The Board of Directors is very pleased to join with Trinity Western University to announce the hiring of Brady Schlecker (’10) as Executive Director of the TWU Alumni Association. Brady's selection was the result of a robust hiring process between the Association and the University, led by alumnus Peter Reek (‘89) and his team at Smart Savvy & Associates.
Aaron Fedora, President of the TWU Alumni Association, believes that Schlecker will continue the past work of engaging and reconnecting alumni to the University, while building new systems that will serve alumni. “Brady has a passion to bring alumni together in a way that supports the University's mission,” Fedora said. “The Association's directors see the skills he developed building and leading innovative startups as critical to strengthening our alumni community in the next 5 years."
TWU President Bob Kuhn was delighted with the hire. "As an alumnus,” he said, “I was looking to fill this position with someone who was both creative and yet had a business mind, a person who evidenced both secular savvy and a strong Christian commitment, someone with excellent credentials and unquestionable credibility. I had high expectations. I am confident that our thorough process leading to the appointment of Brady resulted in securing leadership of the highest quality.”
Brady came to the world of entrepreneurial leadership the roundabout way and brings a unique blend of creativity and business. “My story is a story of redemption,” he says. “I was this person who went off the rails.” When God came after him and called him from darkness, Schlecker became a firefighter, while also pursuing film and theatre. Schlecker worked in the fire department for close to ten years before deciding the fit was not quite right and he left with a passion to build high-functioning, collaborative corporate cultures.
It was that passion that eventually led him to take his MBA at Trinity Western, where he was able to explore the concept of transformational learning through play. The MBA program allowed Schlecker to explore his vision for a company through the various courses, leveraging each assignment to refine a strategy. The outcome was WorldTribe Media, a startup company that was recognized for innovation and awarded funding for their work on Counter/Story, an educational multiplayer game for kids.
That success led Schlecker to a new startup in Vancouver, Hinterland Studios, where he was operations director of the critically acclaimed video game, The Long Dark. He went on to oversee capital projects for parking facilities on behalf of the city of Vancouver at EasyPark.
It was his wife, Christie (Buono, ’06), who brought to his attention the opening for the Executive Director of the Alumni Association. The opportunity felt just right: “At the end of the day,” he said, “my heart lay in kingdom impact: how can I be a part of influencing people for kingdom purposes?”
It was this University that gave him the opportunity to develop his business skills and entrepreneurial gifting. “So it is coming full circle,” he said. “I am excited about the opportunity to build bridges between the University and the Alumni Association and to develop an ecosystem of support for alumni, one that serves their needs, as well as those of the University and the local community.”
President Kuhn explained that at this point in the University’s history, TWU alumni and their leadership are very important. “We know that Brady, as Executive Director, will be a champion, someone who will carry out the important role with passion and diligence, building a network of key relationships in order to fulfill our mission,” he said. “I am convinced that he will not only get the job done, but he will do so with excellence, innovation and with Christian character."
We hope you join us in welcoming Brady to his new role.