Gretchen Zibilich Kane '74, Head of School Academy of the Sacred Heart

Gretchen Kane, a native of New Orleans, has dedicated her career to education and leadership. A proud alumna of Academy of the Sacred Heart, Class of 1974, Gretchen pursued higher education with a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Her early career saw her shaping young minds as a math teacher and swim coach at DeLaSalle High School in New Orleans from 1980 to 1987.

Gretchen continued her teaching journey at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where she taught math, facilitated junior retreats, and moderated Mu Alpha Theta from 1987 to 1992. Her leadership skills were soon recognized, and she served as the Academic Assistant Principal at Jesuit High School from 1993 to 2001. This was followed by a role as Associate Vice President at the Jesuit Secondary Education Association in Washington, DC, from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, Gretchen became the President of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, a position she held until 2012. She then took on the role of President at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, where she served until 2024. During her tenure, she made significant contributions to the institutions and the broader educational community.

Gretchen has also been an active member of several boards, including the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), DeLaSalle High School, Duchesne Academy in Houston, OneSchoolhouse, and Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep. She is a member of the Heads Collegiate Forum and the 1911 Group. Outside of her professional life, Gretchen is an avid fan of the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers.

Graham M. Ralston, Chair 
Spouse: Adele Ralston ’94

Graham Ralston, a native of New Orleans, joined Regions Bank in 2013 as Commercial Banking Executive for the South Louisiana Market and was also named New Orleans Market President in early 2016. Prior to joining Regions Bank, he led a corporate banking group at Whitney Bank in New Orleans, where he began his career in 1997. Graham earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from Tulane University. He also earned a CFA Charter in 2006 and is a past President of the CFA Society of Louisiana.

Mr. Ralston is a member of the Business Council of Greater New Orleans and is currently serving on the boards of GNO, Inc., the Bureau of Governmental Research, University of Holy Cross and is also a past Board President of the Preservation Resource Center.  He and his wife Adele Michaelis Ralston (Class of 1994) have two daughters, Riley (Class of 2026) and Emma (Class of 2030), and a son, Mears, who attends Stuart Hall.

Phillip R. May, Vice-Chair
Spouse: Lauren Chisesi May

Phillip May is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Entergy Louisiana, LLC. He joined the company in 1986. Phillip serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s New Orleans Branch; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; GNO, Inc.; The Louisiana Nature Conservancy; Teach for America of South Louisiana; City Year Baton Rouge; and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Phillip received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans. A Louisiana native, he and his wife, Lauren, have twin daughters, Fiona and Willow (Class of 2025).

Jean Paul Hymel, Secretary
Spouse: Erin Hymel

JP Hymel is President of Gallo Mechanical, and he serves as Chief Executive Officer of Gallo Mechanical Services and Sheet Metal Systems. Gallo Mechanical is a commercial HVAC (Air Conditioning & Heating) and Plumbing contractor with clients throughout the Gulf Coast including the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the University Medical Center, Loyola University, and many other commercial, institutional, and industrial clients.

Prior to joining Gallo Mechanical, JP served as North American Business Development Director for Johnson Controls, specializing in Public Private Partnerships. His local clients included Tulane University, Dillard University, and Louisiana State University. During his time with Johnson Controls, JP successfully developed innovative financial contracting structures allowing clients to purchase construction and service offerings without the need for up-front capital.

JP enjoys serving his local community. He is the immediate past Board Chair for Crescent City Schools (a local Charter Management Organization with three New Orleans schools) and serves on several boards including the Tulane School of Architecture Advisory Council, the Tulane City Center Advisory Council, and the Cowen Institute Advisory Council. JP is also active with the EMPLOY Collaborative and the 100K Initiative for Opportunity Youth. He is President of the Maisonette Condominium Association and past member of the Tulane Alumni Association Board of Directors, the UNO Engineering Advisory Council, the Newcomb-Tulane College Advisory Council, and the St. Francis of Assisi Pastoral Council.

