Staff Directory

Office of the President

Lincoln Snyder
President/CEO

Lincoln Snyder is the president/CEO for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Lincoln was selected to lead a revitalization of the association coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and has returned the organization to fiscal stability, along with significant growth in member benefits. Prior to his appointment at NCEA, Lincoln served as the superintendent and executive director of schools for the Diocese of Sacramento from 2015-2021. As superintendent, he guided the transition of diocesan elementary schools to a unified governance model, and stewarded schools through crises like the Camp Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before his appointment as superintendent, he was a teacher and board chair at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. Lincoln also has served as vice chair of the NCEA NSBECS Advisory Council (NNAC) and has been a member of several Catholic school boards. Lincoln holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a master’s degree in Lasallian Leadership from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Originally from California, Lincoln lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and their 3 teenage sons. When he is not working, Lincoln enjoys 20-mile walks and learning new languages.

Executive Coordinator

Christie Blewett is the executive coordinator in the office of the president.  Ms. Blewett is responsible for communications between the office of the president and internal and external stakeholders. She is the liaison between the president/CEO and NCEA staff, NCEA Board of Directors, bishops and other clergy, college and university presidents and leaders in Catholic education communities. Ms. Blewett supports organization projects and member-related campaigns.

She is focused on bringing her experience in primary, secondary, college and graduate-level Catholic education as a student and teacher to promote NCEA's mission.

Office of Member Services

Wade Marshall
Vice President of Membership

Wade Marshall was in retail management and worked for companies such as Montgomery Ward, Erol’s Video and Blockbuster Video.

A graduate of Watseka Community High School, Mr. Marshall received a Bachelor of Science in marketing from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He also received a diploma in computer information systems and a Master of Science in information systems from Strayer University in Washington, D.C. In his free time, he enjoys biking and playing golf and working as an election official for Loudoun County, VA.

Cedric Bernescut
Director of IT and Member Sales Associate

Cedric Bernescut is responsible for all IT system support and aligning technical projects with organizational goals. In addition, Mr. Bernescut works with membership promoting NCEA’s professional development, benefits, products and services.

Mr. Bernescut has an extensive background in retail management and system support. He was a part of the Best Buy NSO program to train and develop staff at new stores around the country.  At NCEA he worked in various departments handling data surveys as well as the ACRE/IFG programs.  Mr. Bernescut oversaw the acquisition, implementation and support of the technology assets of the association until his current position.

He attended Crespi Carmelite High School and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He is active in the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Quintina (Tina) Armstead
Member Sales Associate

Quintina “Tina” Armstead assists members with dues renewal payments and publication orders, as well as edits and updates member profiles as necessary. Mrs. Armstead troubleshoots member logins to the NCEA website and facilitates registration for professional development events, webinars, and graduate courses for teachers. She maintains the member database and ensures members have access to all relevant benefits and resources.



Mrs. Armstead started out working for NCEA as a temporary employee in the mailroom in 1996, from there to the receptionist desk and eventually to member services in 2001. Ms. Armstead is proud to work at NCEA where the Catholic ministry is teaching the word of God. She has learned much about the Catholic faith being brought up in the church and working at NCEA.



Mrs. Armstead is a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C. and attended McKinley Technical High School in D.C. with major in art. Tina enjoys drawing and painting in her free time.

Beth Gilliland
Member Sales Associate

Beth Gilliland handles membership campaigns working to retain members, responding to membership inquiries and increasing members’ connection to NCEA. She has worked in customer service and sales in the insurance industry, financial services and real estate, prior to coming to NCEA.  She is a firm believer in relationship sales and collaboration.

Ms. Gilliland is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in business management.

With her sons grown, Ms. Gilliand spends her free time golfing, enjoys wine tasting and caring for her three little dogs.

Sherri Jackson
Member Sales Associate

Sherri Jackson is a member sales associate with NCEA.  Ms. Jackson assists members with dues renewal payments and publication orders, as well as edits and updates member profiles, as necessary. She troubleshoots member logins to the NCEA website and facilitates registration for professional development events, webinars and graduate courses for teachers. She also follows up with outstanding invoices for members, vendors and any other types of outstanding billing. She helps with the member database and ensures members have access to all relevant benefits and resources.

Ms. Jackson started out working for NCEA as a temporary employee in the mailroom/accounting department and then membership in 2019. She then went to accounting and eventually to member services in 2021.  Before working at NCEA Sherri worked with BOMA and serval other associations bringing more than 20 years of membership experience.

Ms. Jackson is a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C. attended Largo Senior High School in Largo, MD, with a major in business. Sherri also attended the University of Maryland working toward a Bachelor of Arts in business administration.

Office of Finance

Melissa Mercer
Executive Vice President of Finance

Melissa Mercer is the executive vice president of finance for NCEA. She previously served for over five years as the Schools Finance Officer in the Diocese of Sacramento. During her time there, Ms. Mercer brought corporate discipline and financial infrastructure to more than 35 elementary schools. In addition to assisting in the adoption of a unified governance model, Ms. Mercer standardized the annual budgeting process, implemented accounting and tuition management systems and established a shared services accounting center for elementary schools. Prior to her work for the diocese, Ms. Mercer was employed by publicly traded companies and has 20 years of professional corporate experience in areas such as external financial reporting and management of technical accounting.

Ms. Mercer has a Bachelor of Science in accountancy from the University of Missouri – Columbia and obtained her CPA certification and license in the State of Missouri.

Jennifer Barnett
Director of Events

Jennifer Barnett is the director of events for NCEA.  Ms. Barnett is responsible for planning NCEA events, such as the Catholic Leadership Summit and the annual NCEA Convention.

A Kentucky native, Jennifer is dedicated to ensuring event attendees experience true southern hospitality. Prior to joining NCEA, she worked in corporate event management at Anthem where her attention to detail, proactive mindset and servant leadership style helped execute successful events across the country. There she gained invaluable knowledge in the areas of diversity and inclusion, cross-cultural communication, community outreach and management. Jennifer’s extensive experience in vendor management, exhibitor relations and her work with venues make her an excellent addition to the NCEA team, where she helps plan events such as the Catholic Leadership Summit and the annual NCEA Convention.

Ms. Barnett earned her Bachelor of Science in integrated studies with emphases in psychology and religion, from Union College in Barbourville, KY. She is a Catholic school parent and active member of her local parish, serving in many areas of stewardship. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and traveling.

Ana Hernandez
Accounting and Human Resources Specialist

Ana Hernandez is the accounting and human resources specialist for NCEA. In addition to being bilingual, she has more than 15 years of experience providing accounting and HR services for private industry, non-profits and Catholic organizations.

Ms. Hernandez has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master of Science in counseling psychology.

She is proud to bring her experience to promote the mission of NCEA. In her free time, Ms. Hernandez enjoys traveling and music events.

Office of Marketing and Business Development

Crystal Berry
Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development

Crystal Berry is the executive vice president of marketing and business development for NCEA. Her work focuses on strategic marketing of brand, sales and services across all NCEA media channels. She is responsible for Corporate Partner relationships, support and sales, including management of associated marketing campaigns and lead generation strategies that support sales and engagement across various business channels.

Ms. Berry is a product of Catholic education and is a highly experienced and mission-driven professional with more than 12 years of experience in marketing, relationship management, communications and sales, including direct, behavioral, integrated marketing, and operations in professional services, Catholic education, political and non-profit foundation sectors. Ms. Berry has spent the last five years in dedicated focus on the sustainability and longevity of Catholic education through initiatives related to marketing, enrollment management, strategic development and broad donor and philanthropic relationship management.

BeeJae Visitacion
Director of Communications

BeeJae Visitacion is the director of communications for NCEA. Mr. Visitacion is a creative by trade, having started his career as creative director for a small marketing firm designing collateral for clients including the local Catholic Charities and other Bay Area nonprofits. During a stint in Silicon Valley as a technical recruiter, Mr. Visitacion became his parish's young adult minister, ultimately answering a call to work full-time for the diocesan communications office.

Spanning two dioceses over eleven years, his work for the Catholic Church has included driving branding initiatives, creative direction of evangelization campaigns, revamping appeal materials, expanding the visibility of diocesan publications and overseeing the redesign and management of diocesan websites. From behind the keyboard on social media to on camera with news media, Mr. Visitacion has represented dioceses in times of hope and crises.

Mr. Visitacion has a bachelor's degree in graphic communication from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is happily married with three children on earth and one child in heaven and is a proud Catholic school parent. In his free time, he enjoys finding the intersection of faith and fitness.

