Our newest club member, St Croix Valley United Way Executive Director Steve McCarthy, gave his introductory talk. Steve joined Rotary because he believes in the power of people to come together and make a difference to improve the world. He graduated from Harvard, Illinois high school and then backpacked across Europe.
Steve has two daughters. Rachel who works in graduate admissions and also works as a server while she is in an MBA program. The second daughter, Allison, is at UW-La Crosse. Steve and his partner Lori have been together since 2007. They have 2 dogs and a cat. Lori is a counselor and works with a therapy dog. Steve camps with friends for three nights in February near Two Harbors, Minnesota. The temperature can get down to minus 20 degrees. Steve told us that he has many “siblings” because his parents fostered 40 kids.
Steve has worn many hats during his career. He was been: the “Foreign Expert” in China at Nankai University (Tianjin), 1988-89; Managing Editor Star News Newspapers (Woodstock, IL), 1989-90; Technical Writer, College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL), 1990-93; Regional and statewide Director and Executive Director in a variety of roles at Lutheran Social Services (mostly out of Eau Claire), 1993-2012; President and CEO, Curative Connections (Green Bay) 2012-2021; Executive Director, United Way St. Croix Valley, 2023 to present.
Steve has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and English Ed, Masters in Writing. He also has a certificate in a discipline called Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston.