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| John Huebscher | Kim Wadas |
MADISON — The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) announced that Executive Director John Huebscher will retire in January and Associate Director Kim Wadas will succeed him.
The WCC was organized by the state’s Catholic bishops in 1969 for the purpose of coordinating various interdiocesan activities and public affairs interests of the five Roman Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin on a statewide level.
A primary responsibility given to the conference is to represent the dioceses in the Wisconsin Legislature and to study and develop public policy positions that reflect the teachings and values of the Catholic Church.
Named director in 1992
Huebscher is the WCC’s second director, having succeeded Charles Phillips in July of 1992.
During his tenure, Huebscher served as president of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors from 1998 through 2000.
He also represented the State Catholic Conference Directors as an observer member on the Domestic Policy Committee of the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) from 1992 through 1998, and in a similar capacity on the USCC’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities from 2000 to 2001.
In May 2004, he was one of four state Catholic conference directors asked to present insights on the relationship between faith and politics to the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Task Force appointed to address the topic.
Prior to becoming executive director, Huebscher was the WCC’s associate director from 1987 to 1992.
Kim Wadas
Wadas is a graduate of Marquette University and the University of Iowa College of Law. She has been with the WCC since 2007, serving as associate director for education and health care.
She lives in Madison and is a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, where she serves as a lector. Wadas also acts as secretary for the Advisory Board of Directors of St. James Catholic School in Madison.
The announcements were made following a meeting of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference Board of Directors. Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee, president of the WCC board, said, “The bishops greatly appreciate John’s 28 years of service to the Catholic Church in the state of Wisconsin. He provided a thoughtful and insightful presence to the issues addressed by the WCC.
“At the same time, we have come to appreciate the talents of Kim Wadas during her nearly eight years with WCC. We are confident she will continue to provide the same thoughtful and informed representation that has marked the WCC’s advocacy in the past.”