Thank you, Greg, for sharing your insights and wisdom with us for a Presenter Spotlight!
Question: Share a little about how your personal and professional background relates to building great communities:
Answer: I worked for 25 years at Missouri State University, the last seven as Vice President of Administrative and Information Services. I then served as the Springfield City Manager for ten years. After a nine-day retirement, I joined United Way of the Ozarks and served as President & CEO for six years. It’s obvious I can’t keep a job. In each of those positions, I have been involved in community building. MSU has a statewide mission in public affairs, so I was engaged in the community. As City Manager, I was honored to lead the most functionally diverse organization in the community and we wove community engagement into the fabric of our community. As the leader of a United Way agency, I experienced community-building from the perspective of a nonprofit. I learned a lot in each position.
Q: What do you see as the most important factor shaping the future of responsible fatherhood work?
A: Building “bridging” social capital. Connecting these brave individuals to others within their community and providing a safety net.
Q: What is one myth or understanding you encounter in your line of work (relating to fatherhood or otherwise) that you’d like to bust?
A: The myth of, “I’m just one person. What difference could I make?” Magic happens when a person finds and gets connected to something they are passionate about that allows them to use their hard-earned skills and talents. We see it happen during every Give 5 graduation ceremony, and it gives me goosebumps every time.
Q: Our theme is “Bringing it Home.” We know that where somebody lives can have a huge influence on their values, priorities and outlooks. Share a little about the place you call “home” and how it shaped you.
A: Springfield is my home and it’s a wonderful place to live. As City Manager and President & CEO of United Way of the Ozarks, I got to work knee-deep in initiatives that have shaped our community.
Q: What is your motto in life?
A: Let’s go upstream and attack the root causes.
Q: In your opinion, what difference does it make to families and communities when fathers have the tools they need to be Good Dads?
A: It changes everything. We all have our own blind spots. We don’t know what we don’t know. And I believe we tend to parent the way we were parented. Armed with the tools they need to be good dads, anything can happen. It’s a chance for a new beginning.
Q: What part of your presentation are you most excited to share with reunion attendees?
A: My favorite part is always the Q&A at the end. Conference participants always ask great questions (and often stump me).
Q: We’re always on the hunt for insightful and inspiring resources from other great minds. If you have an article, book, podcast, etc., you think reunion attendees would enjoy, please share!
A: If you are curious enough to wonder how social media (and their algorithms) are impacting our society and tearing our society apart, read The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher.
Bring it Home with Good Dads
At the Good Dads Family Reunion, Greg Burris and his colleague, Cora Scott, will present a session titled “Couch Repellant: Using ‘Civic Matchmaking’ to Engage Volunteers.” You’ll learn about the five macro-trends impacting every community that create fertile ground for the Give 5 Program.
“Bringing it Home” is Friday, July 18, in Springfield, MO. Facilitators, chapter leaders and friends of Good Dads are invited to attend our first-ever Family Reunion. At this daylong celebration, we’ll enjoy delicious food, live music, exciting prizes and fun, engaging opportunities to honor the important father-focused work taking place around Missouri. Register for the reunion on the Good Dads website to secure your spot!