The Person Behind Our Fearless Leader

My favorite thing to do when not working

My family is my purpose for being, and I’m excited for every moment I get to spend time with them,  whether hiking in nearby parks, cheering them on from the sidelines of soccer fields, playing in the yard, traveling to fun places (we love the beach) or reading books at night. One of my favorite moments of the day is when the boys come home from school, whether tired or excited, happy or angry, their return is a spark the ends each day with bright light.

Most importantly is Beth, my wife, partner and best friend who has stood by me for 20 years as a support, motivator, and shoulder to lean on. Her encouragement and support, her ability to pull me up when down, to celebrate and soar with me when up is so critical to all I have been able to accomplish.

On the side, when I have time, I remain an avid runner. Having just completed my 8^th marathon this year, I love the time running gives me to stop thinking, to breathe, to reflect, and to take in the world around me. It helps me get stronger; it helps me think more clearly.

My favorite sport and team

If you don’t follow me on Instagram where more of my personal life comes out, you may not know, but could not miss, we are a soccer family. Both boys are club players, and earlier in their lives, I was lucky  to coach the boys in their first years of soccer. We love the game.

We actually love the game so much as a family that we are season ticket holders and unwavering fans of the Nashville Soccer Club. In many ways, we see our home pitch – Geodis Park – as a second home. To watch my boys who love the game get to see how it is played at a top level is truly an amazing experience. I’ll also add that watching the game at Geodis is also one of my happy places.

Something you may not know about me

I have also approached my work from a global perspective. Much of this comes from my upbringing. My grandfather was an immigrant, a veteran, and he travelled to over 100 countries in his life. I saw the world through his eyes. It made me want to become a diplomat, and I actually trained in international relations and public policy from college and beyond. I always saw the power in strengthening the boundaries between countries, and by extension, between organizations. As a trained diplomat I was also grounded in the power of collaboration and community building.

So much of what I learned then, I saw as the foundational values on which we ultimately built The Beryl Institute itself. Healthcare may be the place in need of the greatest diplomatic skills. The boundaries of relationships are essential to manage; these boundaries are critical in healthcare. It is what I have been committed to and am most proud of in our work at the Institute - our global reach and network. That in finding the humanity that binds us, we can profoundly transform the systems in which we live and work.

About the Spotlight Series:

You know our faces. You know our names and roles. But do you know about our passions outside of The Beryl Institute? Probably not, so we'd like to change that.

Welcome to The Spotlight Series, a monthly series highlighting the team members of The Beryl Institute. Each month, one member of our team will share interesting facts about their life outside the Institute. It is said The Beryl Institute is like "family," and we aim to expand on this sentiment through greater insight into the human beings behind our Institute titles. We hope you enjoy connecting with us in this way. May the power of connection bring us closer together as a community.