{"id":97685,"date":"2026-01-27T04:30:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T04:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/97685\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T04:30:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T04:30:17","slug":"catholic-charities-appoints-its-first-ever-chief-hr-officer-as-part-of-efforts-to-strengthen-and-unify-programs-in-the-service-of-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/97685\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic Charities Appoints its First-Ever Chief HR Officer as Part of Efforts to Strengthen and Unify Programs in the Service of Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Steve Colestock, newly appointed Chief Human Resources Officer for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

By Sue Denny \u2022 Posted January 26, 2026 <\/p>\n

Last May, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia unified more than 40 charitable ministries under one name, Catholic Charities of Philadelphia. Rebranding continued over the summer with a new logo and redesigned website.<\/p>\n

Now, Catholic Charities of Philadelphia (CCoP) has its very first chief human resources officer: Steve Colestock, 38. \u00a0His appointment demonstrates the agency\u2019s commitment to its most valuable asset \u2013 its employees, said Secretary and Executive Vice President Heather Huot. They are the \u201chands of Christ\u201d who care for the most vulnerable people every day.<\/p>\n

Colestock brings many wonderful skills to the table, Huot said. \u201cFirst and foremost, he is grounded in faith and mission. That is crucial, especially in this position. As he sets the tone for employment engagement, recruitment, retention, I am confident that it will always align with who we are as a Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Church of Philadelphia\u2019s first Catholic Charities Office was created in 1912 but traces its roots to the Catholic response to the yellow fever epidemic in 1797. Today, Catholic Charities of Philadelphia employs an estimated 1,600 employees. The nonprofit organization annually provides food, housing, and other vital services impacting an estimated 300,000 people in the five-county archdiocese.<\/p>\n

The rebranding process<\/a> centralized dozens of programs under the single public-facing name encompassing Catholic Social Services, Catholic Housing and Community Services, and Nutritional Development Services.<\/p>\n

Colestock\u2019s new position, along with the rebranding, are part of a strategic effort to unify CCoP\u2019s many programs and ministries and provide consistency across the organization, Huot said. The rebranding better communicates the breadth of its work, while the HR chief enables it to function more cohesively.<\/p>\n

In an interview two months into his new position, Colestock said his role is to help unify programs and personnel and to create consistency across the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we come together, improve efficiencies, become more streamlined, and make it easier to support our employees, they can focus on what they need to do \u2013 and that\u2019s serving the individuals in our programs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

At the time of his appointment<\/a>, CCoP Secretary and Executive Vice President Heather Huot called the hiring of Colestock \u201can important step in our strategic vision of empowering our employees, which will lead to a stronger, more resilient workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

CCoP\u2019s four pillars of service are clearly articulated in its redesigned website<\/a>: to feed the hungry and provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness; to support at-risk children, youth, and families; to enrich the lives of senior citizens; and to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n

Colestock began his career as a recruiter at Melmark, a Berwyn organization serving people with disabilities and their families. In 2018, he joined CCoP as director of human resources for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Services division and later became senior director of HR for the Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence. Before his recent promotion, he was the senior director of HR for IDD Services.<\/p>\n

According to his online resume, Colestock strives to be an \u201cempathetic listener\u201d with a \u201chumble heart\u201d for staff members battling addiction and mental health issues. Colestock has maintained his sobriety for eight years and draws from his own recovery to offer resources and encouragement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind being vulnerable,\u201d he said. If disclosing his personal journey can help others facing similar struggles, he\u2019s happy to share. \u201cIt\u2019s a big part of my life. I don\u2019t shy away from it,\u201d he explained. \u201cI\u2019m proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since October, Colestock has spent much of his time familiarizing himself with CCoP personnel and programs. So far, he is impressed by his interactions and observations.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day I am amazed at how dedicated and mission-driven the staff is,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible how much people want to make a difference. It\u2019s truly inspirational. That may sound clich\u00e9, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colestock has identified several immediate priorities. His first tasks are a full policy review and a \u201cdeep-dive assessment\u201d to determine whether programs have adequate staffing and resources. He also plans to solicit staff suggestions on ways to improve their work environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people to be comfortable talking to us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are here to support them,\u201d so they can best support clients.<\/p>\n

The most pressing issue facing CCoP may be the implementation of a uniform payroll system, Colestock said. \u201cWhile we have the best staff in the world, so committed, so dedicated, our weakness might be technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

He anticipates new automation tools and other improvements in technology will increase morale and enhance efficiency, enabling staff to spend more time on mission-driven service.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Steve Colestock pictured with his wife, Jackie, and daughter, Avery. (Courtesy Photo)<\/p>\n

Colestock has worked in human resources for nonprofit organizations his entire career. \u201cI want to work for a mission, for a cause, and I want to do what I can to empower people,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s always motivated me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, he has volunteered with a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities in underdeveloped countries. His overseas volunteer work not only confirmed his career choice but also helped to inspire him to convert to Catholicism.<\/p>\n

Following his marriage to his wife, Jackie, he began formation in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) process. He was initiated in April 2023 at their home parish, Our Mother of Consolation in Philadelphia\u2019s Chestnut Hill section, and their daughter, Avery, was born that June.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to us that our daughter has a solid faith background,\u201d he said. The couple is expecting their second child in February.<\/p>\n

In his free time, Colestock likes to be a \u201cgoof ball\u201d with Avery, 2 \u00bd, and spending time with other family and friends. He also enjoys hiking, traveling, playing chess, and following Philadelphia sports teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Steve Colestock, newly appointed Chief Human Resources Officer for Catholic Charities of Philadelphia. By Sue Denny \u2022 Posted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97686,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3918,3919,69,71,70,3921],"class_list":["post-97685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-catholic-charities-of-philadelphia","tag-heather-huot","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-steve-colestock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}