Mike Vanden Busch
Mike would probably be the ideal 'poster boy' for Knights of Columbus recruiting.  In the few short months that he has been a part of the Council his name appears numerous times in the records of those who took part in various activities: Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Booyah sale, Raffle Ticket sales and Appreciation Dinner.  Yet he came to the Council, as so many others have, knowing little about the Knights.  It was at the 'soft sell' by occasional golf buddy Tom Gauthier that Mike finally decided to do something about his desire to be a part of some sort of service organization.  After looking at other such organizations, the Knights seemed to be just what he was looking for.

Involved in scouting (he is an Eagle Scout) and having recently taken over as Scout Master at St. Bernard, he was involved in some activity at the parish picnic and got to talking with some of the men at the Knights' Grill.  That got him interested in checking out the Knights of Columbus.  Scouting also seems to run in the family--Mike also worked with Cub Scouts and his wife Renee was a Den Mother.  In addition to all that, he also finds the time to baseball and basketball teams as a way of staying involved in the lives of his two sons, ages ten and eight.

Mike works as a Financial Consultant for A.G. Edwards & Sons, and finds his usual day begins quite early, getting his sons ready for school because his wife is often out of the house even earlier.  Fairly new in the business--he's been doing this about a year--he spends a great deal of time 'prospecting,' seeking out new clients and trying to drum up business.  He also has the usual load of telephone calls to make and appointments to schedule and keep, as well as trying to keep track of financial trends and the market.  He spends his time attempting to help his clients plan for retirement, college or deal with other financial issues.  Before his current job he worked in middle management for a few companies for about sixteen years.

He 's always been active in sports, and determines the seasons by what he's involved in at the moment--football, basketball, softball, and golf.  There seems to be very little time between the seasons.  The family also enjoys camping when there is the opportunity, and his in-laws have a cottage on the bay which they take advantage of on occasion.  Apparently always on the go, Mike is already thinking about what his own retirement will look like--he wants to be a ranger on a golf course, down South somewhere.

Mike and Renee have been married for nearly fourteen years now.  He's a native of Green Bay, and actually was born and raised in a house about four blocks from St. Bernard.  They live in the Schmidt Park area now.  We are grateful to Mike and his family for all the service they have given in the name of the Council and we are honored that they chose us as an outlet for their desire to give something back in the name of Christ.

April 2001