Ascension Newsroom

Jonathan Strate is the president and CEO of Ascension. Under his leadership, Ascension was named by Fortune as one of the Top 10 Best Small Workplaces in the United States (2024), and has launched 3 podcasts to hit #1 on the Apple charts in all categories. The most prominent of these, The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz), has been the #1 religion podcast in the world since 2021.

Jonathan serves on the board of the Association of Catholic Publishers and the national board of Young Catholic Professionals. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Immaculata. Jonathan holds a BS in computer science and an M.Eng. in software engineering from Penn State University.

Jonathan and his wife, Kelly, live in Pennsylvania with their 7 children.

Marisa Beyer joined Ascension in 2015 and is the Managing Director of the Consumer Products and Media Team. Marisa has been instrumental in the integration and expansion of Ascension’s digital media platforms and played a pivotal part in developing The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) podcast, the most successful religious podcast to date.

In her current role, Marisa leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to creating transformative Catholic content that serves millions worldwide through digital and print mediums.

Marisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Ave Maria University and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education and Teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children.

Cassie Schmidt joined Ascension in 2016, earned her SHRM-CP certification through the Society of Human Resource Management, and today serves as the Senior Manager of the People and Culture Team. Cassie has been a key leader on several Ascension projects, including the company’s pivot to to fully remote work in 2020, the rollout of comprehensive paid leave for parents and caregivers in 2023, and various investments in company culture which earned Ascension #8 on Fortune’s Best Small Workplaces list in 2024.

Cassie and her team oversee recruiting, employee engagement, and benefits management.

Cassie lives with her husband and children in Wisconsin.

Jeffrey Cole joined Ascension in 2020, bringing with him significant previous experience in Catholic publishing, Catholic education, and legal practice. At Ascension, Jeffrey serves as the Director of the Parish, School, and Small Group Products Team. He has overseen the development of several flagship products, including Renewed: Your Journey to First Reconciliation, Received: Your Journey to First Communion, and Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University. He also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Canterbury Christ College.

Jeffrey lives with his wife and children in Western Kentucky.

Jennifer Eckenrode joined Ascension in 2013 and currently serves as the Director of the Operations Team. With many years of experience in marketing, event planning and project management, she has held various leadership roles at the company, including event management of Ascension’s National Catholic Bible Conference and general management of the Consumer Products team, which was responsible for the development of the Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ascension Edition.

Currently, Jennifer oversees Ascension’s operations as it relates to customer service, supply chain management, and business operations systems.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management / International Marketing from La Salle University. She lives with her husband and children in Pennsylvania.

Josh Rudegeair joined Ascension in 2016, and today serves as the Managing Director of the App and Communications Team. He has been a key leader on several Ascension projects, including the marketing launch of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the release of The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) podcast, which hit #1 on Apple podcasts in 2021 and 2022 and is the #1 religion podcast in the world.

Josh spearheaded the development of the Ascension App, and now oversees its continuing growth and development as the #1 Catholic Bible App.

Josh holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He lives with his wife and children in Pennsylvania.

Deacon Michael Connor joined Ascension in 2020, bringing with him significant previous experience in finance and accounting. At Ascension, Michael serves as the Director of the Accounting Team. He oversees all banking, budgeting, and forecasting activities, and is a key contributor to the company’s strategic financial planning.

Michael is a Certified Public Accountant. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from Penn State University. He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate Program in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2025.

Michael lives with his wife and adult children in Pennsylvania.

Sean oversees all technology-related functions at Ascension, helping strengthen and modernize the organization’s technology foundation across commerce, operations, data, and digital platforms. With nearly 30 years of experience in software engineering, systems architecture, and technology leadership, Sean has designed and scaled platforms for organizations including Dell, eBay, and Care.com.

Throughout his career, he has led large-scale modernization initiatives, cloud transformations, and enterprise platform migrations, with deep expertise in scalable SaaS architecture, eCommerce, systems integration, and operational technology strategy. Sean is passionate about building practical, durable technology solutions that empower teams, improve operational visibility, and support long-term organizational growth.