Board of Trustees

Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Dan O'Brien is a retired Senior Vice-President of Ethics and Church Relations for Ascension Health (1991-2019) and is currently a member of the Ascension Sponsor. He received his PhD with honors in health care ethics from St. Louis University in 2000, his MA in Systematic Theology from Aquinas Institute in 1988, and his BA in Philosophy from Regis University in 1986. He also studied numerous specialties at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (the “Angelicum”) in Rome, Italy, in 1988-89. He has has been a Trustee since 2020 and has served as Chair of the Aquinas board since August 2021.

Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees

The CFO and member of the Executive Team for the Congregation of the Mission Western Province, also known as the Vincentians, Barb collaborates with the priests, brothers, ministries, committee members and others in the western half of the United States, Kenya, Italy and elsewhere. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2017 and was elected Vice-Chair in August 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2014 graduate of the MA in Health Care Mission program at Aquinas Institute, George is the System Vice President, Change Integration, CHRISTUS Health in Irving, Texas. CHRISTUS is an international Catholic health care system with ministry operations in the United States, Mexico, Chile and Colombia. He recently co-chaired Aquinas Institute's  28th Annual Great Preacher Award Committee and has served on the Aquinas board since July 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

A Dominican laywoman and a practical theologian, Dr. Block is a Senior Advisor on Health and Policy at Partners in Health and is the author of Copious Hosting: A Theology of Access for People with Disabilities and Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor. She resides in Miami, Florida. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2015.

Member, Board of Trustees

Regent of Studies for the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres and a member of the Provincial Council, Fr. Cavalier has served as the founding Director of the Congar Institute for Ministry Development since 2005, and he is the Doctorate of Ministry Program Director and Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He has served on the Aquinas board since July 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2017 graduate of Aquinas Institute with an MA in Theology and a Master of Divinity, Fr. Davila is the Regent of Studies for the Dominican Friars, Province of St. Albert the Great. He is currently completing a PhD in Theology at the University of Notre Dame with a focus in Patristics, Medieval Theology, and Systematics. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2023.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2013 graduate of Aquinas Institute, Fr. DeArmond is a member of the Province of St. Martin de Porres. A Louisiana native, he currently serves as Syndic (Finance Officer) of his province and as Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Orleans. "Fr. Auggie" also serves as a Judge in the Tribunal for the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee. He has served on the Aquinas board since July 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

A St. Louis native and 2006 graduate of the MAPS program at Aquinas, Angie served as Director of Religious Education at St. Francis Xavier College Church for more than 10 years. She continues to actively volunteer at multiple Catholic organizations in St. Louis. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2020.

Member, Board of Trustees

Mary Etrick is a mid-level corporate manager, financial advisor, and semi-retired attorney who now advises select clients on financial, tax, trust, and estate matters, as well as serving as a consultant to a bank wealth and estate and management team. Mary recently served on the Economic Council of the Province of St. Albert the Great. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2023.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2014 graduate of the Spiritual Direction program at Aquinas, Steve Givens is a retreat and spiritual director, a widely published writer on issues of faith and spirituality and a retired administrator of Washington University, where he served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff. He serves as Executive Director of Bridges Foundation, which offers the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the greater St. Louis region. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2016.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2014 graduate of the MA in Health Care Mission program at Aquinas, Mary L. Hill serves as Chief Mission Officer at Avera Health. She recently co-chaired Aquinas' 28th Annual Great Preacher Award Committee and has served on the Aquinas board since 2021.

Member, Board of Trustees

An attorney who regularly advises non-profit clients, Lucie serves as an outside general counsel to religious, charitable and educational institutions, providing practical and strategic advice. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2019.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2016 graduate of the Master of Divinity (MDiv) and MA programs of Aquinas Institute of Theology, Fr. Hyde is a member of the Provincial Council of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great. Since 2016 he has served the St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington, Indiana, both as Director of Campus Ministry and pastor (beginning in 2019). He also serves the National Eucharistic Revival as a National Eucharistic Preacher.  He has served on the board of Aquinas since 2023.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2006 graduate of the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at Aquinas Institute, Fr. Merced serves as Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres, United States. After ordination to the priesthood in 2005, his first assignment was as the Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua parish in New Orleans, Louisiana (2006-2009). He then became the Parochial Vicar at St. Edward parish in Dallas, Texas (2009-2011). More recently, he served at Holy Ghost parish as Parochial Vicar (2011-2012) and Pastor (2012-2022). He has served on the Aquinas board since July of 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

Vice-President of Communications and Marketing for Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), Brian previously served for 14 years in various communications and advocacy roles with Springfield, Illinois based Hospital Sisters Health Systems. He has also served in public relations roles with the state of Illinois and for Illinois political candidates. He began his career as a radio reporter in Chicago, Illinois. He has been a member of the Aquinas board since 2021.

Member, Board of Trustees
 

Retired after a career in financial services, with some time as a partner at Edward Jones, John Sauer is a former board member of Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he received the Pope Leo XIII Award. Founding member of the St. John Apostle of Charity Society in Jefferson City, Missouri, he established the John and Katie Sauer Endowed Scholarships for seminarians. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2021.
 

Member, Board of Trustees

A St. Louis native, Fr. John is a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, where he has served for 30 years in parish ministry. Fr. John has served many parishes as pastor, including the parishes of St. Pius V and Mary, Queen of Peace, and he is currently the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland in St. Louis. He was honored with Aquinas Institute's Great Preacher Award in 2016. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2018.

Member, Board of Trustees

A 2015 graduate of Aquinas Institute, he serves as the Socius to the Provincial for the Province of St. Albert the Great. He is a member of the International Theological Commission on the Vocation of the Cooperator Brother in the Church, as well as the Board of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2023.

Member, Board of Trustees

A Managing Principal of TDK Technologies in St. Louis, a technology consulting firm specializing in custom software development. She is active in the business community, with memberships in Greater St. Louis, Inc. and TechSTL. She has served on the Aquinas board since 2023.

Member, Board of Trustees

Since 2019, Fr. Mark has served as the 10th President of Aquinas Institute of Theology. He is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern). For more than 25 years, he has ministered in Catholic higher education, serving much of it at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, where he was a professor of Theology, Chair of the Department of Theology and Philosophy and Associate Dean for Graduate Students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty Representative, Board of Trustees

A member of the faculty at Aquinas Institute teaching in areas of ministerial formation and Christian spirituality, Dr. Wright also serves as the Director of Theological Field Education and the Director of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd degree program. She has served on the Aquinas board as the Faculty Representative since August 2022.

Member, Board of Trustees

The Chief Sponsorship Officer for assigned markets within the Bon Secours Mercy Health System (BSMH), Brain also serves on the board of Roper St. Francis Health System, a joint venture between the BSMH and the Medical Society of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He has served on the Aquinas board since 2021.