J. Michael Downey, President
Serra Club of Des Moines, Iowa
J. Michael Downey is President of the US Council for Serra and chair of the Leadership Development Committee for the Council. Until recently, he was also Region Director for the Central Region of Serra—a role he served in for the past 4 years. Prior to that he was District Governor of District 9E (Iowa) covering six clubs and four dioceses representing about 320 Iowa Serrans. He served in this role from 2014 until 2018. Mike is a member of the St. Serra Club of Des Moines, IA and he has held the following offices in that club: President, V.P. Vocations, V.P. Communications and Trustee. He chaired two region conventions held in the Central Region that were hosted by the St. Serra Club of Des Moines. Mike has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University (1974) and a law degree from the University of Iowa (1977). He served as Associate General Counsel and General Manager of the Des Moines Register and Tribune Co. and is a former–now retired–business owner and has served as president of three manufacturing companies.
Anne Roat, President-Elect
Serra Club of Lafayette, Indiana
Anne Roat first encountered Serra in 1992, when she was invited by the Chaplin of the Lafayette Serrans to speak about her ministry as a Director of Religious Education at her parish. The local club was composed mainly of men and later welcomed both single and married women. In 2004, Anne and her husband Bill joined the Lafayette Serra Club. Anne served as a member of the Membership Committee, Treasurer, Trustee, and member of the Bylaws Committee, while Bill served as President and Treasurer.
Anne currently ministers as a Spiritual Director and works as the Director of Evangelization, Family Life, and Pastoral Ministries at the St. Mary Cathedral and St. Ann Church Pastorate in Lafayette. She has also been the Director of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana Office of Catechesis, parish Director of Religious Education, and a Catholic School Vice Principal.
Anne holds a Master’s degree in Pastoral Theology from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation, and a theology certificate from the University of Notre Dame. Anne and her husband Bill have two adult children, five brilliant grandsons, and one beautiful granddaughter!
Richard Arians, Past President
Serra Club of Rochester, Minnesota
Richard Arians first joined the Serra Club of Mankato, MN, in 1995, and joined the Rochester, MN, club when he moved there in 2001. In Rochester he served two non-consecutive terms as president and a term as District 7-S governor. Upon relocating to the Mankato area, he re-joined his original club, serving a term as President while also serving as the Region 8 director. Richard has been a regular contributor USA Council Rally’s and leadership trainings. He has been the chairman of the Leadership Committee for the past two years.
Mr. Arians has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics Education from the University of Wisconsin and earned an MBA from Augsburg College (MN) in 2012. His professional interests include serving as a business consultant for local companies, a USTA tennis umpire, and supplemental insurance agent. He regularly substitutes as a teacher at the Loyola Catholic High School in Mankato, Minnesota. He and his wife Ruth live in Madison Lake, MN, where they are active members of All Saints Catholic Church. They have two children.
Moira Leite, Vice President Vocations
Serra Club of Arlington, Virginia
Moira Quinn Leite is the President and Design Principal of M. Quinn Designs, Incorporated, which she founded in 1984. She is a leader in the design field and recipient of many interior and lighting design awards for innovative solutions to complex design problems. As the developer of the Pack-N-Move™ system for Senior Transition, she brings over thirty years of experience to the planning and implementation of lifestyle transitions and relocation services including downsizing and moving to a new residence.
Mrs. Leite is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin—Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and the Art Institute of Design in Lucerne, Switzerland, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art with a major in interior Design. She attended the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College where she completed the coursework for a Masters of Systematic Theology with an emphasis in Sacred Art. She has been a Stephen Minister since 1985.
Since moving to Virginia in 1992 following her husband’s service in Desert Storm, she has been active in promoting vocations in her parish and in the Arlington, Virginia, Diocese. With the vocation committee of St. Michael’s Parish, she organized a vocation day for the school that brought in six religious orders they presented their charisms to the upper and lower schools. She began the distribution of Advent and Lenten devotions for vocations which have been made available to the Diocese for the past twenty years. For the past five years she and her husband have prepared the Vocation General Intercessions and weekly Bulletin Blurbs for the Arlington Diocese. These have been made available to the U.S. Council for the past two years.
