The board of directors of the Catholic Conference of Ohio announced the appointment of Jerry Freewalt as the new executive director, effective Aug. 1.
He succeeds Carolyn Jurkowitz, who is retiring from the conference after 34 years.
Freewalt comes to the Catholic Conference from the Diocese of Columbus, where he serves as director of the Office for Social Concerns, a post he has held since 2018. During his 26 years in the office, Freewalt has been engaged in public policy at the local, state and national levels. He has a background in advocacy and programming related to respect for life, poverty, hunger, agriculture, immigration, prison ministry, human trafficking, death penalty, persons with disabilities, international assistance, care for creation and other issues related to charity and social justice.
Freewalt was an integral advocate for the Multi-System Youth Custody Relinquishment Fund that was enacted in the 2019-2020 state budget and is advocating for the establishment of the OhioRISE Medicaid managed care program in the next state budget. When approved, this $1 billion program will assist 60,000 youth with complex behavioral health needs.
Freewalt also serves on the OhioRISE Advisory Board, the Ohio Children’s Behavioral Health Prevention Network Stakeholder Group and the advisory board of J.O.I.N. – the Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs. Freewalt previously chaired the board of directors for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, as well as the Catholic Conference of Ohio’s Department of Social Concerns.
In announcing the appointment, Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr said, “Jerry’s dedication and experience in service to the Church have been recognized nationally, statewide and throughout the Columbus Diocese. The bishops of Ohio look forward to his leadership as the conference’s new executive director.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to use my gifts as executive director,” said Freewalt. “I look forward to living out my vocation in this new role as a voice for the Church in advancing the common good.”
He has a master’s degree in public policy and management from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Freewalt and his wife, Karen, have three children. They are members of St. Margaret of Cortona Parish in Columbus.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio, established in 1945, is the second-oldest bishops’ conference in the country. Originally known as the Ohio Catholic Welfare Conference, the bishops gave it the current name in 1967.
The conference represents the Church’s position before the Ohio General Assembly, various state departments, bureaus, agencies and other organizations. It also provides facilitation, coordination and joint programming for diocesan groups involved in various Church ministries.
Membership includes bishops from all six dioceses in Ohio, bishops of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of Canton, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma and Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat and retired Catholic bishops.
The archbishop of Cincinnati, as head of the Province of Cincinnati – the state of Ohio – acts as chairman of the board of directors. Columbus Bishop Robert Brennan is treasurer.