I'm Vernon and here's my story

I grew up in Houston, TX, graduated from the University of Houston, and began my career with a large non-profit organization.

After many years, to advance in my career, I moved to Ohio, spending ten years there—five years in Columbus and five in Toledo—before relocating to Des Moines, IA, where I served as CEO of the local association of the organization.

After a fulfilling 38-year career, I retired.

I had no intention of fading into the sunset (I was only 60); however, I was ready for less stress, more freedom and flexibility, and the chance to explore something new. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what that "new" thing would be, but opportunities began to present themselves. A couple of months into retirement, I started a consulting business in response to requests from people in my community seeking help with various projects. This has been a perfect fit, allowing me to choose who I work with and, for the most part, determine how much and when I work.

My consulting focuses on the skills I developed over decades, skills I enjoy sharing to help other organizations succeed.

I’ve also had more time to dedicate to volunteering for causes I care deeply about.

Then God tapped me on the shoulder and introduced me to something else that has become a very important to me. Let me explain.

I’ve been actively involved with my church for years. After retiring, I started working with the church in a flexible role, stepping in to fill gaps as needed. In 2021, the Director of Women’s Ministries approached me and said, “There are several women in my ministry whose recently retired husbands feel a bit lost and need something to get involved in. Can you do something for them?” That’s when I assembled a group of eight recently retired men, and ReGroup was born. Together, we explored God’s purpose for this stage of our lives. Our theme is fun, fellowship, and finishing strong.

Since then, the group has grown exponentially and evolved to include all retired or semi-retired men, regardless of age. I can’t count the number of people—both men and their wives—who’ve told me, “I’m so glad you started this group.”

While these may be considered by some the "golden years," not a week (and often not a day) goes by without a new serious health diagnosis of a group member, their spouse, or a close family member. There are surgeries, hospitalizations, and deaths. Challenges arise with aging parents, children, and grandchildren. These examples barely scratch the surface, but you get the point.

We help each other find meaning and purpose, and encourage and pray for one another as we navigate the joys and challenges of aging. We learn, laugh, and sometimes cry together.

At this stage of life, I've learned we need each other. We need other people our age to be a team willing to walk with us through life.

Encouraging and supporting this age group, people in their third-third of life, has become important to me, and that's why I’m here.

I hope you’ll join us and become part of this community too. Let's explore together.