Mrs. Leite is currently the Vice President for Vocations of the Arlington Virginia Serra Club. In 2020, she coordinated a Serran Holy Hour for Vocations at Queen of Apostles Church in Alexandria, Virginia. It was themed on the Eucharistic Miracles Program developed by Blessed Carlo Acutis; and, due to COVID, it was live-streamed on Facebook with over 1,000 viewers in addition to those in the church. For Priesthood Sunday, she coordinated spiritual bouquets for the priests of her parish, put up banners celebrating the priests, and coordinated sending cards to all priests of the dioceses and chancery from the Serra Club.
She is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist and a member of the International Furnishings and Design Association, the Illuminating Engineering Society and an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers.
Betty Ramirez-Lara, Vice President Programs
Serra Club of McAllen, Texas
Betty Ramirez-Lara is the President/Owner of Utilities Services Experts USA, an Energy Brokerage Firm for consumer use. Betty attended University of Texas – Pan American Rio Grande Valley Texas. She raised 2 boys as a single mother. Betty met and married fellow Serran Adam Lara in 2008 as he was visiting her Rotary Club. They both enjoy volunteering and serving their community together.
Betty and Adam joined Serra Club of McAllen in 2014. They immediately were selected to serve on the Board of Directors and work together on increasing membership by facilitating workshops throughout the Diocese of Brownsville. She is currently a Serra International Trustee. Bishop Daniel Flores asked Betty and Adam to serve on the Case Development Council for the Diocese of Brownsville. Betty has served on other Boards and Foundations mainly focusing in recent years on Rotary International.
Don Simoneaux, Vice President Communications
Serra Club of North Central Dallas, Texas
Don Simoneaux is a native of New Orleans and grew up in a suburb on the Westbank across from the city. He received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University, where he also did graduate work, and was commissioned via the ROTC program as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His various sea duty and shore assignments involved operation, maintenance, development, and testing of Navy ships, equipment, and systems. Along the way, he earned a MS degree and a post-master’s degree in electrical engineering, with an emphasis on computer hardware and software, from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. After retiring from the Navy, he began a second career with a major aerospace company in the Dallas, Texas area. He is now retired from that career as well, having served as a systems engineer and program manager for development and testing of major software systems for U.S. government customers.
Don was invited to attend a meeting of the Serra Club of North Central Dallas in 1988 by three friends from his parish who were members. He had not been inclined previously to accept invitations to join other organizations, but he had read about a looming shortage of Catholic priests and other religious. After learning about the mission of Serra, he felt the Holy Spirit was calling him to get involved to help ensure the spiritual needs of following generations would be met, including those of his children and grandchildren. Upon retiring from the Navy and deciding to remain in the Dallas area, he joined the club in 1989. He has served in various club offices, including two non-consecutive terms as president. He has also served as district governor, two terms as regional director, two years on the Council’s Long Range Planning Committee, and four years as chair of the Council’s communications committee. Don and his wife Carolyn met in high school. They married when he graduated from Tulane and have lived in Plano, Texas since 1985. They are both active in their parish and diocese and enjoy spending time with friends and family, including three children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Jesse Gallegos, Vice President Cultural Outreach
Serra Club of Harlingen, Texas
After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1980, Jesse was a public school teacher until 1995, when he earned a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Pan American University. From 1995 through 2014, he was a middle school and high school assistant principal and principal. Jesse retired from the public schools in 2014 and currently is a licensed Real Estate Agent with Ideal Realty. Jesse is married to Delma Solis Gallegos. They have two adult children, Stacey Marie and Ezekiel Jesus.
Jesse was the founding member of the Serra Club of Harlingen which was chartered on August 14, 2001 with the guidance and mentorship of his brother, Dr. Ruben Gallegos, former Serra International President. Jesse has been President, Treasurer, and Secretary of his club. He was District Governor for District 126 from 2017 through 2020. He has attended several Serra International Conventions and USA Council Rallies.
As Serrans, service is the priority for our Catholic Church, priests and religious. Jesse is honored to serve as VP Communications for the USA Serra Council. In this position, Jesse’s objective is to move Serra forward and make Serra a name that resonates among all Catholics.
Candice Tyrrell, Vice President Membership
Serra Club of North Houston, Texas
Gino DiMattia, Secretary
Serra Club of Lima, Ohio
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Gino Dimattia became a member of the Serra Club of Lima, OH, in 1997. “I joined Serra to help connect with fellow Catholics in what was a new community for me,” he recalls.
