He died many years ago, but his voice still shows up in my life.
Back in 1999, Jerry said something to me that I didn’t fully understand at the time but have come to treasure: “I invest in people.”
That wasn’t a slogan for him. It was how he lived.
This was around the time the Deaconess Foundation was being conceived and developed under his leadership. Jerry had a gift—at least that’s how I always experienced him. He would meet with me for breakfast, usually once a month. We talked about what was going on in my world and what was going on in his.
I was young.
Intense.
Always in overdrive.
He noticed that immediately—and gently counseled me on it. My overdrive came from places I’ve written about before, but Jerry never tried to extinguish my fire. He helped me learn how to carry it.
What he offered me was an extravagant investment—not flashy, not loud, but consistent. He invested in my development as a leader in a way that ensured I would keep growing long after those breakfasts ended.
Years later, I was able to talk with him as he was dying. Even then, he encouraged me. That was who he was.
When I think about the men and women who came in and out of my life, Jerry was one of the first who said, “As a professional, Orvin, I believe in you. I’ll sponsor you.”
I served on the Deaconess Foundation board in those early years. Jerry thought I might be his replacement. I wasn’t. I chose a different path. But I sat in the interview with the man who did replace him, and I later served alongside the leader who carries that work now.
And still—what stays with me most is this:
Jerry believed in me early.
He invested in me consistently.
And he encouraged me always.
For that, I am deeply grateful.