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.

Cecilia Calvo is the Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice of the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Calvo develops and leads the environmental justice efforts of the Jesuit Conference, collaborating with province offices, Jesuit institutions and Jesuit-affiliated works abroad.

Calvo is an expert on environmental issues, including climate change, children’s health and natural resource policy, and has worked domestically and internationally to help respond to these challenges. Her passion for the social justice dimensions surrounding environmental concerns stems from the impact of environmental degradation on the lives, health, and rights of poor and vulnerable people.

Previously, Calvo worked at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), where she coordinated the education, outreach and advocacy efforts of the USCCB Environmental Justice Program. In this capacity, she played a key role in the promotion of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ to further dialogue, understanding and reflection on ways to live out this landmark papal teaching.

Her prior experience also includes research and analysis of environmental and natural resource issues in Latin America; work in the field of mediation and conflict resolution; and management of environmental programs at Target Corporation.

Calvo holds a master’s degree in law and diplomacy with a concentration in international environment and resource policy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and Spanish from Wellesley College.

MegAnne Liebsch is the communications associate 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. She is based in Washington, DC.

Fr. Travis Russell, SJ is the criminal justice policy advisor for the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology. He has worked with Jesuit refugee Service in Malawi, taught at Verbum Dei High School and served as an assistant at L’Arche Seattle.

As the Senior Advisor on Migration with the Office of Justice and Ecology, Caitlin-Marie develops and coordinates advocacy efforts to protect immigrants’ rights, promote comprehensive humane immigration reform, and address human rights concerns, particularly in Latin America.

Born at Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., Caitlin-Marie has been immersed in the Jesuit tradition since birth. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgetown University in English and Latin American Studies, respectively. After completing her undergraduate studies, Caitlin-Marie worked at Georgia Legal Services through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. It was there she was first introduced to migration issues, serving as a paralegal on cases involving agricultural workers in the United States on temporary work visas. While pursuing her master’s degree, Caitlin-Marie also interned for the Office of Justice and Ecology, where she supported advocacy efforts on key issues related to human rights in Central America and U.S. immigration policy. Caitlin-Marie is pleased to be back with the Jesuit Conference and looks forward to continuing to work toward a more just world for all.