and his wife, Janice, have four children and are members of Holy Spirit parish.
rlechleiter@ceflou.org

Lawrence E. Miller
Director of Finance
Larry serves as the Director of Finance for the Foundation and is responsible for all fiscal activities of the organization, including the day-to-day activities of the Foundation’s endowment fund. He has been with the Foundation since 2005. Larry and his wife, Maria, have two children and are members of St. Louis Bertrand parish.
lmiller@ceflou.org

Julie E. Baum
Senior Director of Events
Julie is the Director of Events for the Foundation, overseeing both major annual fundraising events as well as directing the administration of all grants to schools and parishes supported by the Foundation. She has served in various roles at the Foundation since 2006. Julie and her husband, John, have three children and are members of St. Raphael the Archangel parish.
jbaum@ceflou.org

Melissa A. Herberger
Administrative Manager
Melissa joined the Foundation in 2012 and acts as our lead Administrative Manager, managing the operations of the office and assisting in our annual fundraising events. She and her husband, Dan, have two children and are members of St. Stephen Martyr parish.
mherberger@ceflou.org