After graduating from Tulane University as an Electrical Engineer, JP served in the U.S. Air Force as an Electronics Warfare Engineer. While in the Air Force, he received his MBA from Georgia College & State University. JP and his wife, Erin, have two daughters, Louise (Class of 2030) and Lucille (Class of 2034).

A. Peyton Bush, IV, Treasurer
Spouse: Elizabeth Bush ’94

Peyton Bush is currently the Chief Investment Officer of Bollinger Enterprises, LLC, a single-family investment office located in New Orleans. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing all investment activities and asset allocation for a portfolio that includes publicly-traded debt and equity securities, hedge funds, and direct investments in both real estate and private equity. Prior to his current role, he was a Vice President at LongueVue Capital, LLC, a New Orleans based private equity firm. At LongueVue, he was primarily engaged in performing financial and operational due diligence, processing and executing transactions, and supporting and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to LongueVue, Peyton was employed by Highland Capital Management, a multi-strategy alternative investment firm in Dallas, TX, with over $30 billion in assets under management, where he identified, analyzed, and structured investments across a variety of asset classes. Prior to Highland, he was an Investment Banking Associate for JP Morgan Securities, focusing on corporate finance and M&A advisory for clients in the Consumer and Retail sectors.

Peyton earned a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University, an M.B.A from Vanderbilt University, and served four years as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. He is married to Elizabeth Ehrensing Bush (Class of 1994), and they have a daughter, Charlotte (Class of 2025), and two sons. Peyton V attends The McCallie School and William is at Newman.

Meg Brudney, Head of School Duchesne Academy '83

Meg Brudney is the Head of School at Duchesne Academy -- an all-girls, Catholic, Independent, Sacred Heart high school located in midtown Omaha.

Meghan L. Donelon '04

Meghan was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in 2004, received her bachelor’s degree from LSU in 2008, and completed the Executive MBA Program at LSU in December of 2017. She is a 2021 graduate of EWF International’s Emerging Leaders Program (Dallas, TX), and also a 2019 graduate of CABL’s “Leadership Louisiana” program. Meghan is now the New Orleans Market President of Red River Bank, the 4th largest Louisiana-based bank, headquartered in Alexandria, LA. She is responsible for its de novo expansion, and her responsibilities include recruitment, retail site selection and acquisition, and business development. She was formerly a Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Team Leader at IBERIABANK in Dallas, TX, and in New Orleans, LA. She has been in the banking industry for over fourteen years. 

Meghan serves on several Boards in Greater New Orleans. She has been affiliated with the following organizations through Board and/or Finance Committee service: The New Orleans Museum of Art, United Way of SELA, The NOCCA Foundation, The Jefferson Community Foundation, Friends of the Cabildo, The All-State Sugar Bowl (Associate Member), The International Women’s Forum, The Legacy Donor Foundation, NAMI New Orleans, and The Jefferson Business Council. She loves to give back to her community, understands and appreciates non-profit service, and has worked with many schools and non-profit organizations throughout her career.

She is an avid Saints, Tigers, and Pelicans fan, and in her spare time enjoys playing tennis, listening to music, traveling, and spending time with her eight nieces and nephews. 

Nina Wessel English '92 
Spouse: Patrick English

Upon graduation from Dartmouth College, Nina Wessel English ’92 worked for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. She then moved to the West Coast, receiving a law degree from the UCLA School of Law. Nina's legal career began with a clerkship for Honorable F. A. Little, Jr., the former Chief Judge of the U.S District Court, Western District of Louisiana. She then practiced law for several years at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in Los Angeles. In 2004, Nina returned to New Orleans with the firm of Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan, where she was a partner practicing commercial litigation and labor and employment law until 2016. She now works for Orleans Capital Management as the firm's Chief Compliance Officer. 

Nina is a 1992 graduate of Sacred Heart and has remained actively involved with the Rosary, including serving as a member of the ASH Alumnae Board, as Parents' Annual Giving Campaign Chair and as a Girls on the Run coach for Lower School students.

