Better Know a Member – John Aleshire
On a beautiful day in May (not one of the many rainy ones), I had the pleasure of visiting with John Aleshire in his office at the Humane Society of Indianapolis where John is the CEO.
John grew up in Terre Haute with his parents and one younger brother. He graduated from Indiana State University and went on to United Theological Seminary where he obtained a graduate degree in divinity. He came to Indianapolis in 1976 and was on staff at North United Methodist Church for many years.
After his time at the church, John was with Indiana National Bank’s community affairs/public relations division for 11+ years. A highlight there was organizing the annual Independence Day fireworks. While at Indiana National, he was given the opportunity to be a trust officer and held that position until the bank was sold and he was asked to transfer to Detroit—John chose to stay in Indianapolis.
John was then CEO of The Little Red Door Cancer Agency for 6 years until the Humane Society of Indianapolis came calling. About three years ago, he had actually read about the resignation of his predecessor in the Indianapolis Star and thought “what sucker is going to take that job…” A week later he was approached by a friend, Marsha Spring, who was on the board and asked him to consider the position. John said ‘no’ quickly but then agreed to meet David Horth, who was the board president at the time. David’s vision, passion and dedication for the organization were so impressive that John decided to take the position.
John’s been with the Humane Society of Indianapolis for over 2-1/2 years now and works to fulfill the organization’s vision that “all Central Indiana animals are treated with dignity and respect and live free from cruelty, harm and neglect.” He is diligent about making the organization truly financial secure. Future plans for the organization include a second location that will be an animal welfare center in the Fountain Square area to provide spay and neuter services. This center will be the first of its kind in the country. Learn more about the Indianapolis Humane Society and sign up for “furr-e-mail” at http://indyhumane.org.
Oh, and if you’re wondering how many pets are in John’s family–he has two cats.
When I asked John about his personal mantras, he shared these nuggets:
- Show up and pay attention
- Suspend judgment
- Don’t take anything personally
- Speak your truth with compassion
- Don’t be attached to the outcome
John was recruited to the Rotary Club of Indianapolis in 2003 by Marsha Spring. He was pleasantly surprised by the club’s diversity, large membership, mission and people. John says, as with any experience, membership in Rotary is what you make it and suggests that anyone that values their profession and wants to be around leaders, visionary thinkers and people engaged in the Indianapolis community needs to give Rotary a chance. He has found it to be a great place to build a network of professional friendships and has found members to be a great resource for services as well.
John’s future goals include travelling to Europe and tracing his ancestral roots in England, Wales and Scotland. He spent time studying in Europe while in seminary and would like to go back to Italy some day. John has already been to every state except Arizona and New Mexico. He has a business trip to Arizona next month, so he is close to completing the U.S. tour.
I also learned that one of John’s creative outlets is writing. He has the plots worked out on a couple of novels he hopes to finish one day. He also dreams of being a pianist and loves classical and other music. He admires the talent of others—including those that play for our club meetings—but just has never had the time to work on it enough.
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to spend time getting to know John. Personally, I won’t be surprised to see his name on a best seller list or a marquee someday. If you haven’t yet met him, be sure to do so at an upcoming Rotary meeting. Or, if you are considering adding a dog or cat to your family, visit John and friends at the Humane Society of Indianapolis!
