John Eriksen of the Leadership Roundtable staff has spent eight weeks in New Orleans continuing to work with the Archdiocese on our Katrina Recovery Project. Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans has asked the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management to focus on five core needs:

• Developing a series of viability metrics in order to objectively and effectively evaluate Archdiocesan Schools.
• Creating budgeting templates and processes which accurately and appropriately address the needs of the Archdiocese.
• Designing the structures and processes which will produce increased levels of transparency and accountability.
• Formulating an appropriate school coverage model to best serve the divergent constituencies of the Archdiocese.
• Addressing specific challenges with respect to Archdiocesan High Schools.

• This project is a pioneering collaboration between the Catholic Church in the United States and the business and philanthropic sectors.
• Vibrant and financially viable Catholic Schools within New Orleans are essential as many New Orleans residents are deciding whether to stay in the city or whether to return and where to live.
• The program with New Orleans furthers the Leadership Roundtable's interest in demonstrating how partnership with laypeople can be a positive and meaning experience for those who govern the Church. Archbishop Hughes' support with his brother bishops will go a long way toward opening doors to more holistic service at the level of the USCCB and other (Arch)dioceses.