Office of Justice and Ecology

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.

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.

Thomas Mulloy is the new Director of Government Relations for the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology (OJE). He builds relationships with the U.S. Congress and Administration in order to develop and implement OJE’s policy agenda.

Previously, Tom was the Director of Poverty Programs for the National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul, where he oversaw the Society's public policy advocacy and systemic change initiatives. In 2019, St. John’s University (NY) awarded him the St. Vincent de Paul Medal, given to a layperson who embodies the values of its namesake in serving people living in poverty. Before the Society, he worked for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a domestic economic, labor, housing, and social welfare policy advisor. He began his public policy career on Capitol Hill, on the staff of a former Member of Congress.

Tom holds a Master of Science in Social Administration from the Mandel School at Case Western Reserve University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from John Carroll University. After graduating from John Carroll, Tom joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and lived in Casa Celina Ramos in San Diego, CA. He worked at the Sherman Heights Community Center, managing the seniors program and afterschool homework center.

Tom resides in Philadelphia with his family.