About SJEC

Tom Quinlan has been the director of the St. Joseph Evangelization Center since 2019. Prior to coming to Des Moines, Tom served as an advocate for evangelization in parish, diocesan and national catechetical leadership roles for over 25 years. He currently serves on the boards of Divine Renovation USA and Alpha in a Catholic Context.

He has spoken in dioceses and at conferences throughout the country (and in Canada and the U.K.), including at Franciscan University and the LA Religious Education Congress. Tom is the author of four books, including At Home in the Heart of God: Family, Jesus and the Eucharist (2023) and Excellence in Ministry: Best Practices for Successful Catechetical Leadership (2017).

His style strives to bring spirituality, theological reflection and pastoral application into synergy. He is dedicated to helping parish leaders thrive. A particular area of focus for Tom is the fostering of conversion in parents. He lives in Clive, Iowa, with his wife and two boys.

Paulette Arthur Chapman serves at the SJEC as a consultant, primarily in the area of family and intergenerational faith formation. She also leads retreats, offers workshops, and consults in other capacities.

Paulette has over 35 years of experience at the parish and diocesan level in lifelong faith formation, catechumenal ministry, and resource curation and development, as well as ministry training and leadership. Paulette holds a BA in Theology from Briar Cliff University and an MA in Systematic Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She has written for Liturgy Training Publications and Center for Ministry Development. She and her husband, Tom, live in Urbandale, IA and have three adult children.