Special to The Texas Catholic
The Catholic Diocese of Dallas has announced Tom and Sue Merkel will serve as the chairs for the 12th Annual Bishop’s Invitational Golf Tournament to be held Sept. 19, 2022 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas. In addition, the diocese announced that CHRISTUS Health has renewed its Title Sponsorship for the tournament.
“The purpose of the Bishop’s Invitational is to provide need-based tuition assistance and scholarships for K-8th grade students attending Catholic schools in the Dallas area,” said Kelly Halaszyn, diocesan director of development. “We are thrilled to be working alongside Tom and Sue to help us continue to grow this mission.”
Tom is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in economics. In addition to being a strong advocate for Catholic school education, Tom is a managing director with Merrill Lynch, where he has resided professionally for the past 28 years and attained multiple professional achievements.
On top of his professional achievements, Tom just completed his term as chairman of the Ursuline Academy Board of Trustees, all the while remaining a member of the Ursuline Finance Committee. He serves the bishop of the Dallas Diocese on the Diocesan Finance Council, chairs the Investment Committee, and serves on the Finance Committee for the Dallas Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Tom’s previous commitments include serving 13 years on the Board of Trustees for The Catholic Foundation (ultimately serving as Chairman); serving on the Endowment Committee of the University of Dallas, and the School Board of Christ the King Catholic School. He is also the co-chair of Ursuline Academy’s Athletic Field capital campaign and co-chair of Christ the King’s Community Center capital campaign steering committee.
Tom and Sue have served on the Bishop’s Invitational Golf Tournament Committee since 2017. They have two daughters and two sons, who are all products of the Diocese of Dallas school system, having attended Christ the King Catholic School, Ursuline Academy and Jesuit College Preparatory School. All four children now serve as officers in U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.
“We are honored and humbled to lead this year’s Bishop’s Invitational Golf Tournament,” said the Merkels in a prepared statement. “The mission is noble and the task is nothing short of colossal given that there are so many in our diocese that desire a Catholic school education.
“We all know that family formation and education are the keys to solving just about all of society’s ills,” the Merkels said. “And we know there are countless families within our diocese that just can’t afford the Catholic education part of the equation.”
For additional information about the 2022 Bishop’s Invitational Golf Tournament, visit bishopsgolf.org or contact Robyn Trowbridge, diocesan associate director of events and stewardship, at [email protected] or by calling 214-379-2826.
