Jesuit Conference Staff

Father Sean Michaelson, S.J., is the Executive Secretary/Socius for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Fr. Michaelson first met the Jesuits as a high school student at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. At Georgetown University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and continued his studies at Boston College, where he earned a master’s degree.

Fr. Michaelson entered the Society of Jesus as a novice in 1996, later earning a master’s in philosophy from Fordham University in New York and a Ph.D. in 18th-century British and Irish satire from Arizona State University. His theology studies include a Master of Divinity degree, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and a master’s in theology, all from Regis College at the University of Toronto.

Ordained in 2006, Fr. Michaelson taught at the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon in Montevideo, Uruguay, before joining the English department at the University of San Francisco as an assistant professor. In addition to serving as chair of the English department, Fr. Michaelson was also the director of the St. Ignatius Institute, the university’s great books residential learning program.

Before his current role at the Jesuit Conference, Fr. Michaelson served for three years as formation director for the California and Oregon Province Jesuits, responsible for the training of the provinces’ men preparing to be Jesuit brothers and priests.

Mike Jordan Laskey joined the Jesuit Conference communications team in 2018. He leads a team responsible for the Jesuits.org website, social media and vocation promotion. He also serves as the host of the AMDG Jesuit podcast.

Previously, Mike was the director of Life & Justice Ministries for the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, and worked in Catholic parish and nonprofit ministry. A writer and speaker, he is the author of the book The Ministry of Peace and Justice (Liturgical Press), and he's the sports columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, where he also contributes to the Young Voices section. His work has also appeared in America, Give Us This Day, Millennial, US Catholic, Vice and other outlets. He has an MA in theology from the University of Notre Dame, where he also earned a BA in English. He lives with his family in Maryland.

Father Paul Holland S.J., is the Delegate for Formation and Jesuit Life for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Responsible for coordinating policies and matters related to the personal and communal life of Jesuits, Fr. Holland oversees efforts in areas such as formation, health care, ethics in ministry and vocation promotion.

Prior to joining the Jesuit Conference, Fr. Holland served for six years in Connecticut as rector of the Fairfield University Jesuit Community. From 2005 through 2010, he was the rector of the Jesuit community at Campion Renewal Center in Weston, Massachusetts. Earlier assignments include serving as pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Storrs, Connecticut, and as an associate chaplain and instructor in religious studies at Fairfield University.

He earned a master’s in ecclesiology from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s in philosophy from Boston College, a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California, and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. As a young Jesuit, Fr. Holland taught English, African history and Zambian civics at Canisius College in Zambia. He served as a consultant to the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Vocations and has published articles on theology, spirituality, vocations and prayer.

Ted Penton, S.J., is the Secretary of the Office of Justice and Ecology at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Penton earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree at Penn State in philosophy. Eager to step out of the classroom and work more directly with people on the margins of society, he first met the Jesuits via the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC).

Through JVC, Penton volunteered for the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina in 2000-01, leading outreach to migrant workers across the state to educate them about their rights. Inspired by this work to study law, he went on to complete a J.D. at Harvard Law School.

Following a brief career with the Human Rights Law Section of the Department of Justice in Ottawa, Penton entered the Society of Jesus in Canada in 2009. After completing his first two years of theology studies, he worked for three years for the Ignatian Spirituality Project, a network of volunteers who offer retreats across the United States and Canada for men and women experiencing homelessness and in recovery from addiction. Penton recently finished his theology studies (M.Div., S.T.B., S.T.M.) at Regis College in Toronto and was ordained a priest in 2019.

Eric Clayton is the deputy director of communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States and the author of "Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith" (Loyola Press). He joined the team in 2019 and produces content that shares the wide-ranging impact and potential of Ignatian spirituality. He also guest hosts AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast.

He previously worked at Catholic Relief Services, most recently as the Campaign Content Manager, overseeing the development of prayer and advocacy resources aimed at promoting Catholic social teaching to a US-based audience. He has also managed social media channels for Maryknoll Lay Missioners, developed and directed retreats for the Sisters of Bon Secours and was an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Towson University. His writing has appeared in Busted Halo, Amendo, Sojourners, Grotto Network and Give Us This Day.

He has a BA in creative writing and international studies from Fairfield University and an MA in international media from American University. He lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife and two daughters.

MegAnne Liebsch is the communications manager for the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. She coordinates with OJE policy advisors to develop stories and resources that promote deeper engagement with issues of social and environmental injustice.

Liebsch holds an MA in Media and International Conflict from University College Dublin and a BA from La Salle University. She is based in Washington, DC.