By Tom Adkins
Hello Fellow Vincentians,
As this is my first letter for The Front Line, I wanted to share a little about myself and why I have taken on the role of President of SVdP Indy. But before I do, I want to thank Paul Ainslie, our past president, for the tremendous leadership he has provided to our organization.
Paul has set SVdP Indy on a great path. He has strengthened us spiritually, improved the sophistication of our reporting, both internally and externally, modernized many of our communications processes, and strengthened our infrastructure. Early in his tenure, he secured and led the opening of a second Mission 27 Resale store, and also led the development and opening of the Love Your Neighbor Center.
Most importantly, Paul has been a true Vincentian leader and a model Vincentian for all of us. As I have watched Paul serve as president, I have seen that his leadership and decision-making are grounded in Vincentian principles, with love of our neighbors always at the center. I hope to emulate Paul in this manner. He is a wonderful role model for all of us.
A few words about my background: I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we recently celebrated our 42nd anniversary—and she is still my sweetheart today! We have four children and seven grandchildren, with two more on the way. We are truly blessed.
Most of my working career was spent with Roche Diagnostics here in Indianapolis. I started my career in the field as part of the sales and sales management team, and later transitioned to the home office, where I held several different leadership roles throughout my 35-year career.
At our parish, St. Simon in the Geist area, I served as Treasurer and then President of our SVdP Conference. When I was initially approached about serving as president of the Indy Council, I was flattered, but not sure I was the right person for the job. Through several conversations and much prayer, however, I felt a true call from the Holy Spirit to pursue this opportunity. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide me in this responsibility.
I have used my time as president-elect to meet with many members of our staff and key volunteers, continuing to learn about all the wonderful things we do at SVdP Indy. I am so grateful for the incredible team we have and for the many passionate and dedicated volunteers who make our work possible.
As I think about the future of our organization, I am fully committed to our SVdP mission and values—dedicating our energy to serving and loving our neighbors in need.
One of my first steps as president will be to begin the development of a new strategic plan, as we have come to the end of our current plan. I look forward to working with Peter, our Executive Director, the SVdP staff, and many of you as we discern together the path forward in carrying out our mission.
Please pray for the success of this planning process, and please pray that the Holy Spirit continues to guide our incredible organization.
Peace,
Tom
