Chris embodies what EWA is all about. He's a leader of creative minds, which is challenging as each of our personalities is distinct and strong. Our team handles an array of communications and content, working with teams across the enterprise. It can be almost impossible for anyone to keep track of the amount of work we're doing and how we're delivering it, but Chris does it. Chris not only succeeds in leading our team strategy but he also consistently encourages our personal growth and the expansion of our green zone. Chris leads by example, living our EWA values and calling them out on our team members whenever possible. He is an incredible partner too. I've had the opportunity to work alongside Chris in a few projects. In every meeting, he's always the calmest person in the room, encouraging us to center ourselves on the goal and promoting effective teamwork. It's clear to all who meet him that his moral compass is tuned up. Whenever anybody in our team needs anything, on a personal or professional note, Chris always makes himself available to talk through it and support our wellbeing. He embraces and practices the mutual trust coaching model, listening attentively, asking pertinent questions, and allowing collaboration to help us move forward. Chris is quick to celebrate success and identify the business impact on any project. He's an excellent leader, who with his words and exemplary behavior, empowers me to own my work, speak up, and create clarity.

Since the pandemic hit and we began to work remotely, Chris has set up a multi-meeting level-set system with our team. We have a specific time for a one-on-one, for team development, and to run through the work we're doing and give business updates. He has set up open-office time on his calendar weekly, so that we may reach out to him if we need to. At times when personal life has gotten in the way of my work performance, he's been there for me. When the business needed pandemic-related social media assets overnight, and I needed a second set of eyes at midnight, he not only read my emails but also answered my phone calls, coaching me in the OneAmerica voice amidst the crisis. He worked on supporting documents that fed every project back then and sped up our creative process at a time the business needed it desperately. Chris supports team collaboration by not only verbally celebrating each success but encouraging us to share the work we're doing with one another, to learn from one another, to help grow each other. He builds mutual trust by becoming vulnerable to us, opening up about his perspective, and letting each share their own. Chris uses the SBI feedback model, which has proven effective in my personal growth. After talking to Chris, I always feel listened to, validated, and valued. When he heard I had a competing job offer, he left whatever he was doing aside, called me right away, and set up a time to talk further. He's a great reason why I now celebrate my decision to stay at OneAmerica. He's an effective manager who makes space for our individuality while coaching us all into one cohesive voice.

Chris has been instrumental in the development of several OneAmerica ways that now create clarity and make the OneAmerica voice consistent. His work on developing a communications process guide that makes sense not only for our teams but also for stakeholders has been pivotal in our team's success after the reorganization. Chris took the lead in crafting the OneAmerica message on resilience and financial strength at a critical time in our company's history. OneAmerica responded publicly to the pandemic, racial injustice, and other pivotal issues in 2020. Chris's communication strategy was behind each appropriate and timely response. It is clear to me that leaders at the top of our company trust his expertise as much as the writers he supervises. Chris doesn't only talk the talk, he walks the walk with us, and his work speaks for itself.

I'm new to OneAmerica, one year into my marketing career. Coming into the corporate world from a completely different industry was intimidating. As my direct supervisor, Chris not only taught me the ropes of the OneAmerica culture but also introduced me to several key actors in the organization from the get-go. By doing so, he enabled me to build relationships early with people who are now my stakeholders. Although he brings me to the table, Chris promptly removes himself from the conversation to allow me to own any project's communications strategy and content creation. At times when I've felt inadequate, Chris has been quick to point out my strengths and his rationale behind my place in the project. Beyond just that, he offers his support unconditionally and teaches me with a gentle attitude to be independent in my work. As an out-of-the-box thinker, my ideas often come off as disruptive to other team members. Chris encourages my creativity and helps others see my vision. Within my short year at OneAmerica, Chris has exposed me to high priority projects with full confidence I would deliver, which makes me believe I can. As a recovering workaholic, Chris encourages rest and taking time off to decompress and take care of my mental health. As a creative mind in need of structure, Chris continues to work very hard in developing a process guide that's cohesive and inclusive of all collaborating teams (comms, operations, design). He's good at giving credit and recognition to each team member for their contributions and their impact, which encourages us to keep producing more. Because of his leadership, I know I'm just as capable of writing a newsletter blurb as of writing an executive message or a P.R. article. For a highly-productive team of ghostwriters, it could be easy for our work to go unnoticed. Chris makes us and our work visible to the enterprise, owning the value we bring to the achievement of the company's goals.