Mary Ann Dantuono Assumes Presidency of AIC-LCUSA

On January 1 Mary Ann Dantuono will become President of Ladies of Charity USA. She will assume her position from Gayle Johnson who has given two years of very effective leadership to our organization.

Under Gayle’s direction, she and her talented board have established and begun executing a new marketing strategy designed by St. John’s University, redesigned our website, established a Facebook address, moved our national office from St. Louis to Kansas City, in addition to the many on-going acts of charity that LCUSA is known for. It has been an extremely active two years and we are all indebted to Gayle for her unbelievable energy and dedication to the mission of assisting those living in poverty by providing hope and a means to move from the environment that keeps them there. Gayle offers the following:

“It has been an amazing two years of my presidency. I was touched by the lives of so many of the marginalized and disenfranchised individuals we serve and the wonderful ladies who serve them with love and humility. I feel privileged to have been able to share the vision and mission of our leadership as they and the board continue to develop a plan for the future of the Ladies of Charity. It is important that we not only serve the spiritual and material needs of the poor but continue to live St. Vincent’s vision of changing the situations that are unjust and hold human beings in poverty. Mary Ann Dantuono has worked closely with me this past year and the transition will be a smooth one. She is blessed with wonderful leadership qualities and a strong commitment to our mission.

There have been several changes that have occurred since September. We relocated our National Service Center to 850 Main St. in Kansas City, Missouri and have hired Tama Dutton as our new executive administrator.

I will continue to serve on the board as past-president and will be the United States representative to the AIC international board. I look forward to joining you in celebrating our 400th anniversary in 2017!!“

Gayle Johnson
President, AIC-LCUSA

“Love the rule and keep them (the Statutes) as the road which God intends to lead you to Himself.” – St. Vincent de Paul

We are poised to continue the fine leadership that is a hallmark of LCUSA with our new President, Mary Ann Dantuono and President Elect Suzanne Johnson. Mary Ann has worked on poverty issues throughout her career, especially as they affect women, as well as on building strong organizations to engage in that work. For the past 18 years, she has been the Associate Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University, N.Y. Mary Ann also serves as an expert on women’s issues for the Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations and is a member of the Vincentian Family Collaborators steering committee dedicated to promoting systemic change. Mary Ann holds a law degree from St. John’s University and lives with her husband Michael in Jamaica, NY.

(LCUSA Servicette, July 2014)