Our Board of Advisors
The team at the Saint Sebastian Institute is deeply grateful for the wisdom and support provided by our Board of Advisors. Their assistance has been crucial on our journey already, and their help will assist us greatly in the future.
Dear Lord, we thank you for them!
Lieutenant General (Retired) Tony Ierardi
Over the course of his military career, LTG(Ret) Ierardi led troops at every level from platoon to division, deploying into harm’s way numerous times. His final military assignment was as the Joint Staff’s J-8 Director where he oversaw analytic assessments and all matters related to current and future requirements for forces, capabilities, budgets and resources for the U.S. Joint Force. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from Washington & Lee University, and master’s degrees from Georgetown University and the Naval War College. He continues to give back to his community, including serving as an umpire in local baseball leagues.
Major General (Retired) Robert Ivany, Ph.D.
Following a distinguished 34-year Army career that culminated in his role as Commandant of the U.S. Army War College, one of the nation’s premier institutions for developing strategic leaders, MG(Ret) Ivany served as the President of the University of St Thomas, which included the Saint Paul Seminary. He taught Executive Education at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and has received numerous military and civilian awards, including a Bronze Star for Valor, a Purple Heart, and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Pope Francis in 2017. He is a West Point graduate and continues to serve God & country in many ways.
Jackie Mulligan
Jackie Mulligan is the founder and Chief Eucharistic Officer of Reform Wellness, which serves the Church through helping priests, religious and laity find balance amidst the demands of modern life. As a holistic nutritionist, wellness practitioner, and experienced educator, Jackie has paired her personal experience with her professional knowledge to create a program that innovatively merges faith and functional health. She enthusiastically assists the Saint Sebastian Institute in building programs that meet the needs of priests and helps them thrive as leaders.
COL(Ret) Sean Berg served a long and distinguished career in infantry, Ranger and Special Forces units, where he commanded from Detachment to Brigade. He commanded over 4,000 soldiers in combat over all his deployments, and he brought every soldier home. After retirement, he started his own Executive and Leadership Coaching firm, Quiet Force Leadership, LLC. In the coming months, he will be ordained as a deacon in the Diocese of Honolulu. He and his wife Ann have 3 children and reside happily in Kailua, Hawai’i.
Colonel (Retired) Mike Manning
COL (Ret) Manning brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Saint Sebastian Institute. As a combat tested leader who teaches Engineering Leadership at Northeastern University and serves as a formator for the Propaedeutic Year at St John’s Seminary in Boston, Mike combines the expertise of the military with the fullness of the faith and the precision of academia to develop exceptional leadership experiences for priests. One of his favorite quotes is: “Great leaders reconcile mission and people; they do so by taking care of their people first who then accomplish the mission.”
Mary Brunson
Mary Brunson is the Co-founder of Investing for Catholics (IFC). Since 2009, she has focused her advisory efforts on Catholic faith-consistent investing, applying financial science to support fiduciary advice and institutional wealth services aligned with Catholic values. She works closely with religious orders and Catholic organizations. She is the co-author of Tending the Flock: Shepherding Catholic Retirement Plans and she frequently presents on faith-aligned investment policies at conferences and events. Mary assists the Saint Sebastian Institute in numerous ways, including developing challenging leadership scenarios related to finances.
Contact Us
Do you know anyone who might be a valuable addition to our Board of Advisors? Do you have questions about our methods or operations? Send us a note below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.