By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Michael Hoffman is passionate about his Catholic faith and his career in business management. For decades, he has shared his skills with the church on a volunteer basis while working in the insurance and financial services field. Now, he is sharing his skills with the church full-time.
In early August, Hoffman began his role as diocesan Director of Development and Stewardship. His tasks include leading the Annual Diocesan Appeal campaign, helping individuals with legacy giving and promoting stewardship ministry around the diocese.
He recently felt a “tug” from the Holy Spirit to work full-time for the church, and made the decision to pursue it. He is thankful for the opportunity to work for the Diocese of Davenport.
As a Midwest native who has spent the past few years in Pennsylvania, he said he’s happy to be back. He said the diocesan staff has been warm and welcoming, and he notes that people are passionate about their work and aren’t afraid to put in extra time.
Hoffman grew up in Omaha and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, with a minor in marketing, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He calls Iowa home, having spent the majority of his adult life in the Des Moines area.
While he hasn’t worked in a full-time diocesan development position before, he said his management and operations experience, as well as his volunteer experience, give him the ability to serve the diocese successfully. Management is about helping people work together toward a common goal and operations is about budgeting and forecasting. “These are the nuts and bolts of the job,” he said. While living in the Des Moines area, he successfully assisted in a campaign to build a new church in West Des Moines.
His volunteer efforts led to the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice honor of the Roman Catholic Church, which he received in 2013. It is conferred for distinguished service to the church by lay people and clergy.
Hoffman has two adult children with his late wife, Patti, and three grandchildren. He is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, biking and swimming. He has completed 14 marathons, including two in Boston.
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