Kathleen (Kay) Gibbons Favrot '53 
Spouse: Tim Favrot (deceased)

Jane Heidingsfelder '95

Jane Heidingsfelder was born and raised in New Orleans. She graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in 1995, University of Virginia in 1999 and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 2003. Jane is a partner at Jones Walker in New Orleans in the Labor and Employment group. In addition to traditional labor and employment, Jane’s practice focuses on defending clients against OSHA and MSHA with respect to workplace safety and health. 

Jane has served on several boards in New Orleans. She is most proud of time spent on the board of ASAP Foundation/Happy Bowlers where she helps athletes with disabilities find the job in playing lifetime sports like bowling. 

Eric Hoffman
Spouse: Katie Hoffman

Eric Hoffman is Chief Executive Officer of Hoffman Media, LLC, a leading special interest media company with offices in Birmingham, AL, New Orleans, LA, and Westlake, OH, where he oversees the operations of the company while also leading its strategic business development efforts. In his role he has developed substantial experience in direct marketing, advertising, digital media, and other areas of media while also leading in deal structuring, contract negotiations, and the company’s mergers and acquisitions strategy. Prior to joining the company in March 2007, Mr. Hoffman worked in New York as an investment banker, where he specialized in mergers & acquisitions advisory and public and private equity offerings. He began his career at Ernst & Young LLP as an associate in the firm’s national advisory services practice. He is a graduate of The University of Alabama, where he earned his B.S. in Finance. In addition, he is a graduate of Stanford University’s Professional Publishing Course. 

Mr. Hoffman is very active in the New Orleans community, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the Board of Directors of the Young Presidents Organization Louisiana Chapter where he most recently served as Chapter Chair, the Board of Trustees of the Academy of the Sacred Heart, the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trustees of St. George’s Episcopal School, the Board of Directors of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, and the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Travel Association. In 2010, while living in Birmingham, he was named one of Birmingham’s Top 40 under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal, and in 2015 was the recipient of the Victor Profis Memorial Travel Media award presented by the Louisiana Travel Association for his dedication to the travel and tourism industry of Louisiana. Eric and his wife, Katie, along with their children, Hays and Amelia, are proud to call New Orleans home. 

Wilmer J. Jacobs 

Wil Jacobs originates and manages a commercial loan portfolio as an officer of Hope Enterprise Corporation. He has a particular focus in deploying a New Markets Tax Credit allocation and funding projects utilizing historic tax credit and housing tax credit equity. Wil is proud of his role as Housing Director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority where he devised initiatives to restore housing after the hurricanes of 2005. In this role, he also directed the planning and construction of thirteen housing developments, including five planned communities, across southern Louisiana. Wil previously furnished debt for buyouts and merger and acquisition transactions in the leveraged finance group of a national bank in the Midwest.

The father of Isabella (Class of 2025), Wil is active in the Fathers’ Club at Sacred Heart and chaired its Mardi Gras fundraising activities during the 2016-2017 school year. He is the Past Chair of Café Reconcile and serves on the boards of the Audubon Nature Institute and the New Orleans School Facility Finance Foundation. Wil was a founding board member of the Crescent City Community Land Trust and has also completed service on the boards of the Stuart Hall School for Boys and St. Augustine High School, his alma mater.

Wil holds a B.A. from the University of New Orleans and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He lives in Lakeview with Isabella and his son Nicholas.

Susan Read Johnson '64 
Spouse: Doug Johnson

Susan Read Johnson ’64 is an active leader and volunteer at Sacred Heart and in the New Orleans community. She is currently a member of the Sacred Heart Capital Campaign Committee and the Future Founders alumnae leadership giving circle and has served on the Rosary Sacred Heart Alumnae Board. She also serves on the boards for Children’s Hospital, the Archbishop Hannan Community Appeal, The Selley Foundation, and the Preservation Resource Center.

