About us - staff leaders

Francis “Paco” Wertin, Chief Executive Officer
Paco has led a life of service, both as a Missionary Oblate priest and as a lay person, always working for justice on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. His experience and deep understanding of Catholic social teachings, Catholic structures and culture resulted in a unique leadership style that combines business and spiritual principles to create a faith-based organizational environment.

The complexity of our work creates interdependence between CFCA's international and domestic efforts. Working in the mission culture in Mexico, Guatemala and Chicago as a priest coupled with experience as director of a homeless shelter in the U.S., Paco gained an understanding of U.S. structures and culture and the cry of the poor, which are essential to the carrying out of CFCA’s mission. As a forward-thinking leader, Paco empowers the organization to fulfill its mission to create a community of compassion through personal outreach to the poor.

Paco lives with his wife, Claudia, and daughter, Theresa, in the Kansas City area.

Bob Hentzen, President and Co-founder

Bob's vision and leadership have guided CFCA from its founding in 1981. He first answered a call to missionary work as a Christian Brother in Colombia, South America, where he served from 1959 to 1963 and in Guatemala from 1967 to 1973. After serving as a Christian Brother, he continued teaching at the high school and university levels. A desire to return to his missionary roots and walk more closely with the poor led him to found CFCA with former Jesuit missionary Jerry Tolle and three Hentzen siblings: Bud, Jim and Nadine Pearce.

In 1996, Hentzen walked from CFCA headquarters in Kansas City, Kan., to Antigua, Guatemala. He began walking on his 60th birthday, and traveled more than 4,000 miles over a span of eight months. The journey was a pilgrimage of faith for Hentzen, who walked to show his love for the poor and call attention to their realities, gifts and potential.

Bob has six children and six grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Cristina, in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, where he oversees CFCA's international operations. He travels extensively to visit CFCA projects around the world.

Paul Pearce, Director of International Programs
As part of the startup management team of Cerner, an international health-care information technology development firm, Paul worked at the epicenter of the company’s decision-making. He guided clients and development teams in the U.S. and abroad through the design and implementation phases of multi-million-dollar projects and obtained the leadership qualities utilized in his current position.

As director of international programs at CFCA, Paul is responsible for all overseas organizational structures and program direction. He monitors the fiscal effectiveness of benefit delivery to the children and aging we serve and travels extensively to evaluate CFCA projects.

Paul is a resident of the Kansas City area.

Larry Livingston, Director of U.S. Outreach

Larry was involved in professional lay ministry and Catholic education for more than 20 years before joining CFCA in 2005. Most recently he had served as director of adult faith formation for the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kan., a role in which he helped educate people on the principles of Catholic social doctrine. A graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., Larry has also served in leadership roles in national professional ministry organizations, and has had many articles published in major catechetical journals.

In his role as director of U.S. Outreach, Larry now devotes his energies to helping build the CFCA community by developing avenues for inviting new sponsors, and by providing opportunities for those who want to partner with CFCA in bringing the blessings of sponsorship to their local communities.

Larry lives in Shawnee, Kan., with his wife, Kristi, and son, Ben.

Loretta Shea Kline, Director of Communications

Loretta worked more than 22 years in journalism and public relations before assuming her role as director of communications for CFCA. She joined CFCA in 2000 as publications editor, and was named communications director in 2006. A graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Loretta has worked in communications for non-profit organizations and as a journalist in the secular and Catholic media. Before joining CFCA, she was a reporter with The Catholic Key, the newspaper of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese.

As director of communications, Loretta guides a creative team in telling the CFCA story through publications, the Web, advertising and media coverage.

A native of St. Louis, Loretta lives in Liberty, Mo., with her husband, Robert, and daughters Allison and Karen.

Elaine "Laney" Haake, Director of Sponsorship Operations

Laney started work at CFCA in 1995, beginning in the department that handled income processing and assignment of children to sponsors. Since then she has served as director of Child Services, director of Human Resources and currently serves as director of Sponsorship Operations. Before joining CFCA, Laney served 22 years as office manager for a Kansas City physician. She and her family also owned and operated retail businesses in the area.

Believing that CFCA has a special calling, Laney feels privileged to be in a position to help make the organization’s mission a reality in the world today. Her role involves overseeing the operational effectiveness and efficiency of CFCA’s sponsorship program. Achieving that goal requires the judicial use of technical, financial and human resources. As well, her job calls on her to coordinate and implement initiatives that affect different departments and the entire organization.

Laney holds an MBA from Rockhurst University. She and her husband, David, have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Raelene Dietz, Director of Sponsor Services and Service Center

Raelene’s background as a company president and as owner of a chain of retail shops gives her a combination of business and people skills. She worked 11 years at Padgett-Thompson, eventually rising to the position of president of the Kansas City company that hosted 10,000 business training seminars annually. Raelene also owned seven Hallmark card and gift retail shops for 15 years.

Raelene and her sponsor services team help build long-term relationships between CFCA sponsors and their sponsored friends, answering questions by phone, letter and e-mail, and also by coordinating individual visits by sponsors wishing to meet their overseas friends.

Her service center team oversees the management of CFCA’s Kansas City headquarters and, with the help of a dedicated staff of volunteers, processes 1.3 million letters a year from sponsored children, youth and aging to their sponsors.

Raelene and her husband, Gayle, have two daughters and three grandchildren.

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