Margaret Kaplow
Communications Manager

Margaret Kaplow worked for The Washington Post in the editorial department and then as editor of the in-house newsletter in public relations/communications. After moving to marketing, she helped establish an educational services department to reach out to local schools. As educational services manager, she developed and implemented the Inside The Washington Post classroom program for schools, and spearheaded new business partnerships across the world when The Post became a digital product.  

Ms. Kaplow received a bachelor’s degree in English and geography from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Jessica Roberts
Business Relationship Manager

Jessica Roberts is the business relationship manager for NCEA. Ms. Roberts’ most recent position was advancement director for three Catholic schools. During this time, she supported principals by developing and establishing enrollment plans, marketing plans and fundraising plans at each of the schools. She has built programs out at each of her schools and supported a 5 - 30 percent enrollment increase over the last year and a half in that role. In addition to this experience, she has supported schools by sitting on school advisory boards, hosting annual galas and establishing annual funds. Prior to being an advancement director, Ms. Roberts was a Catholic school educator, teaching across multiple grades from preschool - 8.

Ms. Roberts has an extensive background in education. She has a master's in educational administration and a master's in education with a focus in curriculum and instruction from Santa Clara University, a bachelor’s in child and adolescent development from San Jose State and a certificate in blended learning, certificate in teaching also from San Jose State, and a site supervisor permit for early childhood education.

Beth Rucinski
Marketing Campaign Manager

Beth Rucinski is the marketing campaign manager at NCEA. Ms. Rucinski develops marketing initiatives across various channels such as digital, social media, email and traditional media. She analyzes data, collaborates with internal teams and delivers campaigns that support membership and further the NCEA mission.

Prior to NCEA, Ms. Rucinski has experience teaching Spanish and religion in classrooms from preschool to higher education. While she loved her time teaching, she has found her home writing and developing curriculum and professional learning content for other dedicated teachers. Most recently, she was the instructional technology coordinator at Liberty University.

Native to upstate New York, she has been working in Catholic schools since obtaining her master's degree in bilingual education in 2018. She has an undergraduate degree in marketing from Siena College.

Bea Ruiz
Graphic Design and Production Manager

Bea Ruiz oversees NCEA’s graphic design and production endeavors. She provides comprehensive, competitive graphic design services that enhance the image of NCEA; in addition, she ensures brand consistency for marketing materials, social media and publications across the organization. She has been involved in numerous aspects of design since she began her career at NCEA in 1991. Prior to working at NCEA she did technical design for GTCO, a computer software company in Columbia, MD, honing creative designs into adapted products. She then worked for Hughes Systems in Greenbelt, MD, while developing her graphic design talent.

A Washington D.C. native, Ms. Ruiz received a Bachelor of Science in advertising and design from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD.

Office of Content and Engagement

Dale McDonald, PBVM, Ph.D.
Vice President of Public Policy

Sister Dale McDonald is a Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has been an elementary and secondary school teacher and administrator. Prior to joining NCEA, Sister McDonald was director of the Catholic School Leadership Program in the Boston College Graduate School of Education. She has served on various boards of trustees for educational and social service organizations, has been published in education journals and books, served on several committees convened by the White House, U.S. Department of Education, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other national education associations and has testified before congressional committees on education policy issues.

She earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from Boston College, a Master of Science in educational administration from Pace University, New York, a Master of Arts in American history from Fordham University, New York, and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Fordham.

Karen Barreras
Director of Leadership Engagement

Karen Barreras, M.Ed., is the director of leadership engagement for NCEA. Most recently, she was the superintendent in the Diocese of Reno. Prior to that, she was the principal of a Catholic K-8 school and director of a large sliding-fee scale childcare/kindergarten operated under Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada for 11 years.

Ms. Barreras represented private schools on the State of Nevada’s Title I Committee of Practitioners and was involved in the Diocese of Reno Scholarship (D.O.R.S.), which won the NCEA Catherine T.  McNamee President’s Award in 2014. She served as a Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) Commissioner and has been on the WCEA Board, as well as working on the Standards of Excellence (SE) pilot committee and utilizing the NSBECS as a foundation for accreditation. She has chaired approximately 30 WCEA school accreditations throughout member schools in WCEA.

