Upcoming Speakers
 
March 14, 2008 - Lauren Bauer

Join the CP&BC on March 14 when Lauren Bauer will be the speaker.  Lauren Bauer played softball at the University of Arizona from 1998-2001 and was a member of the 2001 National Championship team.  She was a four-time All-American and an Academic All-Pac10 student-athlete.  Lauren competed as a member of the 2001 U.S. National Softball Team and was named "Softball Athlete of the Year" by the United States Olympic Committee.  In 2006 she was inducted into the University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame . While playing professionally, Lauren continued her education and received her law degree from Whittier   College .  In 2005 she was admitted to the California Bar, served 18 months as a criminal prosecutor for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office and is now with the county counsel's office in the county of Orange .  Her current client is the county social service agency representing abused and neglected children. Lauren, a devout Catholic, is excited to be able to share her faith with others through Catholic Athletes for Christ.  It was after college that she came to a deeper understanding of her faith and now has a profound love for the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.  She is an active member of Cursillo and her goal each day is to make Christ the center of her life.  She tries to do this by looking to the example of the Saints and the Blessed Mother for guidance.  Her motto is to "learn, live and love the faith".

  
 
 
 
Reservations
    

February 8, 2008 - Victor Negron
Victor Negron, age 54, was born in San Antonio and raised as an Air Force "brat". His father was an AF JAG officer and during his youth Victor lived in Abilene, Texas, Panama Canal Zone, and Washington DC. The third of eight children, Negron has always been involved in parish activities (altar boy, played folk guitar in choir at Masses, CCD teacher, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, promoter of adoration). Married to Liza, the Negron's have 4 sons, ages 32 to 17. Eldest son, Victor III, is in the Army in Special Forces training, and is an Iraq War Veteran. 30 year old, Adrian, is severely handicapped, and in residential care facility in San Antonio. 19 year-old, Zachary, attends Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL, and is discerning which religious order he will enter for the priesthood. Youngest son, Austin Joseph, is a senior in high school. Negron is trained as a mediator, arbitrator and in collaborative law. As an experienced trial attorney, Victor is currently the President-elect of San Antonio Bar Association. His current reading includes "Come Be My Light" concerning Mother Teresa and "Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton.
 
  

 

December 14, 2007, Christmas Music Program

Join CP&BC on December 14 for our annual Christmas program that includes both outstanding entertainment and fabulous prizes. Please take a look at the special insert in this month's newsletter for all the details. The cost is the same as for all other breakfasts-$12 for members and $15 for non-members. Be sure to make your reservations now for yourself and other family and friends that you wished you had invited to past December Christmas programs at CP&BC! Reservation details can be found on both the insert and the back page of this newsletter.

 

November 9, 2007 - Jenn Giroux
Join CP&BC on November 9 to hear from Jenn Giroux who is the National Founder and Executive Director of Women Influencing the Nation (WIN), an organization dedicated to reclaiming traditional morals in our society today with special emphasis on regaining respect for women and instilling a love for and desire to have more children once again in America. Giroux has ten brothers and sisters and 49 nieces and nephews. She and her husband, Dan, have 9 children. They are the owners of The Catholic Shop and live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Read the insert for more information on Giroux and make your reservations now for our November 9th breakfast.

October 12, 2007 - Michael Voris

 The host of The One True Faith is Michael Voris, a former seminarian and CBS anchor. After several years in seminary he discerned that his vocation lay elsewhere, and spent years working as a CBS affiliate anchor in various markets and won multiple Emmys for his work in broadcast news production. The success he enjoyed in his career did not mollify a growing understanding of the darkness engulfing the secular media today. His experiences there provided him with not only the technical knowledge to produce excellent television programming, but a profound grasp of the need to produce programs that leave the viewer improved spiritually rather than just entertained. In the Spring of 2006, Michael Voris founded Saint Michael's Media, which - in addition to producing The One True Faith - undertakes the new evangelization on all fronts of the mass media; radio, television, print and the internet. Michael Voris is also head of an independent television production company in Detroit. He enjoys watching the college football team of his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.

