VITA BOARD USA
Vita’s Board is committed to maintaining the highest standard of governance and is collectively responsible for ensuring delivery of Vita’s mission, setting its strategic direction, and upholding its vision and core values.
Vita’s Board meets regularly and is advised by a series of subcommittees which are chaired by board members.
Vita’s Code of Conduct for Directors
Learn more about Vita’s Governance, Accountability & Transparency
Rose was born in St Louis, Missouri, USA. A member of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary (FSM), St Louis as well as a former President of FSM. During her Presidency she was a part of the beginnings and growth of the FSM impact investing and philanthropy work as well as the establishment of the Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative (CIIC).
Over the past 35+ years, Rose ministered as a facilitator, engaging with leadership teams, Chapter and Assembly Committees and other groups in the USA and several countries. She spent 13 years in South Africa training others to facilitate planning processes and their implementation. Those who were trained have become leaders in their areas of influence.
As well as being General Manager, NT Technologies (Ninja Trader) John O’Neil advises the CEO of Missio Invest on strategic planning for scaling up the vision of Missio Invest across Church entities.
Prior to joining Missio Invest, he spent 35 years as an entrepreneur, private equity executive and philanthropist. He started, built and grew venture backed, technology companies that at their height had as many as 400+ employees across the globe. After 17 years as a tech entrepreneur he crossed over to the investor side, working as an executive at two private equity firms, then managed a portfolio company through its’s NYSE IPO and its active M&A program, completing over $500 million in transactions across North America, Asia and Europe. For 30 years, John has also been the director of a private foundation that focuses on the needs of the most vulnerable, especially served by the Catholic Church. He is currently leading the foundation’s emerging efforts in impact investing. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University.
Iyassu Ghebrerufael is a professional accountant with 10+ years of practical experience in US GAAP, GASB, FASAB, GAAS, IFRS and SOX standards. Experienced in computerized accounting such as Lawson, Oracle, PeopleSoft, QuickBooks, and Peachtree Accounting. Solid skills in MS Office Suites including Word, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel (including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and macros).
He is a fast learner with a successful record in diversified areas of responsibilities. Self-motivated, organized and prioritize work to meet deadlines with excellent attention to details and strong communication skills.
Sr. Theresa Rickard, OP, DMin, serves on the leadership team of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, New York. She is the past president of RENEW International, an organization dedicated to parish renewal, which she led for nearly twenty years. An experienced conference speaker, retreat leader, preacher and author, her recent work includes contributing to the book, Lay Eucharistic Preaching in a Synodal Catholic Church.
Sr. Terry holds a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Religion and Religious Education from Fordham University. She sits on the boards of directors for St. Dominic Family Services and the Loyola Foundation.