Board Members

Rob Klein, President

Rob Klein is a recognized expert in healthcare marketing research and brand management. For more than 30 years, Rob has provided research and brand consulting to many leading hospital, system, and health plan brands in the country. Rob’s specific areas of research and consulting expertise include: brand management and measurement; market segmentation; communications evaluation and measurement; experience measurement; and service line development. Rob has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in advertising, both from Michigan State University. He also taught graduate level marketing research at Michigan State. He has served on the boards of the Detroit AMA (president), Chicago AMA (VP research), AHSM, and the national board of SHSMD. Rob is a frequent speaker at national healthcare conferences. He also developed and teaches the SHSMD U online research class. When Rob is not working with clients on various market research and brand consulting projects, he can be found coaching goalies on the hockey rink, hitting the links, playing tennis, and checking out the latest attractions at amusement parks. Rob also is an active parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Orland Park, IL where he is a Eucharistic Minister and a Spiritual Director for the men’s CRHP program.  Rob also has been supporting Catholic Sports Camps for many years as a Catholic Hockey Camp coach and mentor. He is extremely excited to be called to lead CSC to help bring more kids to Christ through sports!
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Toni Klein, VP of Operations

Toni Klein is the Co-Founder and Digital Practice Lead of Klein & Partners. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in marketing in the software and telecommunications sectors, she is a recognized leader and coach in helping organizations with transformative and innovative marketing and digital strategies which focus on delivering an outstanding customer experience to acquire new customers and retain existing ones to keep ahead of the competition. Recognized as a change agent, Toni has received numerous awards for her innovative approach and strategic guidance which ensures that the voice of the customer is front and center in all strategies. As an expert in the digital space, she provides insights to healthcare as a blogger and whitepaper contributor and participates on the Society for Healthcare Marketing and Development (SHSMD) digital task force.
She holds an MBA in Global Management from Thunderbird, School of Global Management with a focus on Latin America and consumer behavior. Toni also earned a Bachelor of Science Dual Degree in Marketing and Spanish Business Translations from Northern Illinois University.
In her free time, you can find Toni on the tennis court or watching a professional tournament (preferably in person!), reading the latest tips for cooking, exercising and shopping healthy. Toni joins her husband, Rob, as a Eucharistic Minister and a Spiritual Director for the women’s CRHP program at St. Francis Parish.  She also leads the Adult Faith Formation Committee. Toni also has volunteered at Catholic Hockey Camps in the past and feels even more blessed to be able to share her marketing skills for this wonderful sports ministry!
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Tim Botka, Secretary

Tim is a Regional Vice President at Primerica, where he leads a team of top financial professionals. He and his wife Amy, and their two daughters live in Joliet, IL, where they are active parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Raymond. Tim serves as President of Fishers of Men (FOM), a men's ministry in the Diocese of Joliet.  Tim connected with Fishers of Men in 2008 and quickly began to invest his leadership and people skills, working with the FOM organization to help men grow in Jesus. Tim's desire is for every Catholic man to be better equipped as Godly husbands, fathers, and positive influences in their community.  When Fr. Burke Masters asked some leaders of FOM who loved baseball to help him kick off the first Catholic Baseball Camp in the diocese in 2015, Tim jumped right in and has been serving as part of the team ever since. 

Christopher Gomez

Christopher Gomez is the CEO of Spirit Consulting, a management consulting company whose executive team collectively possesses over 150 years of business experience and are tied together by their zeal to carry out Spirit Consulting’s mission of fulfilling dreams through virtuous service. Christopher has many passions in life, including raising his darling boys, public speaking, and prayer at his parish of Saint Isaac Jogues in Hinsdale. Christopher is also wildly passionate about developing his community and in addition to serving on the board for Catholic Sports Camps and being the leader for the hockey camp since 2017, Christopher also serves as a board member for River of Light, a nonprofit organization that food rescues 900K meals a year for the needy in the Chicagoland area.

Jennifer Zielke

Jennifer Zielke is in project management at Zachry Engineering Corporation in Downers Grove.  She is Aunt to many and Godmother of 3.  Aside from having a passion for most sports and traveling the world, she is very involved in her faith.  She is in the choir at her home parish of St. Joseph’s and teaches in the Confirmation prep religious education program.  She has gotten to know Fr. Burke after making her Cursillo retreat and is now on the formation team for the next women’s retreat.  Jenn played both college softball and professional women's baseball. She’s very excited to be involved in the future direction of Catholic Sports Camps by taking an active role in the leadership team.