 

September 14, 2007 - Tarek Saab, The Apprentice 2006 Contestant

Tarek Saab, 28, is the CEO and co-founder of Lionheart Apparel. Tarek rose to fame in 2006 as a popular contestant on Season Five of The Apprentice, becoming the twelfth candidate before returning to the show to assist the eventual winner. In addition to his responsibilities with Lionheart Apparel, Tarek is very active on the speaking circuit, where he presents to corporate and college audiences around the country. In his speech entitled Blue Collar Kid in a White Collar World, Tarek explains how his rise to success in the corporate world can directly be attributed to his blue-collar upbringing. His first book entitled Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work, and Manhood in Your Twenties is scheduled for publishing in September of 2007. Tarek has been featured in magazines and regularly appears as a radio guest promoting the clothing line and his book. Tarek, who hails from New Bedford, Massachusetts, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from St. Anselm College, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Catholic University of America. After college and prior to his stint on The Apprentice, Tarek worked for Texas Instruments, where he traveled extensively throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe, recording several strategic multi-million dollar deals for the company. In 2001-02, he played rugby for the Dallas Harlequins of the USA Super League.

 

June 8, 2007 - Bishop John T. Steinbock

Join CP&BC on June 8 to hear the annual State of the Diocese  from our bishop John Steinbock. Bishop Steinbock was born in Los Angeles, California, July 16, 1937. He was ordained to the priesthood May 1, 1963. After serving in various capacities in East Los Angeles for 21 years, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange in 1984. He was consecrated as bishop on July 14, 1984, in the Diocese of Orange. He was appointed as the third diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in 1987. On October 15, 1991, he was appointed as the fourth diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Fresno by Pope John Paul II, and installed on November 25, 1991.

May 11, 2007, Ray McKenna

Ray McKenna is founder and president of Catholic Athletes for Christ. He has served in sports-related ministry for 15 years including Ministries associated with Major League Baseball, professional football, professional boxing and youth sports programs. Ray was a participant in Rome at the Vatican's first-ever sports conference in 2005 and has been working with the Vatican's sports office to promote the Church's mission in the United States. Mr. McKenna served in the George W. Bush Administration as General Counsel of the General Services Administration. He practices law in Washington, DC and resides now in Alexandria, Virginia. He was born and raised in the Bronx, NY (near Yankee Stadium) and attended St John's University. Among his favorite discussion topics are: "Jesus Christ: Model of Manliness, Model of Meekness"; "The Victory Disguised as a Defeat: Salvation of the World through a Cross on Calvary" (a reflection on St. Paul's letter to the Colossians), Playing and Praying to Win: The Role of Christians in Sports," and "The Sense of Humor of God."

April 13, 2007, Gregory F. Augustine Pierce

Gregory F. Augustine Pierce is the president and co-publisher of ACTA Publications (Assisting Christians To Act), a publisher of books and tapes for the Catholic/Christian market. Pierce is also a popular speaker and writer on the spirituality of work. His newest book is part of a series titled The Elements of Spirituality. Copies of Pierce's new book are scheduled to be available for sale at this month's breakfast. He also is the author of Spirituality @ Work: Ten Ways to Balance Your Life On-the-Job (Loyola Press, 2001), which received two major awards from the Catholic Press Association. Spirituality at Work is the book reviewed in this issue of our CP&BC newsletter. Pierce is also the editor of the bestselling book Christmas Presence: Twelve Gifts That Were More Than They Seemed (ACTA Publications, 2002), a collection of stories by twelve contemporary spiritual writers about a Christmas gift that each received that was â€Ã…â€Å“more than it seemed.  Publishers Weekly said of the book: "This collection moves from strength to strength with nary a weak link." Pierce is married to Kathleen Augustine- Pierce, a Catholic junior high school teacher. The couple are the parents of 18-year-old twins, Abigail and Nathaniel--born on their father's 40th birthday and 16-year-old Zachary. The family is a member of St. Mary of the Woods Catholic parish on Chicago's northwest side. Address: c/o ACTA Publications, 5559 W. Howard Street, Skokie, IL 60077, o: 847-676-2282, h: 773-594-0695, www.actapublications.com, e-mail: gfapierce@aol.com