Gino went on to serve as chairman of the Parish Contact Team, club chairman of Vocations Committee, club president, District 51 governor in 2009, chairman of USA Council Vocations Committee in 2010, and USA Council Vice President of Vocations. While national Vocations vice president, Gino was able to write an article on how parish vocation committees can influence a culture of vocations that was published in the Summer 2013 issue of Horizon Magazine, a quarterly publication of the NRVC. Gino also served as Regional Director of the USA Council’s Region 6, an area that encompassed Ohio, West Virginia and the Michigan Lower Peninsula.
Gino is unmarried and works at St. Rita’s Medical Center as an occupational therapist.
Ed Tyrrell, Treasurer
Edward L. Tyrrell has been with Houston Methodist (HM) since 1988. Prior to joining HM Ed was a Manager with Ernst & Young. He first became associated with HM in February 1988 as the Director of Corporate Accounting. He became Assistant Vice President of Corporate Financial Services in 1993, Vice President of Corporate Financial Services in 1996 and has been in his present position (Senior Vice President of Corporate Financial Services and Revenue Cycle) since October 2011. Mr. Tyrrell received his Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB). Ed’s UB wrestling team, which won the Division 3 National Championship in his Junior year, was inducted into the UB Sports Hall of Fame in October 1994. In his senior year Ed earned All American honors by placing second in his weight class in the Division 3 National Wrestling Championships. Ed is a certified public accountant and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Ed is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM); past President of the Executive Board of NAM; past Treasurer of NAM; past Member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of Vecino’s Denver Harbor Clinic; past treasurer of the Houston Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and has held Board positions with the Houston Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and Urban Affairs Corporation. Mr. Tyrrell is currently a University of St. Thomas Board member; a Sir Knight in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher; Immediate Past President of the St. Serra Apostolate for Vocations of North Houston; a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus George Wilhelm Assembly and a third degree member of Knight of Columbus Council No. 10872 in Spring, Texas.
Jim Burns, Central Regional Director
Serra Club of Kansas City
Jim Burns is a member of Serra Club of Kansas City in Kansas where he has served as Trustee, VP Membership and President. He was District Governor of District 12-2C. He was also Trustee, VP Membership and President of the Serra Club of Albuquerque. He is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. His is retired with 42 years in the Health Insurance and Managed Care industry. Jim and Joanne, his wife of 48 years, live in Overland Park, Kansas. They have three grown children and 11 grandchildren.
Ken Peet, Great Lakes Regional Director
Serra Club of Louisville, Kentucky
Ken is a true son of the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. He was born in Louisville but raised in the bluegrass of central Kentucky. He became a member of the Serra Club of Louisville in 2013. He has served as a board member and secretary of the club as well as District Governor for the four clubs in the State of Kentucky.
As a member of St. Gabriel Parish, he is a Sacristan, a Eucharistic Minister and takes communion to a large assisted living facility. He is a member of St. Gabriel’s Men’s Bible Study Group. He is a Mentor in the ACE Mentor Program for High School Students and serves on the Facilities Board for Presentation High School in Louisville.
Ken has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a Professional Engineer with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Ken spent his career as a Consulting Engineer and owned LSE Engineering, Inc. for 25 years.
Ken and Pat have been married for 53 years and have three daughters and seven grandchildren.
Jo-Ann Bresowar, South Central Regional Director
Serra Club of University of Dallas, TX
Jo-Ann Bresowar has been a member of the University of Dallas Serra Club for over 20 years. She is a past President of the University of Dallas Serra Club and past Chairperson of the District’s Vocational Awareness Program (VAP). In the past Jo-Ann was President of the Diocesan School Board, Chaired Parish Finance Councils, served as a Red Cross Volunteer, is a founding member of the Diocesan Ministry on Disabilities, was Chair of the Laity representation for the Texas Catholic Conference and a Catholic School Grant writer.Jerry Biese, North Central Regional Director
Serra Club of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Jerry Biese grew up on a farm near Green Bay WI with four brothers and six sisters.
His degree is in Industrial education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI. He was active in the Newman Club and served as president of the local club and was an officer of the region and finished as a national vice president.
Jerry’s career started in a medium security prison as a welding instructor. After a year, he learned of the movement to serve people with disabilities in the community. He served as executive director of a facility in Eau Claire, WI for 17 years and finished as President of Opportunity Partners in Minnetonka, MN for 11 years. Since then he has been doing either financial services and/or Medicare insurance working with individuals age 65 or older.
