by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — For Derek Lyssy, his new role as the executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas (CFNEK) serves as a homecoming.
Lyssy joined the CFNEK staff in early July. He served two stints with the Diocese of Tulsa over the last nine years with a year of national work sandwiched in between.
But Lyssy is a Lenexa native and grew up going to Holy Trinity Church and school; his parents remain parishioners to this day.
He recalls spending a lot of time at the parish.
“Whether it be Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sports, the barbecue competition or whatever it may be, we were always at Holy Trinity on the weekends growing up,” Lyssy said.
He then attended high school at Rockhurst in Kansas City, Missouri, before returning to Kansas for his undergraduate studies at Benedictine College in Atchison, where he received a degree in business administration.
“Benedictine is a remarkable place,” Lyssy said. “I made a lot of friends there that I’m still very close with, and I met my wife there.”
Lyssy went on to earn a master’s in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, then served as a Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) missionary at the University of Kansas for a year and Northwestern University in Chicago for three years.
“Being a missionary was a transformational experience,” Lyssy said. “It helped me see that no matter where we are in life, we are in a mission field — whether it be at school, work or parish.”
“One of the most significant lessons I took away from my time with FOCUS is that your personal apostolate begins right where you are. It starts with an internal transformation of the heart and extends outward to your closest relationships. Ideally, that personal witness influences your immediate community, which in turn can impact the broader region and, ultimately, the world.”
Lyssy served as director of stewardship and development for five-and-a- half years for the Diocese of Tulsa, then returned after a brief stint with the Seton Education Partners to serve as chief development and communications officer for two years.
He wore a lot of hats in this role, including hosting the bishop’s podcast, “Tulsa Time.”
In his spare time, Lyssy likes to be outdoors. He enjoys running, hiking and coaching youth sports. He and his wife, who is from The Northland on the Missouri side, have five kids with another on the way. Their ages are 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1.
Lyssy said that leading a Catholic foundation one day was always in the back of his mind. He’s excited about its direction and to get to work with the team.
“The direction that the foundation is headed here is exciting,” he said. “I’m super energized by not only our team, but also the volunteers I’ve gotten to meet so far are wonderful Catholics who want to further Catholic giving in this area.
“It’s an amazing group of people and I’m very excited to work with them.”
Returning to Kansas City wasn’t necessarily part of Lyssy’s plan. The right opportunity had to present itself.
This was that opportunity.
“It wasn’t an immediate goal, but we were always open to the idea of it,” he said. “Everything has to line up when you discern something.
“But the opportunity to [lead a program] here and give back to some of the apostolates and ministries that I benefited from is super life-giving, and I’m very excited about that.”
Lyssy hopes to continue the good works of the foundation and continue to steer the ship in the right direction.
“We want to continue to share the good story that this foundation has,” he said. “It’s granted over $100 million to Catholic ministries, entities and apostolates in its history. There’s been unbelievably generous donors who have helped make this happen, and many volunteers and laypeople before me who have set the foundation. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help steward it.
“I am committed to strengthening our Catholic identity and advancing Catholic philanthropy in a meaningful way. It’s important for people to understand that we are not just any foundation; we are a Catholic foundation. At the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, we remain dedicated to our mission of serving this region through faith-driven generosity.”
