HICKORY — The Diocese of Charlotte has hired a new director for the Catholic Conference Center.
Deacon Scott Gilfillan succeeds Paul Cronin, who recently retired after overseeing a major renovation of the conference center.
Deacon Gilfillan most recently served as a general manager of a local steel company. He also serves as the diocese’s director of formation for the permanent diaconate.
Deacon Gilfillan and his wife Kimberly are members of St. Joseph Church in Newton.
For the past couple of years, Deacon Gilfillan said, he knew it was time for him to leave his former job and venture into something new that would use all of his gifts – both as a deacon in the Church and as a businessman.
“For most of this time, I prayed fervently for God to reveal to me what that ‘something new’ was, but God was mostly silent,” Deacon Gilfillan said. “Looking back, I see reasons for the silence – God was preparing me for the perfect assignment. Though the conference center was never on my list of ‘what’s next,’ I see now how neatly the position at the conference center beautifully combines both my passions and expertise.”
Deacon Gilfillan acknowledged the great job that Cronin did in updating and rebranding the conference center. “Paul Cronin, the previous director, has done an excellent job guiding the center through the renovations that came from the ‘Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love’ campaign,” he said.
“He upgraded the facilities so they are fresh and welcoming. The dividends of this investment are beginning to pay off. Revenues for the last three months have been the best three months in the history of the center. Paul also set up a great cadre of vendors, and has left me with a stellar staff keenly focused on the satisfaction and well-being of guests. He has started the work of developing a new generation of conference center guests.”
Deacon Gilfillan said his goal is to build upon the foundation set by Cronin and continue to improve the conference center’s operations, particularly with expanding the number and diversity of the guests who frequent the center for retreats, meetings and conferences.
“We’ve got a wonderful place for rest and renewal for a wide variety of diverse groups,” he noted. “The people who visit have a great experience and come back again and again. I realized this when I reviewed the list of past customers. I was amazed at how many groups return. I thought I would see a lot of folks that had come once and had not returned. I actually found very few.
“What I found, instead, is a vast majority of groups that have visited over the last few years have returned. They value the unique features of the conference center, have a great experience at the center, and want to come again.”
Deacon Gilfillan is himself one of those former guests. Ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2001 by the late Bishop William G. Curlin, he spent time at the conference center throughout his formation experience.
“I received great enjoyment meeting and interacting with the other groups that were also using the facilities at the same time I was attending classes. I am thrilled that now I get to meet new people each day,” he said.
Through a variety of marketing tools, including improving the center’s online presence, Deacon Gilfillan said he hopes to greatly expand this pool of frequent, repeat visitors.
“The greatest appeal for me in this position as the new director is the contact and impact it has with the people who visit. By offering a beautiful setting with sacred spaces, almost everyone leaves physically refreshed and spiritually renewed,” he said.
“In essence, the Catholic Conference Center is a unique means through which our diocese can evangelize the hundreds of people who visit each year. Jesus told His disciples, ‘Come with me to a secluded place and rest awhile.’ (Mk 6:31) I think the conference center is that place.”
For more information about the Catholic Conference Center or to schedule a retreat, contact Deacon Scott Gilfil-lan at 828-327-7441 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter