We are humbled each year by the caring nature our people display through their Pursue Your Passion projects, and we look forward to hearing our winners’ stories as they complete their activities throughout the year.
Doug Opheim, chief financial officer and chairman of the RSM US Foundation
2016 marked the 90th anniversary of RSM serving middle market business leaders. In recognition of our clients, employees and friends who have contributed to our firm’s success, we celebrated this significant milestone in our firm’s history by creating our Pursue Your Passion program. It was so successful, we have continued the program each year since.
Meet our 2022 Pursue Your Passion winners:
Echa will support a medical clinic in Agidegbe, Nigeria by installing solar power.
The Pursue Your Passion Grant will help to make my dream possible and help me in my journey toward uplifting my community and memorializing my father.
Echa Odea, Consulting senior associate | Toronto, Ontario
Jeremy will follow his dreams of curling by using the funds and additional days off to support his goals and his team.
The skills that I work to build in curling are not independent of the skills I need to be successful at RSM. The drive and work ethic that I learned through competitive curling directly correlates to how hard I work in the office.
Jeremy Harty, Assurance senior associate | Calgary, Alberta
Brad will pursue his dreams by making a summit attempt on Mount Rainer.
I have been chasing summits for as long as I can remember. And yet, the captivating feeling of reaching a mountain peak, a pinnacle jutting from the base of the earth and towering over everything else in sight, remains indescribable to me.
Brad Sawyer, Consulting senior associate | Gaithersburg, Maryland
In honor of her friend, Cassie, Casey will fund her Susan G. Komen three-day team walk in San Diego in November.
It was my honour to accept Cassie’s mother’s request to stand in front of her friends and loved ones and pay tribute to her life.
Casey McGuire, Innovation senior associate | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Leslie will travel across the country pursuing her geocaching (a type of global treasure hunt) passion with her daughter.
Together we are avid adventure seekers, driven by curiosity, teamwork, seeking the thrill of learning new skills, visiting new places and learning about history along the way. We inspire each other to always live life to the fullest, to never stop learning and most importantly, to never stop having fun!
Leslie Hampton, Office administrator | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Misty plans to open a therapeutic horse-care and riding program for physically and mentally handicapped children, young adults and veterans.
My family and I have been talking for years about starting a therapeutic horse care and riding program at my parent’s farm in Michigan. The program would be for physically and mentally handicapped children and young adults, as well as veterans.
Misty Pleiness, Consulting director | Detroit, Michigan
Shelly will help women become happy and whole by expanding her nonprofit organization which supports those who have been in abusive relationships.
My passion is to help emotionally abused women throughout my community (and beyond) find validation, education, and life-saving connections to healing resources as well as other women who understand what they are going through.
Shelly Lealos-Yates, Consulting supervisor | San Francisco, California
Susan will help improve facilities at Charming Pet Rescue to create better living conditions for rescue animals.
To know these animals will get another opportunity at a happy life and forever home fuels our passion for this endeavor.
Susan Birke, Senior scheduler | San Antonio, Texas
Valentina will continue her support of Helping Village Libraries of the Russian North by sending books to libraries in rural Russian villages.
An award of $10,000 would not just help the seven libraries I have supported over this past two years, but also fulfill the wish-lists of several more of the 310 libraries currently registered with the society. The award would leverage a mountain of new books and that, I am sure, will make a lasting impact on many people’s lives—including mine.
Valentina Deriabina, Tax supervisor | Gaithersburg, Maryland
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Meet our past winners:
Christopher Brophey, tax manager, Milwaukee, WI
Now that his body has healed from cancer, create lasting memories with his young son and wife during a trip to England.
Marie-Annette Donaghue, manager, North American pursuit and proposal team, Dallas, TX
Make a return trip to Kenya to help children at a small orphanage explore the beauty of a nearby national park and provide support to bolster the orphanage’s self-sufficiency.
Alyssa Lavelle, resource manager, New York, NY
Honor her mother’s memory by continuing to raise funds and awareness for colon cancer, and establish an independent foundation in her mother’s name.
Josh Milazzo, audit assurance supervisor, Jacksonville, FL
Ride the Pacific Coast Highway with his dad in remembrance of the life and service his younger brother gave to God, the country and their family.
Alma Padilla, tax manager, Houston, TX
Purchase gifts and necessities for two organizations to pay forward kindnesses afforded to her family when her daughter was receiving treatment at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Joshua Scott, tax senior associate, Kansas City, MO
Create a documentary film that shares the stories of people struggling with income inequality and homelessness to enhance understanding around these issues.
Joshua Sweeting, audit manager, Denver, CO
Finally meet Ruben, a Bolivian teen he has sponsored for several years through Compassion International, and sponsor a second child in the program.
Julio Trejo, tax associate, Las Vegas, NV
Continue his health journey by training to run a marathon, and help others by raising funds to fight childhood obesity.
Ryan Weitz, audit assurance supervisor, Boston, MA
Combine his love of exploring nature, photography and giving back by backpacking through Alaska’s Arrigetch Peaks and donating his photography sales proceeds to RSM’s Birdies Fore Love program.
Barbara Adler, tax manager, Tallas, TX
Make improvements to her impoverished small town’s food pantry and enhance the area’s farmers market.
