by Steve Leach, Chief Executive Officer

<img src="{filedir_1}Ripple-Effect-Life-Experience.jpg" width="325" height="197" class="floatleft" />Having just escaped the heat of Austin, Texas, it was time to enjoy a fall day in Colorado. So my family and I went rambling on the back side of Pikes Peak. We rested by a high mountain lake and marveled at God’s creation, the reflection of the golden aspen, and the ominous thunder clouds suspended over the mountains off the far shore. Then my daughter tossed a stone into the lake. With the ripples widening in front of us, I wondered if the events in my life were like stones, God tossing each one to prepare me for my role as CEO at WaterStone.

Larry Burkett’s book, <i>The Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples</i>, certainly created ripples in our family finances, setting us on a path of biblical stewardship from the beginning of our marriage.

The devastating loss of our first-born to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was the seminal event in our lives that demanded a new level of faith rather than a spiral into bitterness. Decades later, the unexpected death of my father at 56 sent more than just ripples through our lives, with effects that continue to this day.

I think of the God ordained meeting at The Broadmoor here in Colorado Springs that saved us from the perils of an ill-fated private foundation. This “stoneâ€ introduced us to the simplicity of a Donor Advised Fund, which also provides an effective training ground for our children to live lives of generosity.

My experiences in product management and strategic planning at Compaq Computer, IBM, Dell, Dell Ventures and as CEO of NovaCentrix, have created waves that I pray will benefit WaterStone.

The high tech boom and the bust that followed, and the effects of a broken neck while skiing here in Colorado, put the surface of my lake in turmoil, not to mention the rip currents forming underneath! Surely He was using the events in my life to shape my character and draw me closer.

Joining WaterStone will create waves, yet my prayer is that my personal journey will enrich the WaterStone vision and its capabilities as we serve donor families and professional advisors to meet their charitable objectives. My desire is to maximize the ripple effect of my life in the WaterStone pond to create waves in the ocean of Kingdom building.

Please join us as we discover how far and wide the ripples and waves of your family’s influence can have on the Kingdom of God.

For a print version of the entire fall 2011 Ripple Effect newsletter, <a href="{filedir_1}RippleEffect_Newsletter_2011.pdf">download the pdf</a>.