Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has appointed Kerry Alys Robinson, a renowned expert in Catholic leadership and philanthropy, as its next president and CEO, the organization announced Tuesday.

When Robinson begins her tenure at CCUSA on August 23, 2023, she will become only the second layperson and second woman to guide the domestic humanitarian work of the Catholic Church in the United States. Robinson will succeed Sister Donna Markham OP, Ph.D., who is retiring this summer after nine years of transformational leadership.

“Kerry’s entire professional life has been devoted to serving and bettering our church,” CCUSA Board Chair Neal Black said. “After an exhaustive national search, our board voted unanimously and enthusiastically to appoint Kerry to this vital role. We are confident that the Catholic Charities network and the millions of vulnerable people it serves each year will greatly benefit from Kerry’s extraordinary passion, expertise, and insight.”

Robinson currently serves as an executive partner of Leadership Roundtable, the influential organization of laity, religious, and clergy working together to promote best practices and accountability in the management, finances, communications, and human resource development of the Catholic Church in the U.S. She has led Leadership Roundtable since its inception, serving as its founding executive director and playing a defining role in its growth and success. Robinson is also the executive director of the Opus Prize Foundation, which awards an annual million-dollar prize honoring those whose ministry is dedicated to alleviating human suffering.

“The gospels call Catholics and all people of good will to serve those most in need of our aid,” Robinson said. “The staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities agencies around the country answer that call every day: feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, and welcoming the stranger. I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be a part of this life-giving mission.”

Robinson is a graduate of Georgetown University and Yale Divinity School. She has been awarded seven honorary doctorates and is the recipient of numerous awards including: the Sapientia et Doctrina Award from the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University; the Hearts of the Community Award from the Apostles of the Sacred Heart; the Madonna Della Strada Award from the Ignatian Volunteer Corps; the Cardinal Bernardin Award from Catholic Common Ground Initiative at Catholic Theological Union; and the Loyola Medal from St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. She was also named the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving’s Distinguished Visitor at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Robinson is married to Dr. Michael Cappello, chair of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health and a professor of Pediatrics and Microbial Pathogenesis at Yale School of Medicine. They have two children, Christopher and Sophie.