board of directors
Kelsey SkocH
Board Member
Kelsey Skoch is an international speaker and author of Uncompromising Purity, It's Not Just a "Guy Problem." After graduating from the University of Kansas, her passion for mission started when she interned at two Fortune 500 companies and saw the greater need for Christ in our world. She served over 8 years with FOCUS on college campuses and in the parish, but is most known now for her personal apostolate and talks helping women seek freedom from pornography and masturbation. She currently resides with her husband and children in Kansas City, KS.
FR. RYAN TRUSS
Board Member & Chaplain
Fr. Truss was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 2021, where he now serves as associate pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Valley Park, MO. Father studied "the great books" at Thomas Aquinas College in California before returning home to Missouri to enter the seminary. In his free time, Fr. Truss enjoys anything outdoors—whether that’s camping, kayaking, hunting, fishing, or just sitting down by the river reading St. Thomas Aquinas. Most of all, however, he enjoys being a priest. He is passionate about sharing the healing power of Jesus Christ, above all in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “One of the greatest privileges of being a priest,” says Fr. Truss, “is having a ‘front row seat’ and watching as Jesus breathes new life into a man or a woman who has been living under the burden of shame.”
dr. jeanne von erdeN
Board Member
Dr. Jeanne vonErden is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has been in private practice in Mason, Ohio for 25 years. Her specialty is Marriage and Family Systems Therapy which she practices from an Attachment Theory basis. Dr. vonErden approaches the therapeutic process from an authentically Catholic perspective and has a ministry in serving women who suffer from an abortion experience. She has been married to her husband Paul for 31 years and together they have 5 children ranging in age from 17 to 27.
DR. Heather Plakosh
Board Member
Dr. Plakosh is a licensed psychologist who resides in her native hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. She is a postdoctorally trained Geropsychologist, with expertise in assessment and diagnosis of a variety of psychiatric conditions and is especially passionate about the evaluation of complex cases. Dr. Plakosh currently holds a position as a Clinician Reviewer for the Veterans Healthcare Administration. Prior to this position, Dr. Plakosh worked as a Staff Psychologist on three inpatient psychiatric units at her local VA Medical Center, where she served Veterans across the adult lifespan with a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses. It was there that Dr. Plakosh developed advanced skills in creating and facilitating group psychotherapy programming. At that time, she also worked as an adjunct instructor in the graduate psychology department at Chatham University, where she earned her Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Counseling Psychology. In her free time, Dr. Plakosh is committed to blending her clinical skills, expertise, and Byzantine Catholic faith to provide consultation, mentorship, guidance, and healing to those in need.
michael dauphinais, ph.d
Board Member
Michael A. Dauphinais, Ph.D., serves as the Fr. Matthew Lamb Professor of Catholic Theology and the co-director of the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida. He holds academic degrees from Duke University and the University of Notre Dame. His newly co-authored book Wisdom from the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Questions about Catholicism was published by Word on Fire Press. He has authored, co-authored, and co-edited numerous scholarly articles and books in the areas of Thomas Aquinas, the Bible, and the renewal of Catholic theology. A dedicated professor, he enjoys teaching C.S. Lewis, the Bible, and anything on Aquinas. He speaks frequently in both academic and popular settings to serve the New Evangelization. He hosts The Catholic Theology Show podcast to help a wide audience discover the richness of coming to know and love God as he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. A grateful revert to the Catholic Church, he has been married to his beloved wife Nancy for almost thirty years.
ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
Rachael Killackey, Board Member