Mrs. Beth Zarate has been appointed chief executive officer of Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa), effective Oct. 19. Zarate comes to West Virginia from Texas, where she most recently served as an administrator within Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (CCGH). Zarate emerged from an outstanding pool of candidates from both inside the organization and across the country.
Zarate replaces Mark Sliter, executive director of CCWVa, who resigned to move closer to his family. During his tenure, Sliter completed a number of projects and led CCWVa staff to make great strides in serving those in most need throughout West Virginia.
“I personally want to welcome Beth Zarate to Catholic Charities West Virginia,” said Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, bishop of Wheeling-Charleston. “The wonderful work the organization does to help the least among us is one of the most important outreach ministries in our diocese. I am pleased with the experience that Zarate will bring to the organization as Catholic Charities West Virginia continues to embody Christ’s Gospel call to care for the less fortunate and provide relief to those who need it most.”
Bishop Bransfield also thanked Sliter for his service to CCWVa. “We are also grateful for the wonderful leadership Mark Sliter has shown at Catholic Charities West Virginia,” he said. “His work has affected the lives of so many people in very beautiful ways.”
Zarate has served Catholic Charities in the state of Texas since 2006, serving first as director of Mission Integration Programs Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, executive director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Lubbock from 2010-2014, and most recently back in Galveston-Houston as executive director of the Mamie George Community Center, an innovative center for seniors in Fort Bend County. Zarate directed and implemented all of the center’s programs and operations, including financial management, recruitment and development and staff and fundraising initiatives.
Zarate has developed curriculum for and coordinated a Parish Social Ministry program and served on a Disaster Recovery Team following Hurricane Ike, providing direct relief to thousands of victims in the area. Zarate has developed and initiated funding for a number programs with collaborative agencies in the public and private sectors.
Zarate is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University and has completed post graduate studies in public communication and issues management. She has completed coursework at the University of Notre Dame Non Profit Management Association and is a member of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.
“I am so honored to be given the opportunity to lead Catholic Charities West Virginia,” Zarate stated. “The board of directors and organization as a whole is inspiring, committed to the work of reducing poverty and recognizing that poverty is different for everyone, has different causes and requires different answers. CCWVa opens its doors every day to welcome those in need and to provide resources, encouragement and support. It is a privilege to work with the entire Catholic Charities team, the parishes of the diocese, and communities across the state to transform lives in a way that is meaningful and lasting. I’m so thrilled to be in the beautiful state of West Virginia and I am deeply honored and humbled to have the opportunity to advance the mission of this organization. I am guided by the words of St. Francis de Sales who said, ‘We shall steer safely through every storm as long as our heart is right, our intention right, our courage strong and our trust in God.’ The storms of life are very real for the people we serve and we must respond with great compassion and care.”
Matthew Bowles, president of the board of directors for CCWVa said, “Catholic Charities West Virginia is blessed to have benefited from solid leadership in the past and is looking forward to growth and continued strength under Ms. Zarate’s leadership moving forward. Catholic Charities West Virginia is making a real difference in the lives of our neighbors and it is the hard work of each and every member of the organization that permits this agency to reflect the love and mercy of Christ in the Mountain State.”
Catholic Charities W.Va. is one of the leading social service providers in the state, serving tens of thousands of people in need each year through outreach programs and services. Its mission is grounded in Catholic social teaching, and its doors and hearts are open to all who enter, regardless of their religious, social, ethnic or economic backgrounds.
The organization aims to alleviate the languishing effects of poverty; responding to the critical human needs of low-income children, families and individuals throughout the state, providing basic human needs and emergency assistance, family support, children’s services, senior services, immigration and refugee resettlement and disaster response; and offering opportunities to improve an individual’s or family’s circumstances.
