Candidate Statement for
David Lewis Biersmith

I have the management and leadership skills and experience to provide new direction and energy for VOTF. I have been a member of VOTF for years. I will serve as an officer for two years. I fully support the VOTF Mission Statement, Identity Statement, and all three VOTF goals. Currently I am the leader of the Kansas City, MO, affiliate. I was elected to the National Representative Council from Region 9; and am a member of the Survivors Support Working Group.

I have eight children and five grandchildren. I am a member of the Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, where I am President of the parish Finance Committee. I am a graduate of Rockhurst (Jesuit) College, majoring in physics and mathematics. I also studied graduate physics at Kansas State and studied for the priesthood at Conception Abbey. I served in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years before establishing my own medical supply firm. Currently I own Industrial Medical Center, an occupational medical center. I am an avid long-distance runner, competing in over 100 marathons, and several triathlons. Also, am a graduate of the "New Wine" Program for Social Reform.

As the father of two sons who were raped by Father Hugh Monahan of the Kansas City-St., Joseph Diocese, I have personal experience of the effects of the clergy sex abuse scandal.
My accomplishments during the past year include: meeting with the lawyer for most of the victim/survivors of clergy sexual abuse in our Diocese and with the Diocesan lawyer and spokesperson; recruiting local priests to join VOTF; inviting the editor of The National Catholic Reporter to an affiliate meeting; and managing the design and implementation of the region’s website.

On Goal 1, we will implement a straight-talk approach to survivor support issues; we will not fear confrontation with bishops. We will reach out to those abused by nuns. On Goal 2, we will not be driven by political correctness in acknowledging the real issues of the crisis in the priesthood. On Goal 3, we will set achievable expectations and sub-goals for structural change. I will lead the effort for VOTF to call for, as a start, women deacons. I fully support The Lay Council/Synod Working Group and support VOTF’s leadership in this area.

Within 30 days of my election I will form an audit team that will assess and report on VOTF marketing and communications, making recommendations for improvement including, possibly, the use of new tools (e.g., a website that is updated daily, blogs, YouTube) and new procedures to get VOTF’s message to appeal to younger Catholics, and get timely and frequent press coverage. I will appoint a committee to recommend policies (e.g., attendance at each other’s conferences), and procedures to govern relationships with survivor support and church reform groups, (e.g., SNAP, CTA, National Leadership Roundtable). I will work with the development committee of the Board of Trustees, to introduce a VOTF dues structure to address VOTF’s financial problems.