The adage to give anything you want done to a busy person certainly rings true with Tim Connors of St. Raymond Parish, Menlo Park. The husband, dad, philanthropist and venture capitalist has just donned another hat as a member of the National Advisory Council of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

All of us at Catholic San Francisco are celebrating the recent promotions of our colleagues Mary Podesta and Chandra Kirtman. Mary is the paper’s new advertising director and Chandra has been named business manager. Mary has been with the paper since its beginnings 20 years ago and has put advertising on the pages of more than 600 issues. “She has been a pillar of the paper with her sales skills, knowledge of our Catholic community in the archdiocese, creativity and focus on promotions for local businesses connecting with our parish audience,” said CSF editor and general manager Rick DelVecchio in an announcement of the promotions before Christmas. Rick noted more recently that “CSF ad volume and sales revenue, starting from an already strong base, are ahead of forecast under Mary’s leadership.” Mary is a longtime parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Belmont.

It is always refreshing to come back to the pastoral center after our long Christmas break which covers the time between Christmas and the New Year. We all arrive the first few days back rubbing the respite from our eyes and bumping into one another in the hallways. Sadly, we were bumping into Delia Herrera, who retired Jan. 15 after 45 years with the archdiocese, for the last time.

Rachel Ball joined St. Anthony’s as marketing and communications director in July. In her email conversation with me, she said she was glad to come aboard: “I welcomed the opportunity to join the St. Anthony’s family,” Rachel told me. Rachel met St. Anthony’s while she was involved with a pilot program to reduce hunger and diet-related chronic disease at UCSF’s Center for Vulnerable Populations.

“Warm greetings from the Ignatian Spiritual Life Center and St. Agnes Church,” Grace Salceanu told me, and I think all of us, in a hello accompanying her responses to questions about the Ignatian Center where she has been director for a year.