News & Ideas

After 12 years leading the International School of San Francisco, I will be moving to Honolulu in July, where I will serve as Head at ‘Iolani School. I am thrilled and honored to join the ‘Iolani ohana!”

I graduated from Santa Clara in 1985 with a B.S. in EECS, which I have applied to a successful 40-year career that is still going. I have worked for six different companies in Silicon Valley, allowing me to stay close to Santa Clara. During the past six months, I have been working with two student project teams in the EECS department on their senior design projects. So I am flourishing by giving back to Santa Clara with my time and knowledge to inspire future engineers. Go Broncos!”

I’ve found that what helps me flourish is the study of philosophy, which was my major at Santa Clara. Some important people who have inspired me to flourish in my life include my family, my former philosophy Professor Christopher Kulp, my percussion teacher, and my cousin, and this is because they’ve shown me love and encouragement along my way. Personally, I define flourishing as a state of robust well-being, and I have found such happiness in my life through reading and writing about philosophy. Philosophy is the art of living well, and were it not for my time at Santa Clara studying the subject, I’d have never found arguably the greatest passion of my life. For this, I am always indebted to my alma mater, and hence why whenever I pursue my favorite occupation I always think back to my times at Santa Clara.”

Philosophy, faith, and spirituality have always been at the heart of who I am and how I have come to fully appreciate the role of service in my life. Having been blessed with remarkable parents, exceptional siblings ( five), and a firm foundation in the Catholic faith, the lessons of sharing and support were reinforced from early childhood. From early exposure to service activities to participation in youth, high school, and college athletics, I was able to grow in the understanding that success and flourishing are closely linked to finding fulfillment through serving, assisting, and working with others. Success through service is my ideal of flourishing. The inspiration and credit for this conclusion belongs to my faith, my family, and outstanding teachers and mentors like Austin Fagothey, S.J. and William Rewak, S.J. at Santa Clara.”

I am flourishing, along with my fellow Bronco Jennifer Scharre J.D. ’15, as board members at the 5 Buckets Foundation, a financial literacy nonprofit that empowers individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools for lifelong financial wellness. I recently stepped into the role of board of directors chair, and Jennifer recently joined the board and serves as the development committee chair. The work we do with the organization has touched over 5,000 learners in the United States. We are incredibly honored to work alongside the organization’s staff, board, and volunteers to help people build the skills, habits, and resilience needed to make money choices that align with their values.”

Right now, I’m flourishing by building community through shared experiences. Co-founding the Morgan Hill Wine Trolley has been equal parts creativity, leadership, and joy. Every tour we operate reminds me how powerful it is when people slow down, connect, and support local businesses together. Watching strangers board the trolley and leave as friends is still my favorite part. Working closely with local south Santa Clara County winemakers, small business owners, and community leaders has been inspiring and reflects the values of community, service, and leadership shaped during my time at Santa Clara University. To me, flourishing means more than personal success. It’s about aligning your work with your values, contributing something positive to your community, and creating a shared sense of pride in the place you call home.”

Shortly after graduation, we siblings took over our family business from our father, Bob, continuing a legacy that began 63 years ago. Today, ‘Hoot’ Judkins Furniture specializes in high-quality, American-made solid wood furniture and upholstery, and we are proud to also employ several fourth-generation family members. Throughout the years, we have navigated economic recessions, industry shifts, and a global pandemic by remaining agile and leveraging long-standing relationships within our industry and with our customers. Today, we employ 15 full-time team members, including two in-house designers, and work with more than 60 suppliers of wood furniture, upholstery, and decor. What truly sets us apart and brings us great joy is our personal approach—both online and in-store. In an increasingly automated retail world, we prioritize genuine human connection. Through innovation, resilience, and a deep commitment to service, we continue to honor our family legacy while building a modern, customer-centered furniture business.”

After 31 years of founding and serving as director and then president of the nonprofit HelpOneChild.org, my wife, JoAnne, and I were named Los Altos Volunteers of the Year in 2025. We were featured in an early Santa Clara alumni magazine shortly after the founding of the nonprofit that is now active in six SF Bay Area counties. The nonprofit finds and supports homes for local foster children and works at keeping ‘at-risk’ children from entering the foster care system. There is still a need.”

I was recently named executive director of the Circus Center in San Francisco. Originally founded in 1974 as the Pickle Family Circus, Circus Center remains a vibrant hub of the circus arts community on the West Coast, offering youth and adult classes and professional-quality shows. As a society, we need the arts now more than ever. I believe our youth program is especially important as we provide an outlet for physical and artistic expression to counter the academic rigors young people are experiencing these days. Our adult programs allow us to once again ‘play’ as we did in our youth. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling career role.”

