The Officers of the American Association, U.S.A.
President
Joseph H. Miller, KM
New Canaan, Connecticut. Member since 1993
Joseph Miller was elected President in 2009.
Joe was elected Chancellor of the American Association by the Board of Councillors in 2004 and served in that role for four years. He was Chairman of the American Association’s first strategic plan. He has represented the American Association internationally, participating in conferences in Malta, Rome, Mexico and Miami. He was invested in the Order in 1993 and is currently serving his third three-year term on the Board of Councillors.
Joe has participated in seventeen Lourdes Pilgrimages, serving as President five times, running the on-the-ground operations of this 400 person trip. In 2008 he and his wife, Barbara DM served as Chairpersons for the “Lourdes 150th Anniversary Pilgrimage”. Joe is currently in preparation to become a Knight of Obedience.
Joe serves or has served on many charitable boards including: The Malta Foundation, Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, Malta House of Good Counsel, Malta Prison Ministry, The Inner-City Foundation for Charity and Education, Catholic Charities of Fairfield County and All-Saints Catholic School. He is a Eucharistic Minister at Saint Aloysius Church and Norwalk Hospital.
His professional life has been spent principally with AXA/Equitable, progressing from Agency Manager to Corporate Vice President. In 1991 Joe founded the New Canaan Group, a Financial Planning/Investment Firm.
A graduate of Siena College, he and Barbara have five children and nineteen grandchildren and live in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Chancellor
Jack E. Pohrer, KM
St. Louis, Missouri. Member since 1992
Jack completed his first term on the Board of Councillors where he served as Chair of the Audit Committee, Chair of the Defense of the Faith Committee, and also Chair of the Auxiliary Committee.
He was Co-Chair of the Lourdes Pilgrimage in 2002 and has subsequently served in Lourdes as Captain of the Auxiliary in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and as President of the 2007 and 2008 Lourdes Pilgrimage. He has been a Lourdes Pilgrim every year since 2000.
He is a former Area Chair and former Hospitaller for St. Louis, Missouri. Served on the Board of St. Patricks Center, a Malta Project. Prepares dinner monthly for Rosati Center (mentally ill homeless residence), a Malta project. Chairman of Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation (provides scholarships for students at Catholic Schools). Chairman of the Finance Council of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, former Budget Chairman for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Past Chairman of Catholic Charities, Past Chairman of the Catholic Commission on Housing. Serves on other Catholic, charitable and civic boards in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Business Executive and Principal with interests in the parking industry, real estate, hospitality.
Graduated from Holy Cross College and St. Louis University Law School.
Served in the Missouri State Legislature.
Hospitaller
Mary C. McCooey, DM
Westchester. Member since 1985
Mary is a member of the Board of Councillors and is Hospitaller of the American Association. She serves as the chairperson of the Spirituality Committee and is a member of the Board of the Malta Human Services Foundation. Mary has participated in 12 Lourdes Pilgrimages and is a volunteer in the Prison Ministry work of the Association.
Mary was a past Trustee at the Church of the Resurrection in Rye, NY; she is a Eucharistic Minister. She is President of the Saint Elizabeth Guild for thirty years (1980 to present). She has been a volunteer for eight years with Project Pierre Toussaint in Haiti. She is a current Board member at Rosalie Hall; a Board Member of the Sisters of Life. Mary has been a board member at many organizations including the Catholic Home Bureau, the Inner City Scholarship Fund, Iona Preparatory School and the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Mary was married to the former Chancellor of the American Association, Bob McCooey. She is the mother of six children.
Vice Hospitaller
Thomas J. Reedy, KM
Illinois. Member since 2002
Tom Reedy was elected Vice Hospitaller in 2010.
Tom is a member of the Board of Councillors. Additionally, he has served as the Area Chair for Illinois since September 2007. Tom has been the Chair of the Communications Committee and currently is the Chair of the Admissions/Preparation Committee.
Tom participated in the Lourdes Pilgrimage in 2005, 2008 and 2009. He attended the Holy Land Pilgrimage in 2007. He is currently in preparation to become a Knight of Obedience.
Tom has served on the Catholic Charity Board of Advisors, Port Ministry Board of Directors (2006) and President of the Chicago Chapter of Legatus 2005-2008. He is Chairman of Reedy Cares which serves underesourced communities in the Chicago area and is a member of St. Norbert's Parish.
He is the Managing Director of Reedy Industries, Inc. in Glenview, IL.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he and Missy have two children and live in Northbrook, IL.
Secretary
Justice Marie L. Garibaldi, DM
New Jersey. Member since 1993
Justice Garibaldi was the first woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court. She graduated from Connecticut College and received her law degree from Columbia University and her LL.M. from New York University. Prior to her appointment to the Court, she was a tax partner in a law firm and active in community affairs. She was the first woman to serve as President of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
The Justice received the Petrean Medal for Leadership and Service from St. Peter’s College and the St. Thomas More Medal from the St. Thomas More Association and Seton Hall University. She also has received Honorary Degrees from St. John University School of Law; Seton Hall University School of Law; Caldwell College; College of St. Elizabeth; and St. Peter’s College.
The Justice has made the pilgrimage to Lourdes and was impressed with the faith of the pilgrims from around the world. The Justice’s major contribution to Malta has been to recruit members. Currently, the Justice serves as Chief of the Abbey Review Board for St. Mary’s Abbey.
On a personal note, the Justice loves to travel, read mysteries, and enjoy an evening with friends.
Treasurer
James F. O'Connor, KMOb
Massachusetts. Member since 1993
Jim has served on the Board of Councillors since 2005 and was recently re-elected to a second term commencing in 2009. He was appointed as the Chair of the Membership and Area Development Committees, member of the Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Committees (Chair of the Sub-Committee on Membership). In 2007, Jim was elected President of the Order of Malta Worldwide Relief-Malteser International Americas. He entered into Obedience-Second Class of the Order 2004 and is a member of the Sub Priory of Our Lady of Lourdes. Additionally, Jim served as the Area Chair of the Boston Area from 2000 to 2006. In 2001, he was Chairperson of the Membership Leadership Conference in Boston and was instrumental in establishing the annual Area Chair meetings. Jim has made ten pilgrimages to Lourdes.
Jim is currently the Managing Director of The Chartwell Company (investment banker), CPA and operations executive, and serves on the Board of several public and private companies. He was Co-Chair of the Operations and Financial Group of the Archdiocese of Boston 2005-2007, Trustee and Member of the Finance Counsel of the Archdiocese of Boston (2006-2008), and Board of Governors Caritas Christi Healthcare System-Boston (2008-present).
Jim is a graduate of Boston Latin School, Boston College, BS (magna cum laude), Swiss School of Economics MLC 1963 (distinction). Jim is also a Eucharistic Minister at St. Paul’s Parish, in Wellesley, MA. He is married to Anne Morgan O’Connor, with three grown children and four grandchildren.