After having represented ACSTA on the CCSTA Board of Directors for two years, Harry Salm was acclaimed as Vice President at the 2023. In 2025, Harry was acclaimed President of CCSTA at the Annual General Meeting in Halifax, NS.
Harry was first elected as a Catholic School Trustee for Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools in 2007. Since then, he’s served on many different Board committees and represented the Board of Provincial organizations as well, including Teacher Bargaining and Alberta School Boards Association. Harry served as president of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association from 2021-2023 and is presently serving as Past President.
Prior to being elected as a Trustee, Harry was President of the Alberta Development Officers Association.
Harry and his family settled in Strathmore, AB over 30 years ago and since then, he’s been actively involved in his parish through various ministries, including the Knights of Columbus. Most recently, Harry has assisted with two major fundraising campaigns supporting the building of a new church.
With a career spanning several decades in education and administration, Giuseppi has been privileged to contribute to fostering strong educational environments, particularly within the Catholic school system. A staunch supporter of Catholic education, Giuseppi firmly believes that, in addition to strong academic skills, the importance of faith formation is paramount in helping students to become well-adjusted and adaptive adults.
Beginning as a classroom teacher with the Winnipeg School Division in 1976, Giuseppi taught various grade levels from Grade 1 to high school and was selected by the superintendent’s department for a Leadership Training Program . This foundational experience led to a period of self-employment from 1989 to 1994 as an Educational Consultant, where Giuseppi provided crucial assistance to various indigenous communities in developing their local education systems, including serving as a Director of Education.
Giuseppi returned to school administration, leading St. Ignatius School (K-8) from 1999 to 2004, and then St. Maurice School (K-12) from 2004 until retirement in 2013. During this period, Giuseppi completed the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, taught by Father John English S.J., and has since directed others in these spiritual exercises, showcasing a deep personal and professional commitment to spiritual development within the Catholic faith.
Since retiring, Giuseppi has dedicated significant time to Catholic education leadership.
Having served on the Manitoba Catholic School Board of Consultors since 2017, appointed by the Archbishops of Winnipeg and of St. Boniface, Giuseppi was appointed by the Manitoba Archbishops in 2021 as the Manitoba Catholic Schools Representative to the CCSTA. Giuseppi has effectively chaired the CCSTA Communications Committee for three years and was recently acclaimed as CCSTA Vice President in June 2025.
Giuseppi holds qualifications in Education and School Administration, alongside specialized training in Special Education and Conflict Management. This extensive background underscores a lifelong dedication to educational leadership and community engagement, with a strong current focus on Catholic educational initiatives and spiritual formation.
Teresita Chiarella served as the CCSTA President from 2023 – 2025. Over the years, Teresita has been volunteering on various Catholic education boards and councils. Prior to her role as Vice-President, she represented Manitoba as a Director on the CCSTA Board. Teresita also served on the Christ the King School Board for eight years, and three years as Chair. As a member of the Manitoba Catholic Schools Board of Consultors, she, along with other members, assists both Archbishops of Saint Boniface and Winnipeg in fulfilling their responsibility for Catholic schools under Canon law. Until recently, Teresita was also a member of the Catholic Education Council of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.
Teresita worked as a Human Resource Practitioner for many years and later completed her Master of Education Degree. She enjoyed teaching professional adults for years before becoming the Executive Director of the Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools (MFIS) for six years. As the Executive Director, she promoted Article 26 (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes that “parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” This aligns with the Catholic teaching that “parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.” Teresita strongly believes that Catholic education is a valuable choice that parents have the right to make for their children, and it is a choice that needs to be protected.
Teresita and her husband, Anthony, are active members of St. Timothy Parish in Winnipeg and participate in various roles and ministries. They have one daughter who currently resides in Montreal.
Rose Burton Spohn is honoured to serve as CCSTA’s first female Executive Director.
Rose began her career in Catholic education as a secondary English, French, and guidance teacher with the London District Catholic School Board. In 2005, she accepted a position as Education Officer with the Ministry of Education, where she helped launch and support the implementation of Ontario’s e-learning strategy. Rose continues to support online Catholic education through Catholic Virtual Ontario (CVO) and OCSTA. Prior to joining CCSTA, Rose served the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario for a decade, as Superintendent of Education and Director of Education. Rose is a proud graduate of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in Kitchener, Ontario. She holds a Doctor of Education (2012) and Master of Education (2005) from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Education (1991) from Western University, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (1990) from the University of Waterloo (St. Jerome’s College).
She is a current student at Vancouver’s Institute of Interior Design.
Passionate advocates of Catholic education, Rose and her husband Michael are members of Mother of God Parish in Goulais River, Ontario, where they are actively involved in the music ministry. In their spare time, Rose and Mike enjoy travelling, reading, watching hockey, attending theatrical productions, and playing cards with their family and friends.
A priest of the Diocese of Saskatoon Canada since 1986 – 38 blessed years! Fr. Stephen Penna’s ministry, always rooted in parochial life, is dedicated to serving Catholic Education. Having moved from administrative work as Dean of Theology and then Vice-President of College Advancement and Development at Newman’s Theological College in Edmonton Alberta he now heads Newman’s Benedict XVI Institute for the New Evangelization.
His work with all levels of Catholic Educational institutions on critical issues arising from engaging contemporary culture has led him to travel extensively across North America as lecturer, workshop facilitator, consultant, retreat master, mission preacher and animator of Catholic educational
communities. He has graduate degrees from The Toronto School of Theology, the Gregorian University in Rome and Yale University.
His particular loves are his nephews and nieces (Ten), grand-nephews (three), gardening, and pasta.
His greatest joy? Serving the Eucharistic Lord as Priest.
You can follow him on X @frspenna
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