On August 8, Catholic Charities of St. Louis announced the appointment of Don Halpin to the nonprofit organization’s newly created Chief Operating Officer (COO) role. He will assume responsibilities August 27.  

Halpin holds a BS in electrical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy; a Master of aerospace science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; and an Executive MBA from Washington University.

Halpin is a retired colonel/wing commander/pilot from the United States Air Force, with over 30 years of operations, strategy, innovation, infrastructure/safety/risk planning and management, and people development in the defense/aerospace and healthcare domains. Most recently he served as a program director at Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center in Peoria IL, one of the nation’s leading healthcare simulation education and innovation centers.

As COO, Halpin will be responsible for managing internal functions for Catholic Charities’ eight Central Office departments, which support the eight Catholic Charities federated agencies: Cardinal Ritter Senior Services; Good Shepherd Children & Family Services; Marygrove; Queen of Peace Center; Saint Louis Counseling; Saint Martha’s Hall; St. Francis Community Services; and St. Patrick Center.

 “Don’s experience and insights will make him a great addition to our leadership team,” said Catholic Charities President Theresa Ruzicka. “We welcome him and look forward to his contributions, to both the day-to-day operations and overall vision for the Catholic Charities Federation. He has a heart for our mission to make a difference serving others.”

Don and his wife Alicia are members of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Glen Carbon, Illinois. They have two children, Reece and Margaret-Rose.