Matt Kutz - Chairman
Matt is married to Sarah and they have four children, two of whom attend Chesterton Academy of St. Philip Neri. Sarah uses a Charlotte Mason and classical approach to homeschooling, which focuses on teaching through stories that engage the students. Matt has worked as a Systems Architect at Oracle Health, formerly Cerner, since 2008. He is a graduate of the Great Books program, the Program of Liberal Studies, at Notre Dame. Chesterton Academy is a dream in the making since Lisa Corley and Matt attended the Chesterton Conference in fall of 2019. They are very excited it is now a reality!
Lisa Corley - Vice Chairman
As a founding trustee, I am excited to see the fruit of years of planning for Kansas City’s first Classical Catholic High School. I have been married to my husband, John, for 20 years and we have four children, ages 18, 17, 15 and 13. From an early age I knew that God was calling me to the vocation of teaching. God has given me a deep love for education and for children.
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with minors in Literature and History from the University of Kansas and worked in public schools before starting a family. For the past decade, I have studied classical Catholic education tirelessly and educated my own children in this model. I prayed for seven years that God would use me in some capacity to transform and renew Catholic education in Kansas City. He answered my prayers when I was hired at Borromeo Academy in Gladstone, MO, to lead the transition to the classical model, and is continuing that good work in my position at Christ the King School in Kansas City, KS. I graduated last summer from a three-year Masters level certification program for classical teaching, with the Circe Institute.
I have found my vocation in spreading the news and philosophy of this most humane way to educate a soul. Kansas City is becoming a leader in the revival of the Catholic liberal arts. It is an honor to serve on the board for Chesterton Academy of St Philip Neri.
Charlotte Ostermann - Secretary
Charlotte is a Catholic culture enthusiast. As a writer and educator she offers an insightful and poetic counterpoint to the project of building Catholic community in the midst of the pressures of today's frantic world. She is confident that the interior life of the Body of Christ can thrive and provide a robust response to the realities we face together. For over a decade, Charlotte has written and spoken on Catholic education and spirituality. In Souls at Rest (Angelico Press, 2018) she reflects on the role of holy leisure in the integration of Catholic spirituality and practice. That integration, made possible through the Eucharistic Sabbath is the key to freedom of the individual and the flourishing of the communities we create.
Charlotte's essays, reviews and poetry have been published in St. Austin Review, the Newman Society, Journal, Canticle, and Gilbert, and on the Catholic sites Catholic 365 and Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction, and the Wonder & Joy blog of Chesterton Academy of St. Philip Neri. Her books Souls at Work: An Invitation to Freedom, Dare Your Something, A Destiny to Burn and the Freedom Trilogy expand upon the themes of leisure, freedom, personhood, education and response to the culture. In Upschooling: Twelve Catholic Conference Keynotes, she offers the advice of a veteran homeschooler as practical support for Catholic parent educators. She offers the workshop The Place of Poetry in Catholic Formation as teacher in-service training for Catholic schools, and for homeschooling parents.
Mark Basola - Treasurer
Mark Basola is a father to seven children, including current Chesterton Academy of St. Philip Neri student Philip Basola. Professionally, he is a Vice President with Enterprise Bank & Trust, responsible for managing middle market commercial banking clients in the Kansas City region and attracting new clients to the bank.
Mark has been in banking for 15 years. He has a passion for working with privately held, family-owned businesses. Mark earned his BA in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. Mark is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Outside of the office, Mark spends time on a variety of activities focused on family and the Kansas City community. He is the Treasurer of Chesterton Academy of St. Philip Neri, and formerly on the board of reStart, serving Kansas City’s homeless population. He is a graduate of the Centurions Leadership Program through the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and an alumnus of Teach for America, where he served for two years teaching math and science in Philadelphia.
Tim Rives - Trustee
Tim Rives is from Wichita, Ks. He graduated from Wichita High School East (where running on the cross country and track teams was his main reason for staying in school) before moving on to Wichita State University, where he received a Bachelor's of General Studies. He joined the Army and spent much of the next few years in various military schools, including a year of Korean language study at the Defense Language Institute. He decided he wanted to do something in "history,." however, and after leaving the Army began graduate study in American History at Emporia (Ks) State University. He was blessed following graduation to begin a career with the National Archives and Records Administration. He spent about half of his career with the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Ks, before retiring in 2023. He is now serving as the Community Outreach Coordinator in the Office for Social Justice at the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. He enjoys research and writing and has published numerous historical articles, as well as one small book, his parvum opus.
Tim is a convert to the Catholic Church. He is married to his wife, Susan and has two children and two grandchildren.
Devin Winter - Trustee
Devin Winter is owner of PWR Physio, a physical therapy company based in Lenexa. He and his wife Sarah both grew up in Kansas City and have a real love for the community. He went to Wheaton College in Illinois for an undergraduate degree in psychology prior to getting a degree in Physical Therapy from Winston Salem State in North Carolina. Both Devin and Sarah converted to the Catholic Church after college. The love for the church and the local community has helped spark his interest in developing a Chesterton Academy here in Kansas City. Devin and Sarah reside in Brookside with their five children and are parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish.
Luigi Frosini - Trustee
Katie Burton - Trustee
Katie is wife to Ryan, mother of seven, and has become a new homesteader with the purchase of an old farmhouse in the country near Leavenworth, Ks. She has always been interested in education and holds a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas. Her older two boys attend Chesterton Academy, and she currently homeschools her younger children. Katie has many years of experience organizing sports and other activities for children and teens, and enjoys networking and connecting others. Katie has a special affinity for the Three Hearts and desires to entrust everything to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.