Q. How long have you been connected with Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and in what roles?
A. I am currently serving my second term on the advisory board and have served on both the Executive and Campaign committees.
Q. What first drew you to Women’s Fund?
A. It’s evident how valuable Women’s Fund is to the community. The work that Women’s Fund does to leverage its philanthropic gifts to achieve desirable outcomes is incredible. I firmly believe in their mission and wanted to support an organization that plays such a vital role in our community. Women’s Fund addresses three critical funding priorities – economic self-sufficiency, caregiving and domestic violence – priorities that I believe offer opportunities to break cycles of poverty and crime while raising education levels – all of which make Indianapolis more attractive to employers and expanding of our tax base. I also support the belief that if an issue affects a woman, it affects a family – and if it affects a family, it affects a community.
Q. Who are/were your role models for "giving back" to your community and how did they influence you?
A. I believe wholeheartedly that stewardship is a learned behavior. I credit my parents and grandparents for teaching me life lessons in giving back and serving the community. They were great role models for me. Additionally, during high school, I participated in a Lilly Endowment program moderated by Dean Evans (former State Superintendent of Public Instruction) on Servant Leadership. That was influential in shaping my beliefs on leadership today.
Q. What issues impacting women & girls are you most passionate about? Do you have any personal connection to any of these issues?
A. As a father of four I know how important caregiving is to the success of a child. Research shows kids who don’t master education fundamentals, such as reading by third grade, rarely catch up. We need to invest in our children – they are our future. In order to succeed, children need to grow up in an appropriate environment. They need a safe, loving, nurturing environment. Women’s Fund reported back in 2006 that an estimated 59 percent of children under six have both parents in the labor force. This demonstrates the need for safe, quality and affordable caregiving options for families living in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
Q. What would you tell other women and girls about Women's Fund to encourage them to get involved?
A. One of the attractive elements of Women’s Fund is that as an endowment, the organization is able to look at our community through a long-lens and support organizations through bold and transformative grants. By investing in Women’s Fund, you are allowing us to make a difference in ways such as making operational grants and providing guidance to women and girl serving organizations, ensuring these organizations are here tomorrow, as well as strong today. I also like sharing with people the pivotal role Women’s Fund plays in cultivating the next generation of philanthropic leaders in our community through programs like OPTIONS and GO.
Q. What aspirations and hopes do you have for women and girls in Central Indiana?
A. As an employer, husband and father, I have an interest in sustaining and enhancing the vibrancy of our community. While there aren’t enough philanthropic dollars to address every community need and I realize some concerns are merely symptoms caused by deeper issues, I believe Women’s Fund is improving the quality of life across our entire community -- men and boys as well as women and girls, by focusing on issues that derail our success at the root level.
Q. Tell us a little more about yourself.
A. I have been married to Elizabeth for 14 years. Together we have four wonderful kids, two boys and two girls. I am the President and CEO of locally based FinishMaster, a wholesaler of automotive aftermarket paint.
A. I am currently serving my second term on the advisory board and have served on both the Executive and Campaign committees.
Q. What first drew you to Women’s Fund?
A. It’s evident how valuable Women’s Fund is to the community. The work that Women’s Fund does to leverage its philanthropic gifts to achieve desirable outcomes is incredible. I firmly believe in their mission and wanted to support an organization that plays such a vital role in our community. Women’s Fund addresses three critical funding priorities – economic self-sufficiency, caregiving and domestic violence – priorities that I believe offer opportunities to break cycles of poverty and crime while raising education levels – all of which make Indianapolis more attractive to employers and expanding of our tax base. I also support the belief that if an issue affects a woman, it affects a family – and if it affects a family, it affects a community.
Q. Who are/were your role models for "giving back" to your community and how did they influence you?
A. I believe wholeheartedly that stewardship is a learned behavior. I credit my parents and grandparents for teaching me life lessons in giving back and serving the community. They were great role models for me. Additionally, during high school, I participated in a Lilly Endowment program moderated by Dean Evans (former State Superintendent of Public Instruction) on Servant Leadership. That was influential in shaping my beliefs on leadership today.
Q. What issues impacting women & girls are you most passionate about? Do you have any personal connection to any of these issues?
A. As a father of four I know how important caregiving is to the success of a child. Research shows kids who don’t master education fundamentals, such as reading by third grade, rarely catch up. We need to invest in our children – they are our future. In order to succeed, children need to grow up in an appropriate environment. They need a safe, loving, nurturing environment. Women’s Fund reported back in 2006 that an estimated 59 percent of children under six have both parents in the labor force. This demonstrates the need for safe, quality and affordable caregiving options for families living in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
Q. What would you tell other women and girls about Women's Fund to encourage them to get involved?
A. One of the attractive elements of Women’s Fund is that as an endowment, the organization is able to look at our community through a long-lens and support organizations through bold and transformative grants. By investing in Women’s Fund, you are allowing us to make a difference in ways such as making operational grants and providing guidance to women and girl serving organizations, ensuring these organizations are here tomorrow, as well as strong today. I also like sharing with people the pivotal role Women’s Fund plays in cultivating the next generation of philanthropic leaders in our community through programs like OPTIONS and GO.
Q. What aspirations and hopes do you have for women and girls in Central Indiana?
A. As an employer, husband and father, I have an interest in sustaining and enhancing the vibrancy of our community. While there aren’t enough philanthropic dollars to address every community need and I realize some concerns are merely symptoms caused by deeper issues, I believe Women’s Fund is improving the quality of life across our entire community -- men and boys as well as women and girls, by focusing on issues that derail our success at the root level.
Q. Tell us a little more about yourself.
A. I have been married to Elizabeth for 14 years. Together we have four wonderful kids, two boys and two girls. I am the President and CEO of locally based FinishMaster, a wholesaler of automotive aftermarket paint.
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