Jerry married Mary Beth in 1965, having 4 daughters and one son. They now have 21 grandsons and 15 granddaughters, all practicing Catholics.
Jerry’s membership with Serra started in 2006 when he was invited to a meeting by the late Mike Pohlen. Serving as President soon followed, the District Governor position followed and then a few terms as the District Treasurer of District 7 of Region 8.
Morie Ratuiste, Pacific Northwest Regional Director
Serra Club of Tri-Cities Area, WA
Morie and his wife, Cocot, have been active Serrans since joining Serra Club of Tri-Cities, WA, in 2010. He currently serves as the Pacific Northwest Region Director of the USA Council. Morie concurrently participates in the USA Council Program Committee, Serra Hispanic Ambassador Committee, and as a Serra Mentor as part of the USA Council’s SPARK program to launch and to support parish-based vocation ministries. He introduced the 9 for 9 Challenge, an effective membership initiative rooted in intentional prayer for potential new Serrans. He has authored several articles for Serra Magazine. He also oversaw the development of the pamphlet Vocations Apostolate Daily Prayers (available in the Vianney Vocations Serra Store), encouraging others to pray for vocations, for which he received a Missionary of St. Junipero Serra Award in 2021.
Morie and Cocot are privileged to promote vocations with their eldest son, Fr. Kyle Ratuiste, who serves as the Director of Vocations of the Diocese of Spokane. Their youngest son, Kevin, is an officer in the US Air Force and is married with three daughters.
Morie earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. He works for Lamb-Weston Inc., a major international producer of French fries and other potato products.
Ed Lupton, Pacific Region Director
Serra Club of Buenaventura, CA
Rose Marie Stimpfl, Rocky Mountain Region Director
Serra Club of Pueblo, Colorado
Rose Marie joined the Serra Club in Pueblo, CO, in 2014. She served as President, Treasurer, and a member of the Membership Committee before moving to Colorado Springs in 2018. She served as District 6 Governor in 2020-2021. She has been a member of the District 6 Convention Planning Committee for the past three years. Rose Marie assisted Judy Cozzens for the past two years in following up on the status of the Seven Serrans Prayer Program. She recently volunteered to become a Mentor for one of the parishes in Colorado Springs who is in the process of establishing a Parish Vocation Ministry Council. She is active with a couple prayer groups at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church.
Rose Marie is a retired registered nurse. She worked for many years as a Nursing Consultant to Long Term Care and Assisted Living Centers. She has a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She currently volunteers at a local hospital.
She is a widow with two sons, three granddaughters, one grandson, and one great grandson.
S. Lewis (Trip) Guthrie III, Southeast Region Director
Serra Club of Williamson County, Tennessee
Lewis “Trip” Guthrie III is a cradle Catholic born in Louisville, KY. He was raised in Owensboro, KY as part of a family of six. Growing up as a member of two different parishes, Trip served as an altar boy. In 1977, he graduated from the University of Kentucky with two Bachelors of Science degrees, in Accounting and Marketing. In 1981, he married Carole Hillebrand, and they have been parishioners at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, TN since 1983. Trip and Carole have two daughters who are now married with their own children.
Trip is a founding member of the Serra Club of Williamson County, TN, which was chartered in November 2004. He has served his club in various positions and is now Serra District 18 Governor and serves on the Serra USA Membership Committee. He was recently honored with the Face of Serra Award for the USA Council’s Southeast Region at the 2022 Serra Rally in Irving, TX.
Jane Errera, Northeast Region Director
Serra Club of Lehigh Valley
Jane Errera is a charter member of the Bethlehem (PA) Serra Club. An active Serran since the
Club’s founding in 1990, she has served as Club President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Jane was
awarded degrees from Muhlenberg College (AB) and Lehigh University (MA) and a Certificate in
Gregorian Chant from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. Her professional life includes 32
years as an elementary education teacher and almost 60 years as a church musician, all in
Bethlehem. Since her retirement from teaching, Jane has worked at St. Anne’s Church as
principal organist and director of the 36-voice semi-professional choir. Mrs. Errera has held
membership on the Boards of the Latin Liturgy Association, the Society for Catholic Liturgy, and
the American Guild of Organists, for which she was Regional Councillor responsible for six Mid-
Atlantic states and Washington, DC. For these organizations as well as for Serra, Jane has been
a speaker, workshop presenter, and convention planner.