In his words
I think the most important aspect is I try to deal with people as individuals and respect them as individuals and as creations of God. Banking is a little bit of a secular world some days, so that can be a little challenging. I think we have a number of instances with the recession where people are having some economic challenges, and I get the opportunity to meet with them from time to time.
In those situations that are difficult, we always try to deal with people in a respectful way, in a way that’s honest but recognizes their challenges and situations. . . . I try to be mindful of my faith in how to deal with people who are undergoing some challenges.
I went to St. Thomas Academy and the University of St. Thomas. I think the education I got at those Catholic institutions that was values-based — which, at the college level included ethics and theology — is the foundation that I have used.
I’m fortunate to work in a really good organization, Sunrise Community Banks. It’s a team environment that we work in. I’m proud of the team we have and the kind of work that we do. We have a special emphasis on helping people in the urban community. Having a team that’s out working with people in the core urban area and trying to do good things in our community is probably what I’m most proud of.
We do lots of things in the community. We work with a number of nonprofit organizations that are specifically focused on improving housing and the housing stock in the Twin Cities and in the urban community. We finance these organizations’ efforts to rehab homes and make homes that are attractive places for families to live in.
We are out every day, working with people who are taking homes that are uninhabitable and making them habitable. Typically, these would be new homes for people that wouldn’t really have a lot of other options.
Profile
Age: 54
Company: University National Bank
Title: Senior vice president/ chief lending officer
Parish: Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul
Spouse: Mary
Children: Joe, Tom, Bill
Activities: Volunteer at Jeremiah Program, Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation and St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, member of Nativity finance committee
