Task force named amid Archdiocese investigation

In the wake of sexual misconduct allegations involving at least two priests, six people have been appointed to a newly created Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force.

None of the appointees work for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and include both Catholics and non-Catholics.

The task force is to review policies and practices of the archdiocese in relation to the alleged misconduct by priests, and to produce findings and recommendations.

Their report will be given to the Rev. Reginald Whitt, who is the new Vicar for Ministerial Standards. He will present it to Archbishop John Nienstedt. The information also will be released to the public.

Based on details supplied by the archdiocese, here are the task force members' backgrounds and credentials:

DiGiorno has long been a parishioner of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Roseville. She is an attorney at Medtronic, where she has served a four-year assignment as its chief ethics and compliance officer. That's among a variety of roles she's had during her 15 years with the company. Before Medtronic, she was a partner at Briggs and Morgan law firm. DiGiorno holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Oseid has been a law professor at University of St. Thomas School of Law since 2004. She's won several awards in her profession, including being named the Faculty Woman of the Year by the Women's Law Student Association in 2007, 2010 and 2012. Before joining St. Thomas, she practiced law at Oppenheimer, Wolff and Donnelly until 1991. Between 1991 and 2004, she was at home raising her three children. Oseid earned her law degree at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1986. She clerked at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco and the criminal division of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.

Short is chief executive officer of Leamington Co., a holding company with interests in transportation, community banking, agricultural production and real estate. He's a mediator with the federal courts and previously served as a U.S. magistrate judge. He is an independent director of CH Robinson Worldwide and previously was a director of Allina Hospitals and Clinics. Short belongs to professional law organizations and has served on several nonprofit boards, including Catholic Charities, St. Joseph's Home for Children and William Mitchell College of Law. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from University of Notre Dame Law School.

Striegel is director of human resources and administration for the American Refugee Committee. She was on its first international team to investigate allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of refugees by aid workers in West Africa in the early 2000s. That team presented findings to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She's experienced in implementing systems and policies to prevent and address sexual exploitation of vulnerable populations. Striegel is former director of human resources for the University of St. Thomas and also Minnesota State University. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration/economics from Regis University in Colorado and a master's degree in human development from St. Mary's University in Winona.

Thompson is a licensed psychologist who has worked extensively in the area of sex-offender assessment and treatment. He's spoken to and consulted with professional and community groups on a wide range of issues involving evaluation, risk and management of sex offenders. He's president of the Minnesota Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Thompson earned a master's degree in social work from Fordham University and a doctor of psychology degree from Pacific University in Oregon.