Christopher Lacovara, a New York Episcopalian with experience as a nonprofit CFO, general counsel, investment banker, and private equity executive, was chosen as the Episcopal Church Center’s new chief financial officer by Executive Council during a March 17 digital meeting.
Lacovara was chosen from a pool of 121 applicants after a nationwide search that began when the church center’s long-serving CFO, Kurt Barnes, announced his retirement in December. Lacovara is expected to begin his position in April.
“I am pleased to welcome Chris as our next CFO,” said Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe in a March 18 statement. “He is a committed Episcopalian with a clear understanding of the financial issues facing our congregations and dioceses and brings significant expertise from his work in finance, law, and the nonprofit sector. I look forward to working with him as we position The Episcopal Church for the coming decades of mission and ministry.”
“Chris Lacovara’s depth of experience and his commitment to The Episcopal Church make him the right person to lead our financial strategy at this pivotal time,” said Julia Ayala Harris, president of the House of Deputies. “His appointment reflects a careful and collaborative search process, and I am confident that his leadership will help ensure the church’s resources are stewarded wisely in service of our mission.”
Lacovara, who lives in Westchester County, New York, has served since 2015 as CFO and general counsel at Community Access Inc., a New York City nonprofit focused on providing supportive housing and social services to people living with mental-health challenges. He has also served New York’s Christ & Saint Stephen’s Church as a treasurer/finance director, and lives with his husband, Sam Green, and their family.
Karen Pappas of Pappas & Pappas Consulting, a Boston-based executive search firm that previously assisted with senior hires at the Church Pension Fund, assisted with the candidate search and described it to Executive Council during the meeting’s brief public portion.
Pappas said the pool of available candidates was narrow because of the restrictions on the position, which called for someone aligned with the values of the Episcopal Church who was willing to accept $75,000 to $100,000 less than the standard wage of a similar position. Executive Council also placed a priority on diversity in recruiting, with an emphasis on the factors of race, LGBT identity, and veteran status.
“We have a significant background in diversity recruiting,” Pappas told the council. “Our firm is actually well known, established, and respected for our experience for nonprofits, particularly for organizations committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I personally and professionally have been involved in diversity initiatives, cofounding diversity committees, and Sean mentioned mentoring marginalized individuals and recruiting for clients for 45 years.”
“Given the specific requirements for preferred religious affiliation or experience in the Episcopal Church, the compensation range … living in New York—given the cost of living and commuting cost, relevant professional experience, work history, and executive presence were all considered in our rigorous selection process with all dimensions of diversity. Our team focused on identifying underrepresented talent, which was a priority: people who match the ideal candidate profile.”
Despite the narrow specifications for the position, Pappas & Pappas Consulting identified 30 candidates who met both the religious and diversity commitments emphasized in the candidate search. Five of these were among the six finalists. Lacovara will likely accept the position for between the advertised salary range of $190,000 to $225,000, lower than Barnes’s $296,317 salary in 2024.
Lacovara’s appointment comes after several years of tension with the Executive Council over hiring issues. In 2022, the hiring of a chief operating officer was delayed after council members said they saw a lack of diversity in the hiring pool.
The new CFO’s priority will be to manage budgets as part of Bishop Rowe’s plans to “reorient our churchwide resources—budgets and staff—to support dioceses and congregations on the ground where ministry happens.”
Given that the church is shrinking, this reorganization will require a serious revaluation of church governance and allocated resources, particularly as the church’s mission shifts to meet the needs of the moment.
Rowe’s plans have already resulted in controversial layoffs and restructuring at the Church Center, and issues related to realignment and staffing were discussed by the council in executive session for much of the scheduled meeting time.
Retiring CFO Kurt Barnes received the President’s Service Award at the February 19 meeting in gratitude for his 21 years of serving the Episcopal Church.
Tyler Hummel is a freelance writer based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
