Archbishop Blase Cupich is already shaking up the archdiocesan hierarchy, replacing the No. 2 he inherited—Bishop Francis Kane, 72—with a man 25 years his junior. Meet Ronald Hicks—and three other key Gen-X staffers.
Ronald Hicks, 47
Vicar General
This baby-faced priest has skills (speaks Spanish fluently), smarts (worked at two seminaries), and pastoral experience (in two local parishes). Now he’s Cupich’s right hand, overseeing hundreds of archdiocesan priests.
Tenure: Begins January 1
Peter Snieg, 51
Moderator of the Curia
Snieg functions as the archdiocese’s top administrative guy— essentially its COO. Like Hicks, he’s worked at St. Joseph’s Seminary (as rector) and Mundelein Seminary (he’s on the board).
Tenure: 2 years
Betsy Bohlen, 45
Chief Financial Officer
A down-to-earth Notre Dame grad with a Harvard MBA, Bohlen left a McKinsey consulting gig to help whip the archdiocese into financial shape. Her goal: a balanced budget by 2016.
Tenure: 2 years
Tom McGrath, 42
Chief Operating Officer for Catholic Schools
Which, if any, schools will merge or close in 2016? This former COO of the 16-campus Chicago International Charter School helps make that call.
Tenure: 1 year