About Us
When you see our students greeting each other with giant hugs, opening doors for adults and resolving conflicts with words of compassion, you’ll agree that Catholic schools work.
Catholic Schools are caring. Catholic Schools are community. Catholic Schools are known for academic excellence and celebrated for instilling core values that children carry with themselves all their lives, Catholic Schools are the moral pillar of the towns in which they stand.
At The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, our job is simple – make sure that pillar remains standing. To do this, the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, a nonprofit organization, has developed a two-part mission: to help Catholic elementary schools achieve and maintain excellence while increasing student enrollment.
Our approach is to share innovative ideas, sound business practices, proven strategies and financial resources to help meet each school’s specific business, academic and spiritual goals. We believe that this approach will help our schools become self-sustaining for years into the future and most importantly Catholic Schools will help our children become leaders, who will make the world a better place!
Please join us in continuing the tradition & expanding the reach of
Catholic-school excellence.
Leadership
As a Catholic school parent, I know firsthand how valuable Catholic schools are to our entire community. Society benefits from students who are critical thinkers with a foundation in moral and spiritual values. Catholic schools create responsible and compassionate citizens — something we need now more than ever. I believe these schools play a vital role in our society.
I have learned that I am not alone. Every day I meet people who share my passion for keeping our schools strong and accessible for generations to come. We want our grandchildren to have the same opportunities to be a part of a strong and thriving Catholic school system. To make this happen, we need your help. Contact us to find out how you can help
President and Board Member
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence
Partners
The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence has teamed with several dedicated founding members, including:
- Aim Higher Foundation
- Catholic Community Foundation
- GHR Foundation
- Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
We value the power of partnerships. If you or your organization want to join us in supporting and growing Catholic schools in this community, please contact us.
Board Members
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Bishop Andrew Cozzens
Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & MinneapolisWe want to help schools strengthen their Catholic mission of formation of the whole student.
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Gail Dorn
President, Catholic Schools Center of ExcellenceWe want to help all schools achieve excellence while bringing renewed hope and energy to our schools.
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Steve Hoeppner
Vice President, Richard M. Schulze Family FoundationWe want to help all of our schools so more families can experience a Catholic-school education.
OUR TEAM
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Molly Anderson
/ Early Childhood Guru
While attending St. Hubert’s in rural Hubertus, Wisconsin, Molly dreamed of traveling the world. After a trip as a kid to California where she was born, she was bit by the travel bug for good...
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Robert Behr
/ Finance Guru
CSCOE’s chief bean counter, grant writer, office designer and furniture procurer is a proud graduate of St. Peter’s Catholic grade school in Richfield (now part of Blessed Trinity)...
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Helen Dahlman
/ Revered School Advisor
Helen has spent more than 48 years in Catholic schools either as a student, teacher, coach or administrator, beginning her career as a teacher at Benilde-St...
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Gail Dorn
/ President
Gail Dorn is the youngest of 12 children, and her 6 brothers and 5 sisters think highly of her, or at least they say so in public. Her first job, at 12 years old, was working off tuition at her local Catholic grade school...
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Annemarie Vega
/ Enrollment Director
Annemarie Vega truly believes that Catholic education transforms lives! She learned this early whether it was through her service trips with Totino-Grace High School or starring as Mother Abbess...
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Dr. Eric LaMott
/ Enrollment and Education Guru
When CSCOE needs sound advice from someone with extensive enrollment and IT experience, Eric is our go-to guy. He is the current Provost and Chief Operating Officer at Concordia University in St. Paul...
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Loanne Lindfors
/ Executive Assistant/Office Manager
Loanne comes from long history of administrative assistant positions (a.k.a. everyone’s favorite person in the office), including 9 years in merchandising at Dayton’s Department Store and 24 years at Target...
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Ryan Semans
/ Instructional Technology and Implementation Expert
As a proud CSCOE partner, Ryan's main role, as the Director of Instructional Technology and Implementation, is to further support and evangelize CSCOE's mission of increasing excellence and enrollment...
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Megan Plum
/ Event Planner
Megan is our part-time Event Manager here at CSCOE. She feels so blessed to have what she considers her “Dream Job.” Megan graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2000 with a Marketing degree and went on to work for Target...
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Dr. Nes Rotstein
/ Strategy Guru
Dr. Nes Rotstein is Chief Strategy Officer at CSCOE where he has been responsible for developing our strategic vision and business plan since 2015. He is also President of the Chesterton Foundation in Edina and Chairman of the Open Window Theatre in Minneapolis...
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Mike Halloran
/ Vice President of Development and Operations
As a product of Catholic education and a proud Catholic school parent, Mike is committed to Catholic education and is grateful for the opportunity to make an impact as Vice President of Development and Operations for CSCOE...
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Melissa Hamilton
/ Communications Manager
Melissa graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Catholic Studies and Philosophy. She studied a semester in Rome, Italy, and developed a deep love of Italian pasta She was the editor of the Catholic Studies department newsletter, managed the St. Paul Seminary magazine and freelanced for newspapers...
