Board Member Q&A: Meet Jeff Wenngatz

From All-Star Dad to Board Vice Chair, seeing Pinky Swear Foundation from multiple perspectives

At Pinky Swear Foundation, we are lucky to have a community of supporters dedicated to helping kids with cancer and their families financially. Behind the scenes, there is a key group of people on our Board of Directors. These folks commit their time and talents to push Pinky Swear toward the vision of saying ‘yes’ to every family facing childhood cancer.

Jeff Wenngatz has a particular connectedness to Pinky Swear and its mission. He has a child who faced cancer.

Jeff’s professional background in operations and executive leadership roles, combined with his incredible compassion for other families in the childhood cancer journey has made him an invaluable asset on Pinky Swear’s Executive Committee, where he currently serves as the Board Vice Chair. Read on to learn more about Jeff, his Board tenure highlights, and what he admires most about Pinky Swear!

Q: What drew you to Pinky Swear Foundation?

A: The incredible work that Pinky Swear Foundation does to support children who are battling cancer and their families. My family witnessed firsthand the devastation that a childhood cancer diagnosis can bring having gone through it twice with our son. Just knowing an organization is out there to provide financial support during this extremely difficult time makes all the difference in the world.

Q: There are a lot of organizations that support the cancer community. What about Pinky Swear’s mission stands out to you?

A: There are so many fantastic organizations out there doing good work in support of cancer, but what really stands out to me is the kids helping kids focus within Pinky Swear's mission. I get excited about seeing young leaders in our communities who, at an early age, think outside of themselves and do remarkable things to make a kid who is battling cancer feel that they are not alone. To me, this focus truly embodies who our founder, Mitch Chepokas, was as an extraordinary young man himself. Even when Mitch was facing the toughest of cancer battles himself, he found a way to give back to others.

Q: What do each of the Pinky Swear values (Compassion, Collaboration, Celebration) mean to you?

A: Compassion = Putting yourself in the shoes of another to try to understand what they are going through and find a way to help. Collaboration = It takes an incredible amount of effort by many talented people to help as many kids with cancer and their families as Pinky Swear does year after year. Effective and efficient collaboration amongst this team is the only way to make the magic happen on a daily basis. Celebration = Childhood cancer is an incredibly difficult challenge for our All-Star kids and their families to overcome and Pinky Swear strives to be there for them along their journey. As such, we feel it is important to take the time to celebrate and honor our All-Stars along with all that we are doing to make their lives just a little better.

Q: Is there a particular accomplishment during your tenure on the Board of Directors that you’re proud of?

A: Having been on the Board for almost eight years now, there are many Board and staff accomplishments to be proud of, but I’m most proud of the endowment fund we’ve raised. We set out on a mission to raise a $10 million endowment in 5 years and were able to do it in just 3 years. This endowment will allow us to continue to deliver on Mitch’s dream of helping kids with cancer and their families long into the future.

Q: What talents do you bring to the Board of Directors?

A: I bring to the Board my own experience as an All-Star family, a clear vision for the future of the organization, and a deep passion for helping kids who are battling cancer and their families.

Q: What have you learned during your time on the Board of Directors?

A: Patience. Our goal is to help every single kid who is diagnosed with cancer in a meaningful way. That is a big and lofty goal, but it can be accomplished, just not overnight. It takes patience and the dedication of many to deliver on this goal.

Q: What are your hopes for Pinky Swear Foundation in the childhood cancer space?

A: I hope to see Pinky Swear Foundation as the go-to national organization for supporting kids with cancer and their families with financial and emotional support.

Q: If there was one thing you wanted people to know about Pinky Swear Foundation, what would it be?

A: I would want everyone to know the story of our founder, Mitch Chepokas, and the Chepokas family. Mitch’s story of selflessness, leadership, and compassion inspires all who are involved with the organization to do everything that we can to support kids who are battling childhood cancer.

You can learn more about our Board of Directors and how you can get involved here.