The Chancellor and General Counsel of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is joining the Diocese of Allentown in a key executive leadership position.
Kim Viti Fiorentino will oversee the financial operations, stewardship and development, human resources, information systems, insurance, real estate, parish support, and pastoral planning departments of the Diocese.
In her position at the Washington Archdiocese, she serves on the leadership team and is a key advisor to the Archbishop of Washington. She has broad experience in diocesan management and legal affairs.
She also is a former senior partner at a large regional Washington, D.C.-area law firm, Shulman Rogers. She served on the board of directors there, and, for 18 of her 23 years at the firm, coordinated its pro bono practice, which provided free legal services to those in need.
With the appointment of Fiorentino by Bishop Alfred Schlert, three of the four cabinet-level leadership positions at the Diocese of Allentown will be held by women.
“We are pleased to welcome Kim to the Diocese, and look forward to her leadership in many key areas of diocesan operations,” said Bishop Schlert. “She has worked with parish priests on many issues and truly understands their concerns. We are blessed to have someone of her experience and expertise.”
For Fiorentino, the move back to the Allentown area is a homecoming. She grew up in the Lehigh Valley and is a graduate of Parkland High School in Orefield. Her parents have been members of the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena parish in Allentown for more than 50 years.
Fiorentino earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and French from the University of Virginia, and a Juris Doctor Degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her appointment with the Diocese is effective Nov. 23.
The Diocese divides its operations into four main areas, or Secretariats. Fiorentino will be the Secretary for Administration. The Administration Secretariat, because it encompasses stewardship, finance and other key functions in diocesan offices, enables the mission and the works of the entire diocese by supporting the other three Secretariats.
The other Secretariats are: the Secretariat for Catholic Health & Human Services & Youth Protection, headed by Pam Russo; the Secretariat for Evangelization, Education & Formation, headed by Dr. Brooke Tesché, and the Secretariat for Clergy, headed by Father Adam Sedar.