Ms. Barreras graduated from California State University with a B.A. in English and a California Credential. She earned her M.Ed. from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is a widow, mother and grandmother and loves to walk, ski and anything related to the ocean.

Laura MacDonald
Director of Professional Learning

Laura MacDonald has been an educational leader at regional, county and district levels and has had extensive experience mentoring, coaching and leading teachers since she began her career in teaching in 1998. She has served as an administrator in the Diocese of Sacramento since 2013 where she most recently was principal at Our Lady of Grace School. Before her assignment as principal at Our Lady of Grace School, she was principal at Holy Cross Academy.

Ms. MacDonald holds a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from California State University as well as teaching and administrative credentials, including a master's degree in leadership and policy study.

Fr. Tom Simonds, SJ
Director of Secondary Engagement

Father Tom Simonds, S.J., Ed.D. is the director of secondary engagement for NCEA. Before coming to NCEA, he taught in teacher and leader preparation programs at Creighton University. He also has 13 years of experience as a high school board member, administrator and teacher.

Father Simonds is a NCEA author and has been a regular contributor to NCEA’s Momentum magazine since 2014. Through his series of articles in Momentum and a book, Father Simonds hopes to provide innovative pathways for stakeholders to write a new success story for Catholic schools.

Father Simonds enjoys kayaking, the symphony and being outdoors. He lives in the Jesuit community in the Little Italy section of Chicago.

Office of Strategy and Applied Insights

Josh Packard, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations

Josh Packard, Ph.D., is the executive vice president of strategy and operations for NCEA where his focus is on helping to implement and monitor the 2023 NCEA Strategic Plan as well as fostering and building team culture. 

Dr. Packard comes to NCEA with more than 15 years of experience as a professor, researcher and executive focusing on changing forms of religious expression in America. He is one of the foremost experts in the spiritual lives of modern American youth and an accomplished researcher in the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression. He has authored numerous books and articles in both popular and academic outlets including Church Refugees: Sociologists reveal why people are DONE with church but not their faith and Meaning Making: 8 Values That Drive America’s Newest Generations.  

Dr. Packard has a Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Megan Bissell
Vice President of Research and Data

Megan Bissell is the vice president of research and data, bringing a social science lens to the research and data collection efforts at NCEA. Ms. Bissell brings years of experience leading research teams in designing and implementing research projects for organizations and individuals. 

She was previously the head of research for a national research institute and before that operated the Social Research Lab at the University of Northern Colorado. Ms. Bissell is an applied sociologist, specializing in organizations and group dynamics. Additionally, she has worked closely with young people to understand their experiences of community and belonging. 

Ms. Bissell has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in applied sociology from the University of Northern Colorado.

John Galvan
Vice President of Assessments

John Galvan is the vice president of assessments. Most recently, he was the director of schools for the Diocese of San Diego for eight years. In his last year as director, the Diocese of San Diego saw one of the largest increases in student enrollment in the country. While Mr. Galvan’s Catholic education began at Holy Trinity Catholic School in El Cajon, CA, his educational path has earned the following degrees: B.A. in art, M.A. in practical theology, and an M.Ed. in educational leadership and administration.

Mr. Galvan has spent nearly 30 years in different facets of public and Catholic education. Prior to his formal work in Catholic education, he was a seminarian for the Diocese of San Diego, spending nearly three years of graduate theological study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. From there, Mr. Galvan worked as a Catholic high school administrator, teacher, coach and campus minister. He has served on local, state and national committees and boards to advance the mission of Catholic education. In his first profession, he worked as a professional illustrator, working as part of the creative team for San Diego Unified School District.


Mr. Galvan is happily married with a beautiful daughter, and his family resides on a horse ranch in San Diego’s north county.

Sarah Huber
Data Analyst

Sarah Huber is the data analyst in research and data. Ms. Huber works with the vice president of research and data to manage data, including creation, updates and deletion of data sets. She provides quality assurance of imported data and creates reports, analyzes data and produces solutions. Ms. Huber also creates, distributes and evaluates surveys for professional development and webinars. 

Before joining NCEA, Ms. Huber was a data analyst at Primodel US, an environmental technology firm, from 2017 until 2021. She spent one year as an intern with the City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services Stormwater/Wastewater as a data analyst.

Ms. Huber has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and mathematics from Marquette University.