Nick Crombie, senior associate, Raleigh, VA
Expand his knowledge around augmented reality and create apps that teach kids about self-confidence, teamwork and caring for others.
Lucrecia Gray, manager, San Antonio, TX
Create and donate quilts to Quilts of Valor and offer sewing classes to keep quilting relevant with a new generation.
Alissa Hatch, manager, San Antonio, TX
Take training courses to further develop leadership skills and create stronger bonds among members of her Cub Scout pack.
Kelly A. Hughes, finance manager, Davenport, IA
Keep a promise to her son to attend his football games, even when he travels with his college team to play in Ireland.
Celeste McGahn, project management senior associate, Boston, MA
Take yoga teacher training and then volunteer to provide classes to help herself and others afflicted with scoliosis.
Brittney Royale, associate, Schaumburg, IL
Establish a fund to help her nephew who was born without a left forearm and pay prosthetics bills for other children.
Mary Theo, Alliance talent leader, Boston, MA
Publish and distribute a children’s book featuring her grandson and his favorite stuffed animal that will provide joy to sick children.
Eileen Turkot, international manager, Chicago, IL
Transform a spare room at her family’s home into a welcoming bedroom for foster children.
Matt Dollard, director, Great Lakes Region
Pursue his life-long passion of creating hand-made furniture by studying alongside a master in a chair making class to acquire new skills and pass along his knowledge to others.
Chris Guido, manager, Northeast Region
Assist his local elementary school in advancing a new focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by helping to set up a designated space for children to solve problems, invent and be creative.
Joy Hermann, manager, Northeast Region
Participate in a mission trip with Living Water International to bring clean water to people in need in Honduras and teach proper sanitation techniques to build a sustainable future.
Mary Clare Kaiser, associate, Central Region
Provide her uncle, who was recently diagnosed with ALS, with a speech-generating device so he can better communicate with his family as well as raise funds for local care services through “Walk to Beat ALS.”
Andrew Leonard, senior director, Central Region
Travel to a developing country to meet one of the many underprivileged children he has sponsored over the years and provide additional funds for the child and others in the area.
Megan Reishus, associate, Central Region
Continue to pursue her passion for playing handbells by purchasing equipment for her ensemble and helping the team share the music of the instrument that they love with others.
Amanda Brown
Volunteer at The Bailey House and/or the Ronald McDonald House, facilities that provide respite to family members of hospitalized patients, and purchase “wish list” supplies.
Jay Brown
Bolster America’s talent pool by sparking interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by capitalizing on the Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse – the first in the contiguous United States since 1979 – through virtual reality, live streaming and in-personal educational experiences.
Sarah Greyer
Hike Mt. Everest, donating $1 for every meter of altitude hiked to a nonprofit organization in Nepal to help with earthquake recovery efforts.
Patti Leonard
Establish the Sparky Foundation to help provide medical care for animals in need, and to rescue and rehome animals in high-risk shelters.
Kyle McNamara
Complete construction of a shelter in the Philippines to keep residents safe during typhoons and other natural disasters, and install a well in a local village to provide water to villagers.
Danielle Montes
Take quilting classes to fine-tune skills to make and donate 24 quilts and 50 receiving blankets to Threads of Love, a nonprofit focused on premature babies; Setton Home, an organization that teaches parenting and life skills to teenage mothers; and Quilts for Kids, which focuses on children with lift-threatening illnesses, children of abuse and children living at or below the poverty level.
Shelley Moreno
Provide travel packages and professional makeovers for seven breast cancer survivors for the 2017 Breast Cancer Thrives Cruise.
Hunter Pearson
Help his grandfather live his dream of returning to Normandy, to revisit life-changing experiences he had during World War II.
Nathaniel Rubin
Provide scholarships and medical supplies to enable five children to attend Camp Kudzu, a Georgia-based nonprofit that provides overnight camps and programs to children with Type-1 diabetes.
Jacqueline Pacquette
Keep a promise to pay it forward by providing a new smile to someone in need.
Michelle Nolan
Provide water to orphans in Africa while also achieving a personal goal to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Julie Kaehler
Purchase land for a school and community garden in Haiti while also teaching sustainable farming.
Dee Komaromi
Open a school in Africa dedicated to her late father and father-in-law through Pencils of Promise.
Nyasha Gopo
Become a certified coach to help immigrants assimilate to life in America.
David Campbell
Provide renewable, efficient energy to homes and businesses in sub-Saharan Africa.
Terri Andrews
Provide mammograms and counseling based on personal experience to women facing breast cancer in Jamaica.
Nicole Knudtson
Publish a children's book to help families connect and understand each other better.
Jarin Hansen
Serve as a healing home to a Chinese orphan undergoing a life-changing surgery.
How can we can help you achieve your professional goals?
At RSM, we work every day to promote a transparent, caring and authentic environment that fosters meaningful connections, and to create an equitable and inclusive firm where diverse talent excels.
We empower you to personalize your development opportunities and encourage you to take an active role in enriching your RSM experience. We strive to ensure everyone feels included, diverse perspectives are valued and everyone has a chance to grow a vibrant career at RSM.