March 9, 2007, Richard Green

Join CP&BC on March 9 to hear retired Blistex President Richard Green share how he wrestled with big questions: How can business promote family life? What is a just wage? When are layoffs justified? Green integrated his Catholic faith and work and readily admits the two sometimes collide head-on. Green admits he can let his conscience guide his business because the company is privately held, but an organization he helped found, Business Leaders for Excellence, Ethics and Justice, has been a mainstay in both the private and public sectors of Chicago’s business life. Be on hand March 9th as Green shares if the efforts are merely utilitarian in nature or a genuine spiritual awakening. Read the insert for more background information on our March 9th speaker.

Previous Speakers

December 8, Alex Jones

A dedicated shepherd of his flock and on-fire Pentecostal pastor in Detroit, Alex Jones unearthed certain truths about Catholicism purely by accident while doing some early Church research for his congregation. His life would be changed forever. As he carefully read Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers and early saints, Jones came to the startling conclusion that the in present-day Catholic Church the Holy Mass is the exact the same worship service from the very early Church.  Read more about this incredible story of a black Pentecostal pastor's challenging and dramatic spiritual journey in the Catholic Church.

 

 

 

October 13 - Laura Garcia-Cannon & Brent Cannon

"It's great to be able to work side-by-side; we're a true team both on and off the air". That's what Laura Garcia-Cannon says about waking up very early every weekday morning next to husband Brent Cannon, getting ready to go to work together, and then smiling at thousands of news viewers sitting next to each other as co-anchors of the award winning morning news on the bay area's NBC Channel 11. One of their fondest achievements was recently accepting an Emmy award for best daytime broadcast.
               Laura began her career in journalism in San Francisco before moving on to report and anchor in Fresno. Prior to joining NBC11, Laura was an investigative reporter and anchor in Phoenix, Arizona. While there, Laura was honored with The Associated Press Reporter of the Year Award. Laura is an avid participant in various organizations. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and serves on the Board of Regents of Her Alma Mater Saint Mary's College. Laura also serves on the Board of Directors for the Catholic Professional Business Club.
               Brent graduated from the University of Colorado where he punted for the Buffaloes' football team. After broadcasting sports in the Denver area for 11 years, he made the transition to news, becoming a 5 p.m. anchor in Fresno, where he received an Emmy award for his field reporting.  Brent says his most successful accomplishment was marrying his wife Laura. They have worked side-by-side in broadcasting since 1995, and have been nominated for an Emmy award in the Bay Area every year since 2000.  They won the honor for their work in 2005, and were also named the Best Daytime Newscast in the Bay Area by the Bay Area Women in Radio and Television.
 

September 8, 2006 - Robert A. Bagdazian 

  Robert Bagdazian, Director of Development, for Thomas Aquinas College will share his faith journey with the Catholic Business and Professional Club on Friday, September 8.  Bagdazian will also discuss the inspiring and pivotal mission of Thomas Aquinas College during his talk.  Thomas Aquinas is a liberal arts college focused on the study of the great books of western civilization under the light of the Catholic faith.

June 9, 2006 - Bishop John Steinbock

Bishop John T. Steinbock will be the guest speaker at the Friday, June 9 meeting of the Catholic Professional and Business Breakfast Club.  The Bishop will provide an update on the diocese.  The meeting will be held at Pardini's on West Shaw beginning at 7:15 a.m.

 

 

May 12, 2006 - Bill Moran

Please join us on May 12th for a deeply moving and fascinating story of grace restored.  Southern California businessman Bill Moran will speak on "The Crooked Path to God"; This is Moran's story from going from a life of crime, alcohol and self destruction to one of hope and promise thanks to rediscovering the Sacraments.