Why does John Caulfield support Ohio Valley Voices? His reason is simple: “Everyone needs to know about this work.”
For the past six years, John has served as a member of OVV’s Board of Trustees and Finance Committee. He describes the latter as being the financial sounding board for OVV. Referring to OVV’s Executive Staff, he says, “Wendy, Maria, and Molly are great stewards of capital for the organization. They know what they’re doing, and our committee provides objective feedback to give confidence to those decisions.”
On the Finance Committee, John works alongside Sandra Mills and Michael Wolf to review and make financial recommendations to the Board of Trustees, including those related to investments, capital expenditures, budgets, and appropriations. By focusing on development progress and projections, John and his fellow committee members also ensure that OVV is on track to meet future goals. Needless to say, John’s involvement is significant to the organization’s success.
In his professional life, John currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for Phillips Edison & Company. Originally from New Orleans, he lived in Pittsburgh before moving to Cincinnati to attend Xavier University to earn a degree in accounting and his MBA.
Before joining Phillips Edison, John served as Vice President Treasurer and Investor Relations with CyrusOne Inc. where he played key roles in the company’s successful IPO, the establishment of its capital structure and treasury function, and the creation, positioning, and strategy of its communications with investors and research analysts. In 2016, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance, and in August 2019, he was promoted to CFO and Treasurer.
Prior to this amazing work, John spent seven years with Cincinnati Bell, where he held positions in treasury, finance, and accounting. It was during this time that John first learned about Ohio Valley Voices. OVV’s Executive Director Maria Sentelik was adamant that Cincinnati Bell and OVV should partner. She wanted to form a connection based on their shared mission: communication. In addition to financial support, she was looking for professionals from Cincinnati Bell to volunteer. John spoke with Maria to learn more. After their conversation, he was intrigued; however, as with most OVV supporters, it was after receiving his first tour that he became completely hooked.
Right away, John could see how OVV transforms the lives of children, their immediate and extended families, and their communities with very high success rates. He wanted to support an organization that provides immediate hope to parents who may feel helpless. John exclaims that “it’s not often you learn about something and think, ‘This is organization is amazing, and I wish everyone knew about it!”
John could tell that Maria had good business sense from the beginning, so he took the next step and joined the Board of Trustees. He helped Maria and OVV’s Business Director Wendy Pace formalize their business strategy through financial analysis and reporting. This further shaped OVV’s development goals, student goals, and growth plans. “The vision was there, and I helped shape that on paper,” John explains. “My focus was to help the organization’s leaders think like business owners.”
One might wonder how John has time outside of Phillips Edison and OVV. John explains how he can’t quite unwind after work because of his three active children. Given their ages—Andrea is fifteen, Ella is nine, and James is seven—his family life is filled with after-school activities, although he’s not complaining. John and Leslie, his wife of 19 years, love spending time watching their kids compete. John says they are some of the most enthusiastic parents on the sidelines. John and Leslie are also Xavier basketball season ticket holders. In addition, John enjoys golfing in his spare time. “I try not to embarrass myself on the golf course,” he says jokingly.
John clearly lives a very full life. He describes how proud he is to be involved with OVV. “My influence has been small, but I do feel like I’ve helped,” he says. “Additionally, my heart is touched by the selflessness and dedication of the OVV team, working to improve the lives of so many.” During John’s time with OVV, he’s had friends with children that have graduated from OVV and many other friends that are now supporters and volunteers.
If you’re looking for a way to motivate people to get involved, John’s call to action is simple: tell them to take the tour. “If you go on the OVV tour, you can see the impact your time and financial contribution can make.” He concludes by saying, “These kids deserve it.”