St. Joseph Financial Services (SJFS) is grateful and excited to welcome Brenda Cannella to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) starting next month. This milestone hire for SJFS reinforces our firm’s growth and success, and positions us to better support the Church’s mission and further understand the accounting and financial challenges dioceses and parishes face.
Opportunity Too Good To Pass Up
When the opportunity of hiring such a qualified and recognized Catholic Finance leader came, SJFS CEO, Jonathan Boulos, and the Board of Directors recognized it was Divine Providence. According to CEO, Jonathan Boulos, “We knew that taking SJFS to the next level required someone with intimate knowledge of how our solutions and approach could be best deployed in the Church. In leadership meetings we had all worked with Brenda enough to even float her name as someone with a rare combination of experience, interpersonal skills, and mission alignment that made her perfect for the new role. Little did we know that the Lord was preparing to bring her directly to join us and not just someone like her!” Board of Directors Co-Chairman, Patrick Dupuis, added, “As a board we’re looking at our long-term strategic plan and a monumental hiring like Brenda gives the board more confidence and excitement that what we’re building at SJFS is truly special. This opportunity was too good to pass up.”
A New Calling
Brenda was introduced to the broader team last week and the question of what drew her to SJFS was asked by a staff member. Brenda confidently responded, “I’ve felt a particular call on my life in working for the Church, apostolates, and more recently for the diocese – this call to use the gifts and talents that God has given me in administration, accounting, and finance more specifically, to serve priests. I felt a particular call to serve priests and bishops, and to relieve them of the things that tend to be the most burdensome. One of the things that I think is special about St. Joseph Financial Services, different than working in an individual apostolate or diocese, is that the work we do here can be a gift to the Church more broadly.”
About Brenda Cannella
Brenda Cannella has more than 20 years of experience in financial and leadership roles including time at a Big Four public accounting firm to begin her career, 10 years at Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), and, most recently, 5 years as CFO of the Archdiocese of Denver. She serves on numerous non-profit boards and councils and is grateful for the opportunity to serve the mission of the Church through her God-given gifts of leadership and administration. Brenda holds a BBA in accounting from the University of Houston and is a CPA formerly licensed in Texas. She and her husband, Troy, are active in their parish, enjoy traveling, skiing, and hiking together and with their five grown children.
Brenda and Jonathan will be at DFMC this year in San Diego, September 29th to October 1st. If you’d like to set up some intentional time to chat with them at the conference, feel free to schedule time to arrange a meet-up.