Board Profile: Patrick Waite
Patrick (Pat) Waite rejoined the Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County Board of Directors in July 2022, beginning his second term after previously serving a six-year stint several years earlier. He brings more than 20 years of expertise in corporate budgeting and financial planning, along with over three decades of active involvement in community service. Pat currently serves on the Board’s Finance Committee, and is a member of our Caritas Society, a group of loyal donors who provide foundational support at all levels to sustain and advance CCSCC’s services. His connection to Catholic Charities began in 2006, when he participated in the Community Leadership San Jose program and was introduced to then-CCSCC CEO Greg Kepferle. “I was impressed when Greg spoke about the agency’s BHAG—its ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’—which was nothing less than eliminating poverty in Santa Clara County,” Pat recalls. “I was honored when he later asked me to join the Board.”
Is there one area of Catholic Charities’ community programming that is most meaningful to you?
All services that Catholic Charities offers to our community help make lives better. I’m most excited about the Footsteps Program. A bewildering array of services exists aimed at helping those most in need. The problem is, the intended recipients can often feel overwhelmed with meeting their daily needs, let alone navigating the maze of organizations wanting to help them. Footsteps is a critically needed service that can help clients sift through the myriad offerings to find those that provide them with the biggest benefit.
What is your personal mission of giving back and what issues are you passionate about?
I am blessed to be able to devote considerable time to community service. I focus mostly on ensuring that our public funds — both those provided by taxpayers to governments and the philanthropic dollars devoted to improving lives in our communities — are directed efficiently and effectively to their intended purposes. This requires examining both who is spending those dollars and how, as well as the policies that enhance or constrain such efforts.
Why would you encourage others to support Catholic Charities and get involved in our mission?
“The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” Matthew 26:11. We need to allow Jesus to work through us to continue His work of relieving the pain and suffering of the impoverished. Everyone has something to offer: clothing, a bed, transportation, companionship, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to bend. Catholic Charities allows people to match that which they can spare with those who have none, whether that be time, talent or treasure.
