Get To Know Us

Home » Get To Know Us

CHAIRPERSON

Cassie Schetgen

Cassie Schetgen was born and raised in Peosta, Iowa. She attended Loras College, where she obtained bachelor of arts degrees in religious studies and music.

Learn More

Cassie is employed by Holy Spirit Parish in Dubuque, where she serves as the Director of Worship. She also teaches piano to several students in the Dubuque area. Cassie married Brandon Schetgen in June 2015. Her family instilled in her from a young age the importance of standing up for life. She has attended the March for Life numerous times, prayerfully protested outside of Planned Parenthood, helped out at retreats for persons with disabilities, and written about the dignity of human life.

VICE CHAIRMAN

Arthur F. Gilloon, Esq.

Art Gilloon is a senior partner in the Dubuque law firm of Gilloon, Wright & Hamel, P.C.

Learn More

He is a 1975 honors graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 1978 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law. Art is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts in Iowa, the state courts of Wisconsin, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a founding board member of DCRTL and a member of the organization’s Speakers Bureau. He addresses a wide variety of topics related to life issues including abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, assisted suicide, stem cells, and cloning. Art has also served on the boards of several Dubuque-area community organizations. He was the first chairman of the Dubuque County Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board, and served several years as treasurer of the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association Foundation Board. He is a past board member and president of Area Residential Care, Inc., which provides residential and vocational opportunities to the developmentally disabled. Art served as a member of The Finley Hospital Ethics Committee for 10 years. He currently serves as a legal advisor to Birthright of Dubuque, Inc., and assists Birthright and Clarity Clinic clients who are experiencing a crisis pregnancy with free legal services. He has also served as DCRTL president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Art taught grade school and high school religious education classes for 17 years and also coached girls’ basketball at the YWCA for seven years. He has been married for 39 years and is blessed with a strong and supportive wife, three wonderful children, a great daughter-in-law, and three beautiful granddaughters.

TREASURER

John D. Freund, Esq.

John Freund is an alumnus of Wahlert High School, Loras College (majoring in Economics and English: Writing), and the University of Iowa College of Law.

Learn More

John has been an active private attorney since 2004 and founded Freund Law Firm, P.C. in 2010. He practices primarily in the areas of real estate and business advising and is admitted in the states of Iowa and Wisconsin and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. He and his wife, Amy, have been married since 2000 and have five children who span elementary, middle, and high school. The Freunds belong to St. Columbkille Parish where they are very active. John and Amy enjoy Eucharistic Adoration through the Power of Prayer and at Wahlert High School. John has been involved in several non-profit boards and committees, including serving as the chair for the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association, Four Mounds Foundation, and the St. Columbkille Finance Council, and he provides legal counsel to other non-profits such as the pro-life maternity home Mary’s Inn. His interests are many and varied, including Chicago Bears football, Shakespeare, history, technological gadgets, and the mass consumption of audio books.

SECRETARY

Sara McDonald

Sara McDonald is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a bachelor of arts degree in print journalism and a master of arts degree in catholic studies.

Learn More

As a student she participated in pro-life activities, including prayerful protests outside Planned Parenthood, and she served as communications intern at Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). Her capstone journalisn project examined the nature and preesence of bias in the print media with respect to abortion. Sara has worked in the worlds of publishing, education and nonprofits. She is currently the owner of Yarn Soup and is priviledged to serve knitters and crocheters of all ages and walks of life. She is an active member of St. Mary's Church in East Dubuque, Illinois, and has served on the board of Dubuque County Right to Life since 2016. She resided in Dubuque with her husband.

BOARD MEMBER

Colleen Myers

Colleen was the first employee of DCRTL in 1990 when they opened the office at 1209 Cleveland Street.

Learn More

Through that time they kept Planned Parenthood out of Dubuque, took 20 plus buses to Des Moines to stand for Life, started a Mime for Life, hosted a pro-abortion recovery and support group and grew their membership.

Colleen was away from Dubuque for about 15 years which allowed her to be active in other Pro-Life groups in Iowa and Illinois. She was also blessed to be able to travel across the country joining, participating, observing and networking with other pro-life groups.

She is married to John Myers and they have seven children and seven grandchildren. They love being settled back in Dubuque and are members of St. Columbkille's Church. She babysits 2 days a week and is on the Board for the "Miss You Can Do It" pageant. The pageant is for girls 5-25 with physical and emotional disabilities which her cousin started when she was in high school.

BOARD MEMBER

Rebecca McGrane

Rebecca grew up in Waterloo attending Catholic grade school and high school, while being a member of Blessed Sacrament Church. She attended UNI where she earned my BA in Early Childhood/El Ed and a Minor in K-6 Science.

