Four business leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are being honored with the 2022 Leading with Faith Award: Terry Furlong, who serves as mayor of North St. Paul; Greg Pavett, founder and board chair of the Humanity Alliance; Robert Scalia, owner and president of iComp Payroll and HR; and Jon Westerhaus, founder and president of Survey and Ballot Systems.

The awards have been bestowed since 2002, when The Catholic Spirit chose winners from a pool of nominees. This is the first year that the award process — from nominations to selection of winners and the awards banquet — is led by the St. Joseph Business Guild.

Roger Vasko and three other parishioners of St. Peter in North St. Paul founded the St. Joseph Business Guild in 2019. Its mission is supporting families by connecting Catholic business owners to workers and customers. The Guild helps members find jobs, employees, mentors and more business.

Terry Furlong

Terry Furlong

Terry Furlong

Furlong, a parishioner of St. Peter in North St. Paul, serves as mayor of North St. Paul and also works in community relations and business development for Premier Bank in Maplewood.

His nominator, who has known Furlong for years, said he is a kind and humble leader with a servant’s heart.

“Terry exemplifies the sage advice of St. Francis,” the nominator wrote. “‘Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.’ Terry’s Catholic sense of fairness, justice and service are evident in everything he does, both as an elected official and through the many charitable organizations he serves. He accomplishes all of this not by preaching, but by his generous example of service and caring for others.”

Furlong’s strong Catholic faith is “evident and authentic,” the nominator said. “He readily shares his gifts of time, talent and treasure to help build a better world on this side of heaven.”

Furlong said he was surprised to receive the award, but does try to “live my faith.”

“Even when I was sworn in as mayor, … I had our pastor … do a blessing, not only blessing me but he blessed the whole city council and (everyone) at the ceremony,” he said.

Furlong recalled that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Minnesota hard in March 2020, he reached out to all the churches in his community to set up a virtual support group for people who needed a connection with others during the pandemic. “It was well received,” he said.

Greg Pavett

Greg Pavett

Greg Pavett

Pavett, a member of St. Victoria in Victoria, is founder and executive director of Victoria-based Humanity Alliance, a nonprofit he started in 2018. The organization repurposes “excess food rescue” before it goes into dumpsters. According to the alliance, in one year, more than 24 tons of food were rescued and used to feed individuals and families in need.

In 2021, the alliance purchased and renovated a group home where individuals and small families can find housing, employment assistance, food and mental health assistance. It also provides volunteer opportunities for hundreds of people each week.

One of Pavett’s nominators noted that he “leads with his Catholic faith in the workplace and throughout the counties he serves by living his faith in much of what he does during normal workdays,” working with hundreds of volunteers each week, numerous school groups, churches and civic, youth and nonprofit organizations.

Another nominator wrote that what Pavett believes influences the way he lives his life. “Greg’s hard work and success in helping thousands of people in need over the past four years … is a testimony to his belief that faith without work is hollow and is lacking in what it truly means to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Pavett said the award is an honor and humbling, and it “continues to lift us up.” “We’ve been shown this opportunity so now it’s our responsibility to do what Jesus would do,” he said. “God has a way of making sure I can see the gap in the need.”

Robert Scalia

Robert Scalia

Robert Scalia

Scalia, a parishioner of Epiphany in Coon Rapids, owns and is president of iComp Payroll & HR, which provides payroll and human resources services to ease the administrative burden at small businesses in the Twin Cities metro area and across the country.

Scalia’s nominator said he treats everyone with respect and is patient and kind, while focusing on the needs of others before himself and “celebrating our successes and helping us to accomplish goals.” Spending much of his day on the telephone, the nominator said Scalia “makes connections and relationships with others where he shares his faith openly and often.”

Scalia likes to check in with staff, his nominator said. “We have all developed a connection with Rob where faith is a common topic of conversation. He is never shy about sharing his beliefs and faith with others. He really meets everyone where they are in life and can respect differing opinions while still giving his own.”

At his parish, Scalia and his family have been involved in several ministries, including being a sponsor for confirmation, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and for newly engaged couples. He also has served on the school advisory council and parish finance committees, and as a sponsor for the Epiphany School Gala.

Scalia said it was an honor to receive the award, in part because it reaffirmed that “we’re doing some of these things the right way.” When he was in college and graduate school, Scalia said he would hear talk about “value-based business” but for him, it’s about being “values-based.”

Jon Westerhaus

Jon Westerhaus

Jon Westerhaus

Westerhaus, a member of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee, is president of Eden Prairie-based Survey and Ballot Systems, which he founded in 1990. The technology company is one of the largest data collection and election management companies in the U.S., with a growing global presence. It serves associations, cooperatives, financial institutions, clubs, unions and member-based organizations.

Westerhaus’ nominator said he exemplifies servant leadership every day at the company and encourages employees to grow in all facets of their lives, understanding the need to spend time with family. He said Westerhaus brings prayer to the office, opens the annual meeting with prayer and “is not afraid to glorify God and give thanks during staff meetings, in email reflections and through client interaction.” He noted Westerhaus’ “generous heart,” giving back to employees and the community “through time and treasure.”

“… Jon inspires me and all (his) contacts with his outspoken joy and minute-by-minute Catholic witness in every action he takes, every word he speaks, and care he sends for others. Jon brings Jesus Christ to everyone he meets.”

Westerhaus volunteers for and serves on the board of directors at the nonprofit Achieving Cures Together and the board of directors for St. John Vianney College Seminary. He is a founding member of the seminary’s “Virtuous Business Leaders” program presented to seminarians. He also volunteers for pro-life ministries.

Westerhaus said he felt confused at first on hearing he won the award because he sees many examples of people leading by faith in their everyday lives. “Every single one of us is really called to lead with faith at all times,” he said, whether at home, in public or in the workplace. “It truly is what our Christian calling, our Catholic mission is,” he said.

AWARDS BANQUET

This year’s Leading with Faith Award winners will be honored at a public banquet Nov. 22 at St. Peter in Mendota, with a 5:30 p.m. social hour and 6:30 p.m. dinner.

Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, will be the keynote speaker. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will present awards.

Tickets are $24; free for clergy. Register here.