“You have not only honored CRS by your superb stewardship and service,” said Dr. Butler, “but everyone of us as well in the Catholic community.”
Mr. Hackett is planning to retire from the CRS presidency in January following nearly 20 years as the agency’s president.
A symposium with Catholic donors was sponsored by the CRS Foundation on October 12th in Washington, DC, and was held in order to honor Mr. Hackett’s service.
During his tenure, CRS succeeded in raising its profile as a leading humanitarian aid agency throughout the globe, while it made impressive inroads into the Catholic parishes, and other Catholic institutions by raising awareness and mobilizing Catholics on issues of global poverty and human suffering.
“I know…how many donors and foundations have admired your leadership and have been deeply moved by the way you transformed and strengthened CRS…” said Dr. Butler. “It is a premier charity in the U.S., and a template for how to run a Catholic institution in our day,” he added.
Under Mr. Hackett’s leadership, private contributions to CRS moved from approximately $40 million per year to nearly $300 million today.
CRS is presently at work aiding families fleeing war torn and famine plagued Horn of Africa and continues to reconstruct thousands of homes in earthquake damaged Haiti among its other world-wide services.
In addition to dramatically improving CRS’s professional capacity, Mr. Hackett succeeded in integrating into the planning of the agency at every level an operational commitment to Catholic social justice principles.
Mr. Hackett will be succeeded by Dr. Carolyn Woo, Dean of the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame, and a board member of CRS for several years.
Mr. Hackett was a frequent speaker at past gatherings of FADICA. Working with younger foundation members of FADICA on issues of global poverty, Mr. Hackett said: “As American Catholics and American philanthropists, you are especially called to exhibit your faith to the poorest of the poor throughout the world.”
