About Me

The question at the center of my life’s journey is how we grow and change and how this individual work contributes to the broader world.  I’m a teacher, a coach, a thinker, a writer, and most of all, a learner.


My Story 

I was born on my grandparents’ multi-generational family farm near Lima, Ohio. Three generations of my father’s immigrant family worked in a steel mill for a century. My roots run deep. 

I was a deeply curious kid. I broke the mold when I set out to live and study abroad in Russia as a young college student. This experience of the broader world and its countless vantage points had a profound impact on me and deepened my curiosity toward the ways people see and learn.

I worked in the nonprofit sector for 25+ years, overseeing philanthropic giving and leadership programs around the globe with a special focus in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. I did graduate studies in history and theology and went on to earn a Ph.D. in educational leadership and adult learning. But my most profound learning has come from life, especially my travels to 100+ countries around the world. 

My journey as a gay man – and coming to terms with that – has shaped my life deeply. I have always felt myself drawn to the voice at the margins and sensitive to the feeling of never quite fitting in. 

I am the husband of Jon and the father of four teenage daughters and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the northern United States. I draw inspiration from nature, good literature, and friendships.

My Values

Interconnectedness

What is good for us is ultimately what is good for me. I live in a rich web of interdependence with others and with the world around me. This web of relationships is the most important.

Curiosity

I am an expansive learner, a generalist far more than a specialist. I’m particularly interested in the question of what the world looks like in the eyes of someone whose experience has been different than my own.

Integrity

Failing to be honest about who I am causes me to bring less of myself to all I do. I’ve learned that hiding who I am or striving to perform hurts me and everyone around me. Failing to address conflict bravely can be destructive.

Coherence

I’m learning to listen for little “flutters” that tell me that there’s a disconnect between what I’m trying to do, what I say I believe, and how I go about doing things. This is one of the major challenges of governance, when stated values don’t carry over into how decisions are made.

Vulnerability

I get in trouble when I pretend that I have my act together and assume others have figured the world out. It is best to be honest about what I know and what I don’t. My desire to see systems change requires me being willing to change.

Creativity

I was shaped by experiences that prized words and thought far more than visual thinking and creative acts. Our minds are important, but I can know so much more fully if I tap into my deeper body and soul.

Emergence

Assuming that I have the solution that the world needs can quickly become an act of violence. I’m deeply committed to listening, to adapting to changing realities, and to holding what I think to be true loosely.

Diversity

I’ve learned so much from people whose life experiences are different than my own. I remind myself daily how much privilege I carry. I strive to show up in ways that allow everyone to show up in an atmosphere of safety.

My Experience

I spent fourteen years with Overseas Council, a nonprofit in Indianapolis that has since become part of Mesa Global. I led program work focused on strengthening leaders of Christian theological seminaries. I helped form and led an amazing team of regional directors from Argentina, Lebanon, Congo, India, Zimbabwe, and Ukraine. I learned a lot from seeing the one type of institution (a theological seminary) in dozens of cultural contexts. 

I spent nearly a decade with Cornerstone Trust, a part of Gordon Food Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I served as a program director for leadership development with seasons focusing on Asia, Africa, and Europe. I served in foundation leadership, helping to make our application processes more accessible and responsive. I learned a lot about the dynamics of money and power, especially across cultures. 

I spent four years with unRival Network, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting community-based peacebuilders. I designed and facilitated the Artisans of Peace program, which sought to respond to feelings of disconnection and burnout. I did real-life program design and evaluation. I learned how important missional clarity is in a nonprofit team. 

Along the way, I’ve consulted with a dozen organizations on strategy, board governance, and leadership. I’ve done qualitative research for several organizations to help clarify work by listening to the voices closest to the solutions. I’ve also coached a number of clients toward organizational and personal clarity. 

My Education & Skills

I hold a Ph.D. in educational leadership and adult learning from Columbia International University (2012). My dissertation was a grounded theory study of board governance in four theological schools in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Russia. I recrafted it as a book in 2015. 

I earned an M.A. and completed all coursework for a Ph.D. at Indiana University (2005). I focused on the history of Imperial Russia, especially in Central Asia, as well as comparative studies between the Russian and Ottoman Empires. 

I’ve done ongoing formal and informal training in leadership, evaluation, social psychology, linguistics, facilitation, and adult learning. 

I can work in Russian and French and read German and Spanish. It’s a life goal to learn Hungarian.