Following a successful career in public relations and marketing communications, highlighted by dozens of awards including twice being awarded the Silver Anvil, America's top public relations honor, Eric decided to enter the world of the Internet as a Web developer and designer. For nearly 10 years he has specialized in providing Web sites to not-for-profit organizations, including several dioceses, large parishes and synagogues. His site for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was designated a Webby Awards Official Honoree in 2006 by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. He is currently employed as a web designer at a dot-com startup.As a published author, Eric contributed the essay on Our Lady of Guadalupe to the 2004 Loyola Press book Awake My Soul: Contemporary Catholics on Traditional Devotions, edited by James Martin, S.J. Eric wrote a groundbreaking 1998 cover story for America Magazine: "Notes from a Community, Catholic and Gay" and two other America features, "An Internet Strategy for Local Churches" (2001) -- which was utilized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communication in developing its documents "The Church and Internet" and "Ethics in Internet" -- and "An Astonishing Vision: Casting Our Nets on the Net" (2002). Eric has written other articles for America as well as Commonweal and The Priest.Eric has been a presenter on evangelization in the modern world for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Stockton. In 2005, he was a keynote speaker (along with Peter Steinfels and Bishop Donald Trautman) for the Cathedral Ministry Conference at its annual national convention hosted by the Archdiocese of Seattle.Cardinal Roger Mahony appointed Eric a member of the Synod Preparatory Commission to plan the 2003 Archdiocesan Synod. He served as a delegate to the Synod and was then appointed by Cardinal Mahony to serve on a committee to draft the bylaws of the Regional Pastoral Councils. He currently serves on the Synod Implementation Commission of the Archdiocese.In 2004, Eric was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Cardinal Mahony. He currently serves at St. Brendan Church, Los Angeles. He has served as an officer of the Wilshire Center Interfaith Council and has been a leader of three interfaith pilgrimages to the Holy Land made up of Los Angeles-area Jews, Christians and Muslims.Follow updates on Ascend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Ascend/89367621126The author's blog is at www.catholicstory.org