Richard Gomez, Treasurer

​Richard Gomez, CPA, is the Treasurer for Catholic Sports Camps, and has served in this role since CSC’s formation. Richard is a practicing CPA in the outsourced CFO practice of Kenny & Kenny, P.C., and has been in this role since December 2018. For the first nine years of his career, Richard practiced at BDO USA, LLP, with his last position as a Senior Manager in the Chicago Private Equity audit practice. Personally, Richard and his beautiful wife Christine are the proud parents of six children and live in the western suburbs of Chicago. Richard works tirelessly on a daily basis to become the Best-Version-of-Himself, which includes serving those that he comes in contact with, either personally or professionally. In addition to being the Treasurer and a Board Member for CSC, Richard also serves as one of the lead hockey coaches for the Catholic Hockey Camp. 

Mike Lennon

Christopher Fandl

Peggy Smego

​Staff

Lisa Shannon, Executive Director

As executive director, Lisa plans, markets and executes the summer camps and year-round family events. Her experience with Catholic Sports Camps began when she was Program Coordinator for the Diocese of Joliet Vocations Office, working with Fr. Burke Masters on baseball camp. She also ran the Totus Tuus summer camp program. With a Communications degree from Loyola University, Lisa has experience working in the promotions and marketing industry. As a parishioner of St. Walter in Roselle, IL, she has been on the leadership team of Bible Camp as well as the Moms & Tots Group where she has led a monthly Faith Enrichment study for 20 years. She is married and has 3 daughters. Growing up she played softball and is a life-long Cubs fan!

​Spiritual Leaders

Fr. Burke Masters, Board Spiritual Advisor

Fr. Burke is the Secretary for Christian Formation in the Diocese of Joliet. He also serves as the Catholic Chaplain for the Chicago Cubs and is the co-founder of Catholic Baseball Camp (Chicago) with his good friend, MLB All-Star, Mike Sweeney. Fr. Burke was not raised Catholic, but attended Providence Catholic High School in order to move closer to his dream of becoming a Major League baseball player.  It was at Providence that Fr. Burke fell in love with the Eucharist and the Catholic Church.  He became Catholic his senior year in high school. He went on to play baseball at Mississippi State University, where he played in the College World Series.  He was nominated as one of the top student-athletes in the history of Mississippi State University. He attended seminary and became a priest in 2002, serving as a parish priest, then as Vocations Director for 12 years. 
​Fr. Burke is looking forward to another phenomenal baseball camp where he and other mentor coaches focus on helping kids encounter Jesus Christ, practice Christian virtues, celebrate our Catholic Tradition, and inspire these young athletes to spread the Good News though sports!

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki​

Bishop Paprocki is currently the Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. He was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1978, serving as a parish associate priest, pastor and Chancellor appointed by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Bishop Parocki completed his law degree as well as his Doctorate in Canon Law.  His hobbies are reading, running marathons, and hockey.  Bishop Paprocki serves as the Chairman of the Episcopal Advisory Board of Catholic Athletes for Christ and wrote a book, Holy Goals for Body and Soul: Eight Steps to Connect Sports with God and Faith, published by Ave Maria Press. He uses the connection between sports and faith as a focus of his ministry. Nicknamed "The Holy Goalie", Bishop will be joining CHC again as Chaplain at the Darien Camp and the Springfield Camp. 

Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck

Fr. Chase is a priest in the Diocese of Peoria, serving as Assistant Chaplain at the University of Illinois St. John's Catholic Newman Center. He is most notable for walking away from his professional career to become a Catholic priest. Fr. Chase was a former Professional Soccer Player in Chile & on the New England Revolution. He played soccer for University High School, in Normal, IL. He made the United States Under-17 national team, before moving on to play for Clemson University, where he was a three-year starter, playing on the same defensive line as future U.S. senior national team fixture Oguchi Onyewu. Fr. Chase has been instrumental in the formation of Catholic Soccer Camp and will be returning again as camp chaplain this summer.

Patron Saints & Spiritual Intercessors

St. John Bosco

Feast Day: January 31
Patron Saint of: Youth, Schoolchildren, Juvenile Delinquents, Apprentices, Editors and Publishers

St. Sebastian

Feast Day: January 20
Patron Saint of: Athletes and Soliders

Camp Leaders

Fr. Burke Masters/Jennifer Zielke, Baseball/Softball
Benote Wimp, Basketball
Dave Lindberg, Football
Chris Gomez, Hockey
Maria Grygleski, Soccer
Therese Niego-Boyle, Volleyball