Santa Clara helped give me language for questions that have followed me my entire adult life: What does it mean to live well? How do we align success with integrity, compassion, and purpose? After a 30-plus year career in corporate leadership, I recently ‘graduated’ from that chapter and turned more fully toward writing, speaking, and facilitating conversations about emotional growth, leadership, and lifelong becoming. That journey has culminated in a book I’m completing now, ‘Still Coming of Age,’ which explores how we continue to mature—personally and professionally—by learning to recognize suffering, tell the truth about our inner lives, and act with greater compassion for ourselves and others. Much of the book is rooted in the same Jesuit values that shaped me at Santa Clara: reflection, discernment, service, and care for the whole person. I remain deeply grateful for that foundation and for the questions Santa Clara taught me to keep asking.”

A Santa Clara yearbook staff member took a photo of me with my future wife, Sandra Hull, outside Kezar Stadium after the 1970 Santa Clara vs. St. Mary’s football game. Every time I come across that photo I’m reminded of her strength, beauty, and absolute passion for life. It was certainly a ‘top of the world’ moment for me. She framed the photo for me as a Christmas gift this past year. As we approach our 55th anniversary of exchanging marriage vows in the Mission Church, our life together has certainly flourished because of our individual and joint Santa Clara experiences and the lifelong friendships we forged during our years there. I have only to look at this photo to be instantly transported back to that special moment in time.”

For me, flourishing happens at the intersection of passion, purpose, and place. I made the move to Harrison LLP with many of my colleagues, taking a leap to join a national firm where I can build on my strengths in litigation, uphold the reputation I have built, and maintain the highest client service standards that define my work. I continue to be inspired by the many amazing professionals I learn from and work alongside. My fellow Santa Clara alum and colleague, Chelsea Suttmann, remains a trusted partner in leadership at our new firm. Our shared journey building a Bay Area law firm has now unlocked a new chapter in which we, and our team, can flourish. I feel fortunate to have expanded into a coast-to-coast group of fiduciary litigators. We share a commitment to excellence and a passion for the practice. This has created an environment where I can flourish—surrounded by people who uphold those shared values. It elevates my practice and fuels my growth.”

I’m flourishing through work with the new nonprofit Poetry Forward, which I started so I could continue going into schools and communities to stir up interest and excitement for poetry. As Nebraska’s State Poet between 2019 and 2024, I traveled to all 93 of Nebraska’s counties and loved showcasing poetry as something exciting and relevant to people’s lives. I am grateful to be continuing that work and interacting with young and old poets around Nebraska and beyond.”

I started the year as office managing partner of Harrison LLP’s Burlingame office—a transition that opened the door to a new level of leadership and the opportunity to flourish. It was a bold step to move our estate planning practice to a national firm, and for me, culture is essential to flourishing. I was reminded of how powerful the right environment can be, both for individuals and for team leaders. We found ourselves in a place that magnifies our talents and encourages our growth. And the Santa Clara community is a key part of my continued flourishing as well. I have a long-term partnership with Jim Cummins, an incredible fiduciary litigator (also a Santa Clara alum!). We have a balanced leadership style that has enabled us to build something great here in the Bay Area, and we feel poised to take on this new chapter and continue to flourish with a national platform.”

I’ve just published a new book, ‘Pathways to Inner Peace,’ which features nine pathways to greater peace of mind practiced through centuries of spiritual tradition, described by poets and philosophers, and now validated by research in psychology and neuroscience. My intention is to help others discover greater hope in these challenging times by restoring their connection with nature, other people, and their faith in life.”

I flourished in 2025 by publishing my first novel, ‘The Boy and the Brothel Madam.’ It’s a historical fiction that centers around the real-life figure of Ah Toy, the first Chinese brothel madam in Gold Rush San Francisco. I’ve been working on this project for far too long—over 12 years—and am thrilled and relieved to finally see it in print. Writing is a journey that started for me in elementary school with the Young Authors’ Fair and continues to today. In seventh grade, my teacher awarded me the coveted Most Likely to Win a Pulitzer Prize, which is probably the closest I’ll ever get to the award, but this novel is a step in the right direction!”

Santa Clara reinforced what my parents taught me, that the purpose of education was to be in service to others. I served 31 years as an elected school board member in East San Jose. I have served as state commander for a Latino veterans organization. Wherever I go, I loudly say ‘go Broncos!’ I am on the road to retirement. I am now blessed with two grandchildren, who are both their own bundle of joy."