Our Catholic Diocese of Memphis is pleased to announce a transition in our Core leadership as David Zaleski will continue in his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Steve Fracchia is appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Both report directly to Bishop David P. Talley and serve on our Diocese’s Core leadership team. The transition received the unanimous support and approval of our Diocesan Finance Council..
David Zaleski, COO
Since joining our Diocese in August 2019, David has served as the Chief Financial Officer and became the Chief Operating Officer nearly three years ago, providing strategic leadership in financial stewardship, operational management, and long-range planning. As he transitions to serving full-time as the Chief Operating Officer, David will continue overseeing our Diocese’s administrative and operational functions while working closely with Diocesan leadership to support our parishes, schools, ministries, and Diocesan offices.
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“David has been an outstanding leader for our Diocese,” said Bishop Talley. “His faithful service, sound judgment, and commitment to excellence have strengthened our financial stewardship and daily operations. I am grateful that he will now be able to devote his full attention to leading our Diocesan operations as Chief Operating Officer.”
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David brings decades of executive leadership experience in finance, operations, strategic planning, and organizational management. During his tenure with our Diocese, he has worked closely with our Diocesan Finance Council, Pastors, and Diocesan leadership to strengthen financial accountability, improve operational effectiveness, and support the Vision and Mission of our Catholic Church throughout West Tennessee. David is a parishioner at our Mother Church, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and he is the father of four adult children.
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“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our Diocese in this role,” said David. “Working for Bishop Talley, and alongside our Clergy and dedicated Diocesan staff, has been a tremendous blessing. I look forward to continuing to support our Diocesan operations as we build on the strong foundation that has been established.”
Steve Fracchia, CFO
Steve succeeds David as Chief Financial Officer after serving about three years as Director of Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center in Stanton. During his leadership, he strengthened our Retreat Center’s operations while also serving as a member of our Diocese’s Office of Evangelization and Faith Formation. Tara LaMarre now serves as Assistant Director of Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center.
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A lifelong Catholic and native Memphian, Steve brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in finance, accounting, auditing, and operations. His distinguished career includes serving as Chief Financial Officer and later Chief Operating Officer of Southeastern Asset Management, along with leadership positions at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/ALSAC, Rhea & Ivy CPAs, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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“Steve’s professional accomplishments, financial expertise, and deep Catholic faith have already been evident through his outstanding leadership at Our Lady Queen of Peace,” said Bishop Talley. “He understands both the Vision and Mission of our Catholic Church and the importance of faithful stewardship. I am confident he will serve our Diocese with integrity, wisdom, and dedication as Chief Financial Officer.”
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Steve is a graduate of Christian Brothers High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. He recently earned a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is an inactive Certified Public Accountant and Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources. He and his wife, Kim, have been parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for more than 25 years, and they are the parents of three adult children.
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“I am honored by the confidence Bishop Talley has placed in me,” said Steve. “Throughout my career, I have sought to use the gifts God has given me in service to others. I look forward to working with David, our Pastors, Diocesan leadership, and the faithful across West Tennessee to ensure we remain responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to our care in support of our Catholic Church’s Vision and Mission.”
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Core Leadership
Together, David and Steve will continue to provide part of a strong Core leadership under Bishop Talley’s direction, strengthening our Diocese’s operational excellence and financial stewardship while supporting our Clergy, parishes, schools, ministries, and faithful throughout West Tennessee.