Q: What inspires you about the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and their Foundress, Saint Katharina? Are there particular values or works that you find especially important? 

Simply put, these are amazing women that embody the spirit of servant leadership. They know and understand their mission and they are laser focused on it. They embrace the responsibility that comes with sustaining the resources entrusted to them. It is this focus that I find inspiring as it is too easy to be distracted by outside influences. 

Q: Please share a memorable interaction you have had with a grantee and their staff/clients.

I am new to the board having just joined within the last few months. As such, I have not yet had a chance to do a site visit, but I look forward to doing so in the near future. My first full immersion experience was World Refugee Day sponsored in part by the Foundation. I look forward to hearing stories directly from those being impacted by our work and I look forward to site visits in the near future.

Q: What do you enjoy most about serving on the St. Joe Foundation Board?

At our recent all member annual meeting, it was rewarding to see so many individuals all working towards a common goal in caring for those in need. While it was my first experience with this group, the sincerity and genuineness of the group struck me. While there may be differing ideas, we all have the same goal. This spirit is contagious and challenged me personally in how my family and I can do more to serve our community. 

Q: Tell us about an accomplishment in your professional or personal life that you are proud of.

My wife, Kristin, and I have four wonderful children, ranging in ages from 19 down to 9. As parents, we want them to be both driven to achieve individual success, but also display empathy to those needing it. While our kids vary in age, we believe they are each displaying traits of this and we believe these traits will serve them well in life.

In my personal time, I love coaching and currently assist in coaching our daughter’s softball team and son’s baseball team. I have always been a huge advocate of fundamentals and I find it very rewarding to work with the athletes perhaps needing more of the coach’s time. When you see an athlete have a breakthrough moment, or start to believe in themselves, that is what I take the most amount of pride in. In working with older athletes, good days and bad days are more apparent. I take pride in getting athletes to believe in themselves, even on days they may not believe in themselves. This is not a lesson in athletics, but rather a life lesson, even if they do not see it that way at the moment.