What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love messaging - the process of contemplating, devising, and communicating messages to others about our work. There is "magic" in getting the messaging right. Many great ideas have failed due to failures in effectively communicating about those ideas; and many terrible ideas have thrived due to great messaging! I look forward to creating and communicating compelling messages to move Care Net's work forward.

What is your favorite Bible verse/book/chapter/section? Why?

Paul's letters. Paul was a great embodiment of what real love looks like -- compassion and truth in balance. He of course learned this lesson from the life of Christ, and he applies it so well in his letters to the early church. He can be incredibly bold and brutally honest in one sentence, and then incredibly encouraging and inspirational in the next. I think that is the balance we as Christians and Care Net as an organization should strive for.

Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Flushing, NY, home of the New York Mets. When I was a few months old, we moved to northern New Jersey, where I lived for the next 24 years. So, I guess I'm a real Jersey Boy. It was a great place to grow up because it had all the benefits of a peaceful suburb, but it was close enough to NYC to experience all that the Big Apple has to offer. Bad side effect: I've been a life-long Jets & Mets fan, which has led to years of sorrow.

What are your hobbies?

As a husband and father of two sons, my family has become a huge part of my life. The good thing is that I love doing a lot of the same things sons love to do, like building with Legos, watching movies, and running around outside! But when I'm not spending time with "the fam," I love reading science fiction and fantasy and watching the Jets and Mets lose, I mean, play.

What is your favorite book (other than the Bible!)?

The Lord of the Rings. This (and The Hobbit) was among the first "real" books I read as a kid, and it left a huge impression on me. I love the escape that good fantasy can provide, while also anchoring you to real world issues. In this case, the fight between good and evil and what good men and women must do to destroy evil. Also, elves, dwarves, and wizards are cool.