The Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania staff assists with investment strategies that support Catholic values and donor intent. It is staffed by experienced community-engagement, fundraising, non-profit professionals from business, education, and philanthropic sectors. They are uniquely qualified to assist donors and the organizations they care about in the financial investment, legal, charitable foundations, and Catholic communities.
Pete Waldron, President
Pete Waldron has served as President of the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania since September 2017. During the past seven years, the Catholic Foundation has grown under his leadership adding more than 130 new endowment funds and more than 100 new partners.
He has worked for more than 30 years in community involvement, marketing communications and promotions, and advertising and sponsorship sales. His project management experience includes a variety of sectors in energy and petroleum, consumer products, newspapers, government/public service, economic development, and non-profit and charitable foundations. Prior to starting with the Catholic Foundation, Pete headed up Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy for Cross America Partners. He has served as an appointed government official for the County of Lehigh, a national marketing consultant for The Hershey Company, and in editorial, public relations and advertising posts at The Morning Call newspapers.
Pete has held volunteer leadership positions on a variety of non-profit boards
and development committees and has assisted many Catholic organizations in their fundraising efforts including: St. Thomas More School, Allentown Central Catholic High School (ACCHS), Mercy School, and Cay Galgon Life House. He has served in leadership positions on a number of board of directors: Mercy School for Special Learning (Development Committee Chairperson), PBS39 Foundation (Secretary), IABC Lehigh Valley (Past President), Cultural Coalition in Downtown Allentown, Mayfair, and the Pennsylvania Lambda Educational Foundation (Past President). Pete was also involved in the creation of multiple 501(c )3 charitable foundations including the Lehigh Gas Foundation and the Cross America Partners Foundation, serving as Vice President and Executive Director for both.
He is a graduate of Penn State. Pete and his wife Terese are members of St. Thomas More Parish, Allentown. They have three adult children.
Tony Luna, Director of Philanthropy
Tony Luna is the Director of Philanthropy. He works with the partners of the Catholic Foundation to execute key development components of the Foundation’s Partner Program, helping them grow their endowment funds through major gifts and planned giving.
Prior to joining the Catholic Foundation, Tony spent 25 years successfully raising funds for various organizations. Most recently, he served as Director of Donor Impact for Independence Mission Schools (IMS), a network of 14 independent Catholic schools in Philadelphia. He also previously worked in an executive development position at Pearl S. Buck International, a philanthropic organization in Bucks County, PA, providing humanitarian aid, intercultural education, and historical tours of the Pearl S. Buck House, a National Historic Landmark museum.
Tony finds meeting new people energizing. He has a true passion for learning their stories, building relationships, and inviting people to invest in and support organizations and causes that inspire them.
Tony earned his Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.) with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management from Seton Hall University. He is a Third-Degree Knight of Columbus, a Men’s Ministry Leader, and a Lector at his parish, St. John the Baptist, in Ottsville, PA. Tony also serves as Vice President of the Board of Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist and Chairman of the inaugural Vision Dinner fundraising event at Martin Saints Classical High School in East Norriton, PA.