A Once-In-A-Lifetime Honor And Opportunity

I make it a personal priority to give back.

I consider myself blessed and fortunate. I know that whatever personal and professional success I’ve achieved owes an awful lot to others. I simply wouldn’t be the person I am today, or at my current station in life, without the gifts of guidance, help and support I’ve received along the way from others.

My wife, Nancy, and I are active in our local community. We volunteer our financial support and time to our local schools. We support a variety of charities, including the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a cause that is especially dear to me.

For many years, I’ve also worked with an international non-governmental organization, the Anti-Defamation League. This group is dedicated to confronting bigotry, and defending democratic ideals and protecting civil rights for everyone.

My affiliation with this group has presented me with a once-in-a-lifetime honor and opportunity. This evening, I am joining a small group of delegates from the United States who are traveling to meet with Pope Francis in Rome.

Everything I’ve read about Pope Francis suggests he’s the kind of leader any one of us could aspire to be.

He knows something about adversity, having faced a life-threatening illness in his early 20s. He knows about personal reinvention, having worked as a bouncer, chemical technician and janitor before entering the priesthood. He’s known for compassion, having emphasized outreach to the poor and less fortunate during his service in Argentina. He’s highly regarded for his humility, choosing more simple and Spartan living quarters and vestments than his predecessors. He’s also a music fan, known for his love of traditional Argentinian music and tango dancing.

I’m excited for the meeting and the experience. I’ll share more with you here.