Susan was the founding member of the Impact 100 Women’s Giving Circle, an initiative of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she volunteered with Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, an organization that was formed to reform the levee board and public school education, and traveled to Washington, D.C., with the Women of the Storm to raise money to rebuild the city.

Susan has previously served on many additional boards, including the Junior League of New Orleans, United Way, Maison Hospitaliere, Longe Vue House and Gardens, Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic Houses Archdiocesan Spirituality Center, Catholic Charities, National Donor Awareness Foundation, Ochsner Hospital Board of Councilors for Women’s Health, and Lambeth House Foundation.

Susan has been recognized for her volunteerism on many occasions. She is the recipient of the St. Elizabeth’s Guild Volunteer Activist Award, the Family Service of Greater New Orleans TOP Award, the Order of St. Louis Award given by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Young Leadership Council Role Model Award, and the Tulane University Emeritus Club Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, she has been honored as Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer by the New Orleans Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Junior League Sustainer of the Year, Children’s Hospital Sugar Plum Ball Honoree, Honorary Chairman of “Sentimental Journeys” at Longue Vue, and St. Charles Avenue Activist of the Year.

Susan is a 1964 graduate of Sacred Heart and 1968 graduate of Newcomb College, where she majored in American studies and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She and her husband, Doug, have three daughters who are graduates of Sacred Heart: Courtney Johnson LeClercq ’87, Leslie Johnson McClanahan ‘89, and Kelley Johnson Daniel ’91. Her granddaughter, Susan LeClercq, is a current student at Sacred Heart (Class of 2022).

Sr. Lynne Lieux, RSCJ (Grand Coteau ’76) 

Lynne Lieux, RSCJ, PhD has been a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart since 1980. After receiving her BS in Mathematics from Maryville University, she spent her first year in the Society at Villa Duchesne teaching math and physics. She received her MA in Physics from Washington University and her doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans. The focus of her research was sustaining educational change, specifically on the capacity of educators, individually and collectively, to embrace educational change. 

Sr. Lieux has spent most of her adult life working in Sacred Heart schools (Villa Duchesne, 91st Street, The Rosary, and Grand Coteau) as a teacher, dean of students, upper school head, and head of school. Sr. Lieux is currently a member of the Provincial Team of the Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province. She serves as a trustee of several Sacred Heart schools and at Maryville University. She is also a board member of The Sarah Community in Bridgeton, MO.

Sr. Lieux has been keenly interested in the use of technology to enhance the educational experience. She was responsible for implementing one of the first 1:1 computing programs in the United States. Recently, she has spent time training others to use Zoom, helping others develop tools and strategies for teaching online, and using design thinking with middle and high school students in developing projects addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sr. Lieux periodically teaches in the graduate education program at the University of New Orleans.

Deeply committed to issues of justice and equity, Sr. Lieux spent a week in each summer in Nicaragua for 13 years where she and her students worked on providing homes, schools, drinking water, and clean sanitation. She also enjoys outdoor activities, including golf, fly-fishing, and cycling.

Franchesca Lorio
Spouse: Jeff Lorio

Franchesca (Fran) Lorio is the Managing Director of Advantage Capital, an impact investing firm dedicated to fostering economic growth through job-generating small businesses, affordable housing, and renewable energy projects across the United States.

A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Fran earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating cum laude. Her professional expertise is complemented by her deep commitment to civic and community engagement.

Fran has been an active member of the board of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) since 2019, where she has held the positions of Treasurer and Vice President. In addition, she has been an influential part of the executive and finance committees, contributing significantly to the organization's mission.

Engagement in the Sacred Heart community is also a priority for Fran. Since 2020, Fran has served on the Mother’s Club board, holding the roles of Treasurer and Vice President. She also co-chaired the successful Congé event in 2022, demonstrating her leadership and dedication to enhancing the school’s programs and initiatives.

Fran and her husband, Jeff, have one daughter, Vivian (Class of 2032). 

