FRIAR JAMES REITER OFM CONV.

Provincial, St. Joseph of Cupertino Province

Friar James Reiter was born and raised in Chicago, IL where he met the Friars while a student in high school. Upon graduating from high school, he entered the Order in 1969. He professed his First Vows in 1971. He went on to earn a B.A. in Theology from Loyola of Chicago and a M.A. in Religious Education from Loyola-Marymount in Los Angeles. He spent 21 years as a high school administrator, teacher, and academic counselor. He also served 18 years as a formation director, ten of those years as Novice Director in Arroyo Grande. Friar James was elected Provincial in June of 2026. His hobbies include raising house plants and researching family genealogy.

FRIAR JOHN HEINZ OFM CONV.

Friar John entered the friars while working in the grocery industry, and after attending college to study business administration and accounting. He was also volunteering with the St. Vincent de Paul outreach to the homeless, and to families in need, and entered the Franciscans because of a desire to work with the poor. As a friar, he received a Master of Divinity from Washington Theological Union, and a Master in Social work from Catholic University. Since ordination to the priesthood, he has ministered as a parish priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Hermosa Beach, CA as a Social Worker with Catholic Charities in Moreno Valley, CA as Pastor of St. Paul of the Shipwreck parish in San Francisco, as priest and social worker in Sucre, Bolivia, to assist the Friars there to establish “La Casa de San Antonio”, a multiservice center for street children and elderly of migrant workers there. He finds the most satisfaction in ministry working with the people most marginalized in our world. He is grateful that his Conventual Franciscan vocation has allowed such a variety of meaningful experiences. During the Provincial Chapters of 2022 and 2026, Friar John was re-elected as the Province Treasurer. He also oversees the various medical insurances of the friars and coordinates the Province’s Vietnam Mission Office. He provides ministerial assistance at Our Lady of Grace Parish, Castro Valley, CA as well as in various parishes within the Diocese of Oakland.

MICHAEL MOLINA

Board President 

Mike Molina first met the friars over forty years ago when he was a student at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance. The friars played an influential role for him which continues to this day. A member of several non-profit boards, he currently is chair of the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation in Palos Verdes and chair of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders. He is president of Molina Consulting Inc., a government advocacy firm which provides public affairs and lobbying to a select number of clients involved in the City and County of Los Angeles.

Mike and his wife, Teresa, are active parishioners of St. Margaret Mary Church, Lomita, California, where they serve on a number of parish committees and ministries.

ALISON STUART

Director of Development

Alison was born in Los Angeles, California and during her childhood lived primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada and then in the San Francisco Bay Area and Mt. Shasta, California. She earned a BA in History at U.C.L.A., a MA in History at San Francisco State University and was pursuing a Ph.D. in modern religious history at U.C. Berkeley before dropping out of academia to pursue a career in technical recruiting. After moving to the Five Cities area of central California she joined the choir at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Pismo Beach and eventually was accepted into the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale. She assists the Board in defining and organizing Foundation fundraising activities and publicity.

SUSAN PINO

“My husband Ron and I moved to the Central Coast in 1998 following my retirement from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. I held many positions at the District in my twenty-eight years of service, retiring as Administration and Finance Manager. Since retiring, Ron and I have been volunteering for various nonprofits. For the last ten years I have been actively involved with the Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County. The League’s main philanthropic program is Operation School Bell which provides new school appropriate clothing to needy students in all schools in the County. In 2019-20 we clothed over 2,200 students. I have held several positions in the Chapter, including V.P. Philanthropic Programs, President and currently Operations Manager for the League’s Thrift Shop. I have also served on Saint Paul’s Apostle Church Altar and Rosary Society Board as Treasurer.”

RAY YINGER

As a third generation Angeleno, Ray Yinger has always been
impressed with the Franciscan mission and their work in
California. He first met the Conventual Franciscan Friars while
attending Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, CA. His
hope is that as a member of the board he can help to ensure the
continued awareness and support of the Franciscan mission in
California.

With a career spanning 25+ years, Ray has worked across
businesses that span TV distribution, film/TV programming sales,
media research, and advertising effectiveness. Most recently he
served as VP of Agencies & Brands at a media measurement
company.

Ray and his wife, Stephanie, are parishioners of St. Anastasia
Church in Westchester, California, where Stephanie has worked
in ministry and Ray has participated as a board member for St.
Anastasia School.

MARK A. WARONEK

Mark A. Waronek has over 27 years of experience in government and community relations, and public affairs. Mark is the owner and President/CEO of M&M Consulting Group – a business he started March 2019. Mark currently is a Councilman in the City of Lomita – he recently served as Mayor in in 2020-21 and two other times. He is graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

He resides in the City of Lomita, with his wife, Kristine (married for 27 years), and two children, Madeline, 24 years and Marky, 20 years old. He enjoys spending time with his family and traveling with family and friends. He also has a taste for wines and on is spare time he is the public address announcer for football and basketball games at his high school alma mater, Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance. He has been the “Voice” of Bishop Montgomery for 33 years. Currently, he and his family attend St. Margaret Mary Parish in Lomita.

vivafrancismail@gmail.com | PO Box 518, Arroyo Grande, CA, 93421-0518