Learn More

Rebecca has been married to her husband, Jerry McGrane for 18 years and they have had the gift of raising 8 children; Elizabeth-17, John-16, Brian-15, Laura-13, Maria-11, Daniel-9, Michael-7 and Amelia-2 1/2. She is a stay at home mom and also teaches part time at the local Catholic schools. They are involved at St. Francis Xavier parish. She enjoys daily Mass and being a Eucharistic minister. Her husband teaches at Beckman Catholic High School, where 4 of their children attend school. The other 3 attend St. Francis Xavier School. Her days are busy cooking, cleaning, and running kids here and there. She likes to read, knit, attend bible study and watch movies in her free time. She has attended the March for Life once wiht her oldest daughter and will attend in 2020 with her daughter Laura.

BOARD MEMBER

Leon Jensen

Leon Jensen was raised in Fremont, Nebraska, where he graduated from Fremont Senior High School and Midland Lutheran College.

Learn More

BOARD MEMBER

Katie McGuire

Katie was born and raised on a farm in Bernard, Iowa, and graduated from Aquin High School and Clarke College.

Learn More

BOARD MEMBER

Fr. Andrew Marr

Rev. Andrew Marr was born and raised in Floyd, Iowa. He graduated from Loras College with a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy.

Learn More

After working for a year, he attended Mundelein Seminary in Chicago, where he graduated with a Master of Divinity, and was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Dubuque in May of 2017.

Rev. Marr is currently the associate pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Dubuque. Having attended the March for Life and prayed outside Planned Parenthood, he is a strong lifetime supporter of the pro-life movement.

BOARD MEMBER

Jessica Pennington

Jessica Pennington grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the oldest of six kids. Her parents instilled in their children the importance of protecting all life.

Learn More

The family was active in praying outside Planned Parenthood, including in Washington, D.C. Jessica also attended the March for Life three out of her four high school years.

During college summers, Jessica worked at summer camps for persons with intellectual disabilities. After graduating from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, with a B.A. in History, she married Michael Pennington and moved to Dubuque for his job. Jessica worked at Hillcrest Family Services in the Anna B. Lawther Academy High School as a paraprofessional. After a year, she took a job at St. Columbkille preschool, again as a paraprofessional.

When her first child was born, Jessica became a full-time, stay-at-home mama. Her children are Alena (4), Luke (2), and Clara (10 months). The family attend St. Columbkille Catholic Church. In her free time, Jessica enjoys baking, cooking, crafting, hiking, swimming, reading, and traveling with her family. She teaches her children the preciousness and uniqueness of every human life and that all life should be protected.

BOARD MEMBER

Martha Schmid

Martha has worked in the Dubuque County Right to Life, Inc. office off and on for many years, organizing the March for Life pilgrimage for 8th graders in the area for over ten years.

Learn More

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ashley Stacks

Ashley Stackis was born in Dubuque but lived in Owatonna, Minnesota, Sugar Grove, Illinois, and Bellevue, Iowa, before returning to her hometown.

Learn More

She is a graduate of the University of Dubuque, having majored in biology and minored in chemistry.

Throughout college and for a year afterward, Ashley worked for Dubuque County Right to Life (DCRTL) as the receptionist before joining Molo Companies as a district manager. Almost three years later, she returned to DCRTL to serve as the executive director. Ashley has always been passionate about the sanctity of human life and has been involved in the pro-life movement since starting high school. She is very excited to be back at DCRTL!

In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, including her four brothers. Her hobbies include fishing, kayaking, hiking, cooking, eating, reading, crocheting, and enjoying a glass of wine with family or friends.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

McKenna Richard

McKenna grew up on a farm in Fennimore, Wisconsin, but has recently moved to Platteville, Wisconsin with her wonderful husband and they are expecting their first child at the end of May.

Learn More

She is a graduate of UW-La Crosse with a major in Organizational and Professional Communications and a minor in Graphic Design.

McKenna is so happy to start this new journey and help in every way possible that she can. She was interested in joining the Dubuque County Right to Life team, because she really believes in the mission, the cause we fight for, and what we educate people on every day. McKenna is Catholic and has always been pro-life. This is something very close to her heart, and she is excited to be a part of it. She feels so blessed to have this opportunity and can't wait to help the mission of DCRTL!

RECEPTIONIST

Tina Haskin

Tina Hasken joins the staff at DCRTL with diverse experience working directly with community members on community building initiatives and positive life experiences.

Learn More

She is excited to bring her recruitment, hospitality, and relationship building skills from United Way and Holy Family Catholic Schools to DCRTL to help increase engagement and exposure to the true value of Life in her day to day functions. Tina has been married to Glenn for nearly 30 years, has three beautiful children, and is entering the next stage of life as a grandparent this summer.

Get in Touch

Of course, no matter which method you prefer, you can be assured that your contact with us will be treated with complete confidentiality.

If you send us an email, we will not respond to you unless you request us to. In most cases, questions that require no direct response are posted anonymously to our FAQ page.

Dubuque County Right To Life, Inc.

2205 Carter Road
Dubuque, Iowa 52001

M–F 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

563.556.5960
dcrtl@dcrtl.org