Following three decades in business and law firm leadership,
Paul Eberle has embarked on a new path as head of social services agency
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. His
appointment in June by Milwaukee
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob was the outcome of a multi-phase recruitment process by the Catholic Charities board and marks a structural change for the organization, having been led previously by a diocesan priest, or vicar.
Eberle retired from his most recent role as CEO of law firm
Husch Blackwell in January 2024. A conversation later that year with
Sharon deGuzman, managing director of
Baird Advisors and a Catholic Charities board member, opened the door to this next chapter – an opportunity Eberle says allows him to openly lead with his faith.
Eberle assumes leadership of Milwaukee’s Catholic Charities as the organization navigates an ongoing lawsuit against its former finance director for allegedly misappropriating “millions” of dollars over 10 years and against its former auditing firm Baker Tilly for failing to detect the alleged fraud. News of the alleged fraud broke in December when the organization said it fired two employees and identified two other former employees who together were seemingly involved in a years-long scheme to steal what amounted to at least $1.7 million, according to
reporting by local media outlets. The lawsuit was filed in May and the next hearing is scheduled for September.
Catholic Charities has a team of more than 70 employees and “dozens” of volunteers across 12 office and service sites in Milwaukee as well as Waukesha, Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Elkhorn and West Bend. In the days leading up to his July 1 start date, Eberle spoke with BizTimes associate editor Maredithe Meyer about his new role and the impact of Catholic Charities work in the region.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
BizTimes: How did the Catholic Charities opportunity come about?
Paul Eberle: “I retired from Hush Blackwell about a year and a half ago, and I was 59 at the time so I knew there was another chapter of something coming but really didn't know what and wanted to take some time to rest up and rejuvenate and recharge but then also give God time to help me find that next decision, that next path. And so it really started when I was with Sharon deGuzman in late December, and she mentioned she's on the board (of Catholic Charities) and she mentioned that this opportunity was percolating and asked if I'd be willing to start a conversation, which I thought is how sometimes God talks to you, right? It's the conversations that you weren't expecting.
“And so we started a conversation and I had a chance to meet with a few board members and learn more about Catholic Charities, learn more about what they do and how they do it, and the great service they provide to many of the poor in our archdiocese. As discernment goes, I just started to get more and more interested in their mission, and I can't speak for the board or for the archbishop, but as these things often go, they take on some momentum and by the end I think (Archbishop Jeffrey Grob) thought I was an OK choice. I am really, really excited to begin to work with him and the board and continue the good work that Catholic Charities has been doing for over 100 years in southeastern Wisconsin.”
What are your greatest priorities for the organization?
”I think my first priority is to listen and learn, right? I mean, again, this organization has been serving the needs of our archdiocese for over 100 years. So I'm coming in and I need to listen to the great team that's in place and hear from them about what's working and maybe where some opportunities are. I need to listen to the people that we serve, and are we really delivering for them what they need and are we delivering what the gospel calls us to deliver? And then also listen to donors – are we fulfilling what they hope to see happen with their precious stewardship of the organization? And also, firstly probably, listen to the archbishop. What is his vision and goal and what does he want Catholic Charities to be doing here as he starts into his role as our archbishop?”
Catholic Charities’ program offerings include immigration and refugee services. Can you comment on the importance of those services in the current climate with the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown?
“Our job as Catholic Charities is to live out the gospel and certainly there's lots of examples in the gospel to love one another and support those who are in need. Certainly, if you go to the Parable of the Good Samaritan, care for those who are traveling and don't have resources they need. That's been the job of Catholics for 2,000 years and I think that continues to be our job today – love one another and be good Samaritans to each other. And certainly Catholic Charities has an opportunity and a role with one of our service areas to do that.”
I’d like to address the alleged fraud that came up last year, with the understanding that the lawsuit is still pending in court. How will you navigate the aftermath of the situation?
