Spotlight on Justin Nicolay, Volunteer Appreciation Week 2021

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As a founder of our organization, Justin has been around since before we even sent the paperwork into the IRS 7 years ago.

"In January 2021 he handed over his seat as the chair of our board and treasurer, the official roles he's been playing for us since December of 2014. His agenda for handing over his seat was to make room for others to put their fresh, bold, and creative ideas into action.

"Chair of the board might sound luxurious to some, but trust me, when you're dealing with a start-up, it's rarely that. We aren't some huge organization that has the luxury of a board of directors who simply govern. Our board is required to be pretty hands on. Day to day for Justin was dealing with red tape, filing tax documents, preparing financial statements, and so on. All that pretty mundane stuff that is really, really important.

"As I was reflecting on Justin's contributions I wondered, what would 6 years of dealing with all that be worth in financial terms? And just saying so many dollars per hour and then trying to estimate how many hours he spent on all that for all those years would not capture it. You have to remember he always brought his heart and passion for our mission to that work. Justin never just checked all the boxes in a reactionary sort of way to get stuff off his plate. He was building systems and processes that would outlive him. And we continue to reap the rewards of his approach.

"Sure we still have red tape to deal with. All non-profits do, and they should as the systems of checks, balances, and transparency are healthy in my opinion. But thanks to Justin's leadership all of the mundane stuff is less of a chore for his successors.

"And his contributions don't stop there. Justin's favorite was our Jack-to-Jack program. That's how it all started for us and he really enjoys smaller and more intimate conversations to larger groups style gatherings. A few years back we were trying to figure out how to grow it to reach more guys and it was Justin who had the vision to leverage technology. To put the power of connection in the hands of the guys we serve rather than us being sole gatekeepers. It's been really fun to watch his vision come to life and hear the stories of impact that have happened as a result. To this day he himself serves as one of our Jack-to-Jack Coaches and earlier this week I was chatting with a caregiver who was excited because he was gonna get to grab a beer with Justin next week.

"Justin has also led numerous program events for us over the years. And we are honored and humbled that he's volunteered again to lead our 2021 annual guided fishing outing later this summer on Lake Minnetonka. Mark your calendars gentlemen for Sunday, August 22nd, 2021. You'll get to meet Justin in person and thank him for everything he's done for our mission!"
-Kyle Woody, Founder & Executive Director-