With over 25 years of experience working within the Roman Catholic Church, our founder, Dr. Bernadette Kime has first-hand experience realizing the need for effective leadership within the Church .

As a result, Dr. Kime pursued a PhD in Instructional Managment and Leadership from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Focusing her research on the unique opportunities an challenges in training and developing leaders within the Catholic Church, especially among ordained clergy resulted in her dissertation titled Roman Catholic Priests: The Need for Leadership and Management Training.

She also published an article based on her research findings in The Priest Magazine in October 2023 titled The Need for Leadership and Management Training.

She also appeared on the Becoming Bridge Builders podcast hosted by Rev. Keith Haney titled The Future of Church Leadership: Adapting to New Realities.

Dr. Kime is a member of the Academy of Management and International Leadership Association where she participates in workshops and webinars featuring cutting edge leadership and managerial practices.

Gifted in the Spirit: Catholic Leadership Institute was created from her knowledge and passion of Church leadership and her continued research on the Synod on Synodality inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2021.