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EDUCATE

Dan Demeter

’00 When Dan Demeter graduated from Catholic That approach led to long-term substitute
Memorial in 2000, he wanted to be a journalist. teaching and middle school social studies teaching
But then he started coaching middle school jobs at St. John Vianney. During that time, Dan
basketball and realized he enjoyed working with pursued a master’s degree in educational
kids. Dan changed his major at the University of leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, and he
Wisconsin-Milwaukee to education and never was offered the principal’s job in 2015.
looked back.
“What I value the most about Catholic education
Today, he is in his second year as principal of St. is the sense of community that I think is lacking in
John Vianney School in Brookfield, which has a 4K public schools,” says Dan, who models his
to grade eight enrollment of about 400 students. leadership style after
that of Dr. Kathleen
His classroom experiences at Catholic Memorial Cepelka, former CMH
loom large in his career. “CMH showed me a principal from 1999 to
different view of education and provided those 2007 and now
first glimpses of what teaching could be,” Dan superintendent of
says. “Teaching can be fun, engaging and Catholic Schools for
relevant.” the Archdiocese of
Milwaukee. “She built
Dan’s 12 years of Catholic education convinced positive relationships
him he wanted to work in a Catholic school, with everybody. If you
despite the certainty of earning less money. “I can do that,
literally drove to every Catholic school within a everything becomes
reasonable distance of my house and told so much easier.”
principals, ‘I’ll do whatever you need,’” he says.

Alumni Carrying on the Mission

Articles by Michael Popke ‘86

PREPARE

Jerry Jendusa

As a student at Catholic Memorial High School, Jerry principals he learned in Catholic Memorial’s classrooms and locker rooms. The

Jendusa was a three-sport athlete. He played varsity school’s commitment to excellence and its teachers’ dedication to both their craft

football, varsity baseball, and basketball. He and their students “groomed” him to make a commitment to excellence that Jerry

remembers going to the chapel as a team before has carried into a notable career.

football games to ask God to help the Crusaders play

hard and play fair, while Fr. Ackeret or Fr. Janette “CMH really did provide the foundation for me,” says Jerry.
prayed for victory and good health.
“There was a level of team, community and disciple leadership—

More than 30 years later, Jerry still adheres to those and still is. That taught me how to be selfless. When you’re a
values at STUCK Inc., the Wauwatosa-based business small business owner and you truly care about your employees
consulting firm he co-founded with fellow CMH and their well-being, good things come from that.”
alumnus Paul Schulls ’85.

Upon graduating from Catholic Memorial in 1985, ’85
Jerry attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
and graduated with a finance degree. He eventually
co-founded the international aerospace company
EMTEQ, taking it from a small startup in the mid-
nineties to a $100 million business with more than
630 employees at seven locations in four countries.

Jerry sold EMTEQ in 2014 and then created STUCK
to help businesses not only succeed but give back to
their communities. He built the firm on the life

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