J. Fisher Maddox 
Spouse: Tara Maddox

Fisher, a New Orleans native, is a Partner & Co-Founder of Beacon Land Management, LLC where he continues to support and manage clients' needs across the County. Fisher began his career in the Energy Land Business in 2007 after earning his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from Louisiana State University. Fisher has remained actively engaged in many aspects of the ever-changing industry and continues to educate himself on the current state of the Energy Industry, including renewable sources of alternative energy. Fisher is an active member of AAPL, PLANO Board of Directors, and other industry-based organizations.

Fisher lives in Metairie, LA along with his wife Tara and three daughters: Claire (Class of 2030), Margaret (Class of 2032), and Leigh (Class of 2034); who have attended Academy of the Sacred Heart since returning to the New Orleans area in 2017. 

Since becoming members of the Sacred Heart Community, Fisher and Tara have taken an active approach to their children's education. Whether it is the Father's Club, Golf Tournament Committee, Mardi Gras Trailer, Middle School Father Daughter Dance Co-Chair, 6th-grade representative for the 2023-2024 Annual Giving Campaign, Institutional Advancement Committee, or Tara Co-Chairing Congé; he and his family believe in taking an active role in the Sacred Heart Community. 

Mark A. Major
Spouse: Sharon Major

Mark A. Major is the Deputy CEO of Administration and Finance for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, which operates bus, streetcar, ADA para-transit and ferry services. In this capacity, Mark’s team includes accounting, capital and operating budgets, federal and state grants, human resources, procurement and treasury. Mark has over 35 years of financial and transit management experience and has been a major contributor to the RTA’s overall success. Most recently, Mark led the effort to refinance all of the RTA’s outstanding long-term debt resulting in $9.8 million present value cash savings.

Mark grew up in New Orleans and graduated from St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He received his undergraduate degree in Accounting and an M.B.A. from Loyola University New Orleans.

Mark and his wife Sharon are parents of Hunter (Class of 2017), who attended Sacred Heart since enrolling in kindergarten. In the Summer of 2016 Hunter traveled to France for the inaugural Faces of the Heart Conference, which traced the life of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Hunter graduated from New York University May of 2021.

Mark was the 2016-17 President of the Sacred Heart Fathers' Club. He is the Chairman of the Algiers Development District Board of Commissioners and serves on the Board of the Good Shepherd Nativity School.

Octavio Mantilla
Spouse: Charlotte Mantilla

Co Founder/Owner, BRG Hospitality
Born in Nicaragua and raised in New Orleans, Octavio Mantilla began his career in the restaurant industry at the age of sixteen. After years of building his knowledge of the industry and working all levels of management, Octavio earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree from Tulane University, going on to gain an MBA from the University of New Orleans. Upon graduating, Octavio played an integral role in opening Harrah’s Casino & Hotel in New Orleans followed by a role as Director of Food Operations at Harrah’s St Louis and eventually going on to open numerous fine dining restaurants for the Harrah’s brand nationwide.

In 2003, Octavio finally returned to the city he called home to open The Besh Steakhouse at Harrah’s Casino, New Orleans. Shortly after, Octavio and Besh founded BRG Hospitality, bringing not only his years of experience and knowledge of the restaurant industry but a strong passion for customer service and dining experiences. Since then, BRG Hospitality has expanded to include restaurants such as August, Domenica, Luke, two locations of Pizza Domenica, Shaya, Willa Jean, Tavi, Larder Eatery, and Eunice in Houston as well as BRG Disaster Solutions which provides logistic insight and large scale feeding operations.

Sr. Vicky Rajca, RSCJ (Eden Hall ’65 and Maryville ’69) 

A professed member of the Society of the Sacred Heart since 1979, Sr. Vicky Rajca, RSCJ, has worked within several institutions owned and/or run by the Society of the Sacred Heart. She currently serves as the Director of Conference Center and Chief Financial Officer/Director of Operations for the Society of the Sacred Heart and Stuart Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to this role, she was the Chief Financial Officer at the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD, for 22 years and was then the Director of Finance at the Perry School Community Services Center in Washington, D.C., for nearly eleven years. She has also served as Assistant Provincial Treasurer for the Society of the Sacred Heart, Assistant in the Admissions and Development Office at the Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, NJ, and in various teaching positions at several Sacred Heart Network schools.

