As They Say in Baseball, "Touch 'em All, Don!"

In baseball, when the batter hits an out of the park homerun, it is common to hear the announcer say,  “touch ‘em all” as they round each of the bases. The phrase was originally made famous by announcer Tom Cheek who famously exclaimed, “Touch ‘em all, Joe” as Joe Carter hit a World Series-winning home run in 1993 for the Toronto Blue Jays. The phrase now seems appropriate for outgoing Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Don Stephens who has certainly hit the proverbial homerun in his career.

Joining the team in 2014, Don and his wife Laurie relocated from Midland where he had formerly served as the CFO at Manor Park, a non-profit senior living community. Since that time, a great deal of growth has occurred under Don’s careful watch. When he first arrived at MRC, there were only four market rate communities and five HUD subsidized properties. Now, MRC has thirteen communities in total, adding The Crossings, The Langford, Mirador, and Stevenson Oaks. He has also led the team through a multitude of financing projects to strengthen the organization, as well as restructuring the entire accounting team for improved efficiency. “Don is a humble servant that has set a standard of excellence as our CFO.  His work over the last 10 years has strengthened our organization and positioned us well to fulfill our mission for years to come,” said Alan Brown, CEO.  

Don’s role as a key leader for the organization has required him to make difficult decisions, advise on major financial issues, and serve as interim CEO during 2019 before Alan joined the organization. “Don is the kind of leader you want to follow. He is careful with his words, mindful of his actions, and compassionate with his decisions. It’s been a privilege to work alongside him all these years,” shared Jill Janes, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Throughout his time, Don has certainly been known for his financial expertise, but the memories that are sure to remain with the MRC Family are the many humorous stories, silly quirks, and inside jokes that come with knowing Don.

You see, Don has a knack for pulling forward lesser known information about a person. Whether it is your favorite sports team, television show, travel destination, or favorite snack, he would somehow memorize these details, creating a little inside joke with each person on the team. Many have wondered if he has a secret spreadsheet with all of these fun facts cataloged as he is known to create spreadsheets for just about anything. But the truth is, Don knows these details about people because he cares for them, truly wishing to connect in a way that makes people feel special.

“I have so enjoyed working with Don at MRC. He has always been a shining light in every meeting, phone call, or budget meeting. His quirkiness is so refreshing! His retirement is a sweet reward for all the hard work he has put in all these years,” shared Carol Chmielewski, Accountant.

To celebrate Don’s retirement, the MRC team will host a large celebration, inviting in all of the Executive Directors and Board Members, in addition to the Central Support Services team.

During the celebration, the group hopes to give Don a few more laughs while expressing the gratitude for all he has meant to the organization and all he has meant to each and every individual in attendance.

Don, you have certainly knocked it out of the park, so in the spirit of the sport you love so much, we say to you, “Homerun!! Touch ’em all, Don!”  

‍

‍