“Any time there's fraud it's obviously an unfortunate breakdown of trust with employees, and no different for us, that's certainly what happened. And I wasn't here (at the time the alleged fraud was discovered) so I can't speak to all the details other than law enforcement is handling what they need to handle when this kind of thing happens. The archbishop’s and my goal going forward is to make sure that we put in place – and I think Catholic Charities has already put in place – the necessary steps and guidance and procedures and policies to make sure that that doesn't happen again. Unfortunately people make bad decisions and I think the good news for us is we've gotten a lot of support from our donors and the good work that we do serving the poor needs to continue. And that's really my focus going forward, is to make sure that we've got the policies and practices in place that it doesn't happen and then really focus on the important work that we need to do ahead.”
What will you bring from your career in the business world to your new role?
“I think there are some really basic leadership commonalities. You focus on your clients – who are the people that we're serving and what do they need? Those clients are different at Catholic Charities than they were at the law firm but equally important to understand what's the need. And unfortunately there's a big need, right? We have a lot of people that need help, that need support, that need services, so I think making sure that we're really focused on them is a top priority. And then our people, we have 70-plus people who are delivering services across southeastern Wisconsin, making sure that they have the resources that they need to deliver those services. Then thirdly listen to our donors and frankly, I would say, grow our donor base. I think there's a real story to be understood here about what we're doing. I think there's an opportunity to do more, deliver more services to people that need it, and I think our donors will respond to that call.
“And again, all of that's really under the umbrella of listening and learning from the archbishop about what he sees as the vision for Catholic Charities. And in my time with him, I know he is already a big supporter and sees Catholic Charities as really delivering important services, living out the gospel message for the people that we serve.”
Who makes up Catholic Charities’ donor base?
“It's a combination. All of the parishioners of the archdiocese contribute through the Catholic Stewardship Appeal, so the archbishop makes the decision about how to direct those funds that come in from his annual campaign. And thankfully, Catholic Charities is one of the many entities that are supported by that annual development, so that's a big support base. We're thankful to have United Way as a major contributor. We're doing really, really important work in the city and in the region of southeastern Wisconsin to support many of the kinds of causes that United Way has to support. And then there's other donors – individual donors, parish donors, grants, and a variety of other donors that all-in contribute to the annual support of Catholic Charities.”
As you work to grow that donor base and gain support for Catholic Charities’ mission, will you plan to leverage your connections across the local business community?
“That's a great question and the answer is yes. I think lots of business leaders have good hearts and donate to lots of different charitable organizations, and certainly we would want Catholic Charities to be on the radar of that. And I think also maybe more importantly is the work that Catholic Charities does is good for Milwaukee. When you're a business leader you want a vibrant, healthy, successful market, and the work we do helping people who are living in poverty improve their lives and help themselves, I think is good for business as well. And so I think telling that story absolutely would be important to building our donor base going forward.”
What can the business community do to help Catholic Charities right now?
“Well, my answer to my friends is pick up the phone when I call. We'll have lots of opportunities for people to help, and financial support is obviously important but also building a really vibrant, committed volunteer group that can help deliver those services. And I would also say continue to hold us in their prayers, right? We know that God works through lots of different ways and lots of different people, and prayers for our support and prayers for the good work that we're doing are always going to be welcome.”
How does your faith play a role in your professional life and approach to leadership?
“It's actually great to be in this role where you can lead and talk freely with it, right? Historically (in a professional setting), you would talk about a moral compass and you would talk about good leadership traits, and the great thing about this role with Catholic Charities is I can talk about faith and I can talk about what I think we're called to do and what I think the gospel expects of us and what I think God wants to see happen to build the kingdom here on Earth. Catholic Charities lives this, taking care of those most in need. There's a well-known, great gospel reading that says, ‘When did I see you hungry? When did I see you thirsty? When did I see you in jail? And when you saw it among the least of us, you saw it in me.’ And that's where Catholic Charities lives. We are trying to deliver the hope of the gospel and taking care of those among us that need it the most, and so it's great as a leader to be able to lead an organization where that's the mission statement. What a great mission statement, the gospel, right?”