Sr. Rajca holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Maryville University in St. Louis, MO, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. She has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Princeton Academy of the Sacred the Heart, Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, and St. Anselm’s Abbey School. She has also served on investment and finance committees for the Religious of the Sacred Heart United States/Canada Province and the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington.

Tracey T. Schiro
Spouse: John Schiro

Tracey T. Schiro serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Risk and Human Resources Officer for Ochsner Health. Currently employing more than 30,000 staff across Louisiana and Mississippi, Ochsner is Louisiana’s largest employer, healthcare provider and educator of healthcare professionals. 

Tracey joined Ochsner Health in 2007 as Assistant Vice President, Compensation, Benefits, and Human Resources Information Services and has advanced her role at Ochsner Health through a collaborative and strategic leadership style. In 2012 she was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources Employee Services where she led HR operations and HRIS teams. In 2017, Tracey was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and in 2019 took on leadership of Risk Management. In 2021, Tracey was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Risk and Human Resources Officer. Prior to joining Ochsner, she worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises for 10 years in progressing HR leadership roles.

Tracey is a native of New Orleans and earned her Bachelor of Science in Management with a Human Resources concentration in 1996 and her Master of Business Administration in 2011 from the University of New Orleans.

Tracey serves on the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council as appointed by Governor Jon Bel Edwards in 2019. She also serves on the Delgado Community College Foundation Board, The Academy of the Sacred Heart Board of Trustees, and the University of New Orleans Alumni Board.

Tracey and her husband, John, are the parents to two children, Gianna (Class of 2031) and Jude (Christian Brothers). Tracey and John support many Sacred Heart events annually;  ASH auction, Congé, Father’s Club Golf Tournament, Lower School Book Fair.

Margaret Mentz Thompson '10
Spouse: Adam

Margaret (Maggie) Mentz Thompson is a native of New Orleans and graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in 2010. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from LSU in 2014 and her J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 2017.

Maggie is an associate attorney at Williams Business Law, LLC, where she focuses her practice on securities, real estate funds, mergers and acquisitions, and general business and corporate matters. She began her legal career as an associate at a 'Big Law' AM Law 100 law firm, where she gained considerable experience in a variety of practice areas, including securities, particularly in a highly-regulated practice area, real estate, business transactions, financing, and litigation.

Maggie and her husband, Adam, have one young son, Sims. She loves traveling, particularly to the beach, mountains, LSU football games, and any and all new restaurants throughout the city.

Helen Read Young, CFRE '88
Spouse: Tim Young

Helen Read Young ’88 is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and has enjoyed a career in non-profit fundraising and development that began at Sacred Heart in 2001 as the Director of Alumnae, Development and the Capital Campaign. From there, Helen served as the Director of Institutional Advancement for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans for almost 10 years, before coming “home” to Sacred Heart as the Director of Institutional Advancement and Capital Campaign until 2019.

Helen is also actively involved as a volunteer at Sacred Heart, currently serving on its Alumnae Board. She is also a founding member of Sacred Heart’s Future Founders leadership giving circle. Beyond Sacred Heart, Helen currently serves as Chairman of the People Program Board, the Le Petit Theatre Board, and on the Executive Committee for the NOMA Volunteer Committee. Helen also serves on Catholic Charities’ Development and Marketing Committee, and she is a sustaining member of the Junior League of New Orleans.

Helen has served on several Boards, both locally and nationally, including the national University of Notre Dame Alumni Board, Friends of City Park, and Save Our Cemeteries.

Helen is a 1988 graduate of the Rosary and a 1992 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she received a Bachelor of Arts—Cum Laude. Helen and her husband, Tim, have two children: Charles “George” Smith III and Julia Tyler Smith; Julia is a graduate of Sacred Heart’s class of 2019.