HISTORY


The Catholic People’s Foundation (CPF) was incorporated in 1997 to raise and administer funds to support the religious, educational, and charitable works of the Catholic Church within the Diocese of Gallup, the poorest in America. 


CPF funds help provide for the priests who fill the spiritual needs of the 108,000 Catholics in the diocese, the Catholic Schools which educate our children, and the charitable works which serve a wide array of diverse people in our rural region.


Spread over 55,000 square miles of northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona, the Diocese of Gallup includes 52 parishes, 22 missions, 11 schools, and many social service organizations which minister to the poor, the elderly, the homeless, expectant mothers and families, those recovering from addictions, and more. 


The diocese also serves the region’s many Native Americans including the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Laguna, Acoma, and Apache peoples, as well as the Catholics of Hispanic, Italian, Slavic, Irish, and Asian heritage.


Over the years the CPF has pursued a variety of fundraising methods, always with the goal of serving the mission of the Catholic Church in Gallup. Today, through our endowments, annual fundraisers and programs, and the gifts of generous donors, we provide regular support for Catholic schools, seminarian education, priest healthcare, and parish and mission maintenance & finance. We also actively seek resources for other needs which arise throughout the diocese. 


Thank you for considering us in your charitable giving plans!



Our Staff

Peter Zelasko

Executive Director

John Farrell

Administrative Assistant

Board of Directors

Bishop James S. Wall

Honorary Chairman

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    Bishop James S. Wall serves as Honorary Chair of the Catholic People’s Foundation.


    Born in Ganado, Arizona, Bishop Wall attended Arizona State University and St. John Seminary. 


    Ordained a priest in 1998, Bishop Wall served as Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish and Vicar for priests in the Diocese of Phoenix.


    On April 23, 2009, Bishop Wall was consecrated and installed as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup. 

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Mick Peterson

Chairman

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    Mick Peterson is Chairman to the Board of Trustees for the Catholic People’s Foundation.


    He is also a partner at Jet West Geophysical Services, a company which provides geophysical measurement services to the oil and gas, water, mineral and environmental industries throughout the Southwest. 


    Mick has been happily married to Monica Peterson for 39 years and have two children and six grandsons. They are members of St. Mary’s Parish in Farmington. Mick is a  Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. 

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Monica Peterson

Secretary of the Board

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    Monica Peterson is Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic People’s Foundation.


    She is recently retired from the municipal water and wastewater industry where she helped clients manage water resources.  


    Monica has been happily married for to Mick Peterson for 39 years and have two children and six grandsons. They are members of St. Mary’s Parish in Farmington. Monica is a Lady in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. 

Pecola Chase

Vice Chairman

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    Pecola Chase serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic People’s Foundation. 

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John Dowling

Treasurer

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    John Dowling has spent over 50 years as a leader in the western banking industry.


    After receiving his MBA from Denver University, John served as President of Merchants Bank, Sunwest Bank and Bank of Colorado. Most recently, John served as President of Pinnacle Bank of Gallup, NM.


    John is a dedicated veteran who saw combat in Vietnam. John is a member of Sacred Heart Cathedral parish and also serves as Vice President of the Southwest Indian Foundation. John is married to Theresa and they have two adult children, Sean and Kari. 

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Deacon Randolph Copeland, MD

Chancellor

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    Deacon Randy Copeland, MD is a member of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of the Diocese of Gallup.


    Dr. Copeland, now retired from medical practice, was an orthopedic surgeon who served as a military physician and later with the Gallup Indian Medical Center caring for Native people. 


    He was ordained as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church in 2009 and appointed the Chancellor for the Diocese in 2016.


    He and his wife, Maria, are the Coordinator Couple for the local community of Catholic Engaged Encounter, an organization that presents retreats for couples preparing for marriage. The Copelands have four children and nine grandchildren. 

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Bob Horacek

CFO - Diocese of Gallup

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    Bob Horacek is a native of Grants and of the Diocese of Gallup. He received degrees in Accounting and Human Resources from New Mexico State University.


    After finishing work with the City of Grants and enjoying a brief retirement, Bob accepted the position of Chief Financial Officer with the Diocese of Gallup, noting that: “I want to Promote an environment where I can improve myself in my own life and hopefully help others enrich their lives. I’m used to working in a secular environment, but here I hope I can offer my advice in a constructive manner. The goal here to me is, especially, to promote each individual working together.” 

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John Fees



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    John Fees is a serial entrepreneur and investor that operates firms at the intersection of financial services, education and technology.


    His first businesses, Y2M and Members Connect, were acquired by Viacom and JP Morgan Chase respectively. In 2009, Fees sought to bring these same groundbreaking strategies to the insurance industry by co-founding NGI Group LLC (www.nextgenins.com) a national specialty insurance holding company. NGI's ventures include: GradGuard™: with more than 450 college and university partnerships, GradGuard is the leading student benefits and insurance platform specifically designed for the collegiate market. 

    GradGuard is the market leader in pioneering modern forms of tuition and renters insurance designed to reduce the risks of college life.   


    Bindable™: the company operates an insurance technology and affinity distribution platform that enables trusted brands to further engage customers or members through a full-stack of tech services and digital products.


    John and his wife Melissa Soza Fees are active in numerous Catholic activities including prior service to the Spitzer Center, the Kino Border Initiative, trustees of Univeristy of Mary, Catholic Education Arizona and as members of the cabinet for the Diocese of Phoenix Capital Campaign.   John and his wife, Melissa, have five children.