Our CEO’s Faith-Based Credentials

Dr. Owen Phelps has expertise as both a student and leader in faith-based organizations.

His formal studies include:

• A BA with honors in Theology from St. Norbert College, where he focused on American religious thought; and,

• A PhD in administration/management from Walden University, where his dissertation focused on the organizational dynamics that led to the failure of the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America.

Dr. Phelps is currently a member of the Catholic Communications Campaign advisory board and a consultant on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Communications Committee. Over the years he also has served as a consultant to several church organizations from Vermont to Texas.

He also is certified to facilitate the Lead Like Jesus Encounter developed by best-selling business author Ken Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and his co-author Phil Hodges (Servant Leader and Leadership by the Book).

Since 1983 Dr. Phelps has served as Director of Communications & Publications for the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, where he is associate publisher of the award-winning diocesan newspaper. He served for several years on the diocese’s Justice & Peace Commission and is an ex officio member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council.

From his days as an undergraduate student, Dr. Phelps served as a parish catechist. He was certified as a master catechist in the Rockford Diocese and was awarded the Bishop O'Neill Award in Catechetics for “distinguished service to the Word of God in religious education programs.”

More recently he has:

• offered programs to faith-based professional organizations at conferences in Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles;
• served as a on-site consultant to religious organizations in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin; and,
• advised religious organizations all across the nation.

He has written several articles and contributed to two books devoted to issues of faith-based organizational performance: Mission, Marketing & Management: Development Guide for Diocesan Newspapers (1991) and The Mission and Future of the Catholic Press (1998).

Find out more or arrange a program with Dr. Phelps