Father Jay Scott Newman

President of the CEC & Pastor of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church

Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of Saint Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina, is President of the CEC. Father Newman was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charleston on 10 July 1993 and holds degrees in sacred theology and canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Before coming to Saint Mary's in 2001, Father Newman had previously as Dean of Men and Assistant Professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, as Catholic Chaplain to The Citadel, and as pastor of three other parish churches in South Carolina. Father Newman, who also serves as Chancellor of the Diocese of Charleston, is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the Knights of Columbus, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Canon Law Society of America, and the Society for Catholic Liturgy.

Timothy J. Nielsen, O.P.

Executive Director of the CEC

Timothy (T.J.) Nielsen, Executive Director of the CEC, holds a BA in history from Hillsdale College and and an MA in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. T.J., who grew up in Arizona, moved to Upstate South Carolina to attend graduate school at Clemson University and then taught history and theology for five years in Catholic schools in Greenville. In July 2013 he became the Director of Christian Formation at Saint Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina, where he and his wife, Alycia, live with their five children. T.J. is a lay member of the Dominican Order and co-founded the CEC, where he is responsible for directing its operations and coordinating its programs and conferences.

Father Jonathan Duncan

Director of parish Outreach for the CEC

Father Jonathan Duncan, the Director of Clerical Outreach of the CEC served several years in ordained ministry within the Anglican tradition before he and his family were received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2013.  He has degrees in both Medieval Studies and Theology, with graduate studies in liturgy and church music.  He was ordained to the priesthood for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter on 29 March 2014 and is now a priest of the Diocese of Charleston.  Father Duncan has served parishes in both North Texas and South Carolina and is currently the Director of Spiritual Care at Bon Secours St Francis Health.  In addition to his work in Catholic Healthcare, Father Duncan is the chaplain to Saint Joseph’s Catholic School, Catholic chaplain to Furman University, and parochial vicar at Saint Mary’s, Greenville.  He has travelled throughout the area preaching parish missions and speaking to various groups on the subject of youth, young adults, and evangelization.  Father Duncan is a member of Legatus, the Knights of Columbus, and the Church Music Association of America.  

Karen Miros

Director of Operations of the CEC

Karen Miros holds a BA in Economics from Hillsdale College and an MEd and EdS in School Counseling from Clemson University. She moved to Greenville, SC from Michigan in 2008 to work for Steve Wood at the Family Life Center, before joining the staff at Saint Joseph's Catholic School in 2010. During her eleven years at Saint Joseph’s, Karen worked first as the Assistant Director of Development, then as a College Counselor, and finally in the high school Administration. Karen lives in Greenville with her husband, Chris, a native of Greenville and lifelong parishioner at Saint Mary's, and their two sons.

Jordan Roberts

Board Member and chairman of the upstate catholic business network

Jordan Roberts, has undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish from Clemson University. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Charleston School of Law. Jordan works as a financial advisor at Parallel Financial in Greenville. He has been in the financial services industry since 2015. Jordan also serves on the Board of Birthright of Greenville and the Advisory Council of Saint Mary’s Catholic School. Jordan converted to Catholicism in 2014 and is a parishioner at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. Jordan, his wife, and four children live in Simpsonville. In their free time, they enjoy reading, gardening, and trips to the beach.. 

John Kolasinski, O.P.

CFO of the CEC and Best-Practices Advisor

John Kolasinski, OP is the Chief Financial Officer for the CEC, bringing a strong background of business administration and church management experience to the CEC. John, the youngest of seven children was born and raised in Chicago. In 2009, he and his wife Jamie moved to South Carolina where he worked for one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Charleston as Director of Business Administration. In October 2015, John & Jamie made permanent professions as Lay Dominicans in the Saint Thomas Aquinas Chapter in Greenville, SC choosing to live the four pillars of Dominican life: prayer, evangelization, study, and community. In 2017, John accepted a position as Director of Parish Administrative Services for the Diocese of Madison where he assists parishes in the diocese with best practices in accounting, financial controls and record keeping. In addition, John serves on the investment committee for the diocesan investment portfolios.