This fall we will have our third annual Business, Faith and the Common Good Symposium on October 7th, beginning at 9:30 and lasting much of the day.  The purpose of the symposium is to help us think about how faith and a pursuit of the common good can motivate and direct our business practices.  We bring in business entrepreneurs and managers who share how faith and seeking the common good drive their business practices, and finish with a keynote (2:30) and reception (3:30).  All are welcome to attend any or all of the symposium events free of charge.  It is a public event.  Contact Dr. Andy Gustafson with any questions: andrewgustafson@creighton.edu

Bios of Presenters:

Tom Deall (Chick-fil-A) Is the Owner/operator of a multi-million dollar Chick-fil-A franchise in Bellevue, Nebraska.  He supervises and leads more than 85 team members and directors, providing oversight of the store, with a budger of more than $300K per month.  He has wideranging experience in the fields of public policy, marketing and communications, and was stationed in Quatar, Georgia, Colorado and Louisiana before settling with his family in Bellevue.    

 Janneane Gerot (Habitat) is the Faith and Special Projects Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha.  She has a BA in Religion and an MBA in Marketing and worked in youth ministry and victims’ advocacy before starting with Habitat 3 years ago. 

Meggan Thomas (Habitat)  is a Development Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. She has a BS in Economics and a BA in Theology from Boston College, and is pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration from UNO. She served for 2 years in the Peace Corps in West Africa and has worked with various nonprofit organizations ever since.

Jim Anderson (Data Systems, S4) Is a Project Manager at Data Systems Inc, where he oversees and fixes various projects.  Prior to working there, he has also been a project manager at Midax, in Development at Alliance Data Management, Owner and President of Jacicorp, and general manager at Software 4.

Curt Richards (Thrivent Financial) is a Partner at Thrivent Financial, and a recruiter.  Thrivent’s motto is: “We believe money is a tool, not a goal. Our national, membership-owned organization of Christians offers a unique blend of faith, finances, and generosity.”

Steve Kersche (Thrasher) Director of Business Development at Thrasher, Inc., Steve holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Saint Louis University. As a leader, Steve believes employees are the most valuable asset and works to help employees see a better version of themselves. Prior to his role at Thrasher, Steve was Director of Therapy Services at QLI. In the community, he is an active member of the Knights of AKSARBEN and has participated in numerous volunteer activities with Thrasher.

CJ Fritz (Thrasher) A Basement Repair Team Sales Manager at Thrasher, Inc, CJ originally joined the organization as a System Design Specialist. After three successful years in the role he was promoted to lead a team where he strives to inspire others personally and professionally. Prior to his time at Thrasher, he worked for Harley-Davidson for 8 years where he was a certified motorcycle technician. His strong faith is credited to mentorship, C.J. received at Thrasher, where he now leads the Monday meeting prayer. C.J. has volunteered with several organizations through Thrasher partnerships and he is active with his church.

Dave Paladino (Landmark) is President of Landmark Group.  He is the founder of Dino’s Storage, Gold Coast Technologies, and Landmark Group, which collectively operate under the umbrella of Landmark Group and have 90 employees in Nebraska, Iowa and Manitoba. Dave also holds a Real Estate Broker license in Nebraska & Iowa. Dave was born in Omaha Nebraska and raised in western and northeastern Nebraska. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha, with a degree in marketing, and he earned a masters degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Real Estate.

Ryan Zink (Complete Nutrition) was President and Co-owner of Complete Nutrition a national nutrition franchise.  Complete Nutrition was founded in Omaha NE with a Mission to be “the leading partner in life change” for their customers.  Ryan’s faith was a major contributor in how he managed the company and why Complete Nutrition believed in a customer centric culture. 

Jeff Gustafson (Prairie Plains) has been a “Land Steward” helping lead the Prarie Plains restoration program. He holds a B.A. in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and has special interest in local history and the community development aspects of our mission. His job includes prescribed burning, grazing management and involving people with our land preserves, but we suspect he may have been hired for his mad drumming skilz.

Dan Lawse (Verdis Group) As Chief Century Thinker, it is my job to help organizations think long term and develop practical strategies that help them thrive today and for generations to come. I do this by helping organizations develop Sustainability Master Plans and implementing sustainable strategies as well as advising organizations who have existing green teams, and leading teams through a Regenerative Leadership Workshop.