Ted Phernetton sees his post as a ministry
ALLOUEZ — Ted Phernetton recalls a conversation he had years ago with his wife, Bonnie. He shared with her that if the position of director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Green Bay ever opened up that he would be interested. Phernetton was true to his word. In December, he became the new director, succeeding Karen Johnston, who retired after serving Catholic Charities for the past 14 years.
"This is a wonderful organization, an extremely sound foundation," said Phernetton. "Following in Karen's footsteps is an honor. The reputation is very good and very strong. The goal is to continue to do the good work."
Most recently, Phernetton served as director of Health and Human Services for Waupaca County. Adapting to his new position is aided by past experiences. Growing up, Phernetton attended 12 different schools before graduating from Webster High School in northwest Wisconsin.
Ted Phernetton, new director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Green Bay, says the agency has a good reputation in the community. “The goal is to continue to do the good work,” he said. (Sam Lucero | The Compass)
"I thought everybody did it," he said in reference to the frequent relocations by his family. "In middle school and continuing into high school, I realized it wasn't the norm. One time we moved to Muskogee, Okla., for a couple months. (My father) got in touch with an old Army buddy and he decided we needed to live down there so off we went in the old Ford with a U-Haul trailer."
Phernetton, who was born in Oakland, Calif., has no regrets from his childhood experience.
"It was a great adventure," he said. "I think it has helped over the years to adapt to certain situations. I was able to live in a lot of different neighborhoods. I got to meet a lot of different people from a lot of different socioeconomic backgrounds, different religions, different ways of thinking."
Phernetton served in the Navy prior to attending UW-River Falls, where he earned a degree in social work. While working for Shawano County, he met Bonnie, also a social worker. The couple has been married nearly 28 years. They have two daughters, Kara, 25, and Katie, 21, and a 2-year-old granddaughter, Ella.
When Bonnie's mother became ill, they relocated to Green Bay, her hometown. Phernetton accepted a position with the Brown County Department of Human Services, where he worked with children, youth and families, and eventually managed adolescent services. In 1999, he became director of Human Services for Pierce County, Wis.
"I was only there for two-and-a-half years," he said. "The relocation didn't work out for the family. (Bonnie) hadn't had my experiences growing up."
Phernetton returned to Green Bay to serve as executive director of Cerebral Palsy, Inc., a position he held for nearly eight years. Among his responsibilities was producing and directing the annual CP Telethon.
"That was an interesting process," said Phernetton. "I had never done anything like that before. When I interviewed, I was aware that it was part of the job, but you really don't understand it until you are there. It was a wonderful experience. Talk about teamwork, it was an excellent example of how a bunch of volunteers can pull it together and work together."
Phernetton, who earned a master's in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, embraces his new position as much more than a job.
"It really is a call to ministry," he said. "To be able to be close to the church, to be able to hopefully practice the teachings of Christ and put forward Catholic social teachings is really a call. This is really something I need to do. I've dedicated my career to working with people who, for a variety of reasons, find themselves in situations that may by no fault of their own, need assistance. That's been what I've done. The call to ministry is very intriguing. I think that it allows me to serve in a little different capacity than what I had been able to in the past."
Phernetton didn't grow up Catholic. He joined the church through the RCIA program in 2002.
"There was a lot of prayer," he said. "My wife is Catholic and we raised our daughters Catholic. My brother-in-law is a Norbertine priest, Fr. Conrad Kratz, so I had a lot of support and guidance on the journey."
Phernetton said that he is in the assessment phase in his new position.
"What is the next chapter in Catholic Charities? Are there things that we should be doing that we can be doing that others aren't? We have (primary) offices in Marinette, Manitowoc, Oshkosh and Appleton," he said. "Should we be elsewhere? Where is the need? I want to get out in the parishes over time to have some conversations, maybe reintroduce Catholic Charities to folks, to see if there are ways where we can collaborate with people in the parishes."
While he has assisted people in need throughout his career, Phernetton emphasized that the credit goes to the families.
"They've done it all," he said. "My role has been to help maybe clear the fog off the windshield a little bit so they can see the road. Just help people make it through the tough times. It's been very rewarding working with families. I wouldn't have traded this career for anything."
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