Today we’d like to introduce you to Major Jonathan Rich.
Major Rich, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My great, great grandfather lived in London in the late 1800s. This was shortly after The Salvation Army was founded. He was so taken by the passion and the mission of the organization and of the founder, William Booth, that he enlisted in the cause. Not long afterwards, he and his family were sent to Jamaica to start The Salvation Army in the Caribbean. Fast forward 130 years and The Salvation Army is now in 128 countries around the globe. I grew up in a family that included five generations of Salvation Army leaders on both my mother’s side and my father’s side. My wife has a similar background. It may seem that it would have been a natural progression for us to have followed in our parents’ and our forebears’ footsteps, but instead, I got a business degree from Bucknell University and got my first job with Price Waterhouse in Chicago, and my wife got an education degree from the University of Illinois and planned to teach. A few years into our careers we really felt drawn to serve others in a different way. So we left our careers and undertook the two-year training regimen at The Salvation Army school in Chicago. Since being commissioned as Salvation Army officers, we have served in Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Currently, we are the DFW Metroplex Commanders for The Salvation Army. The command is one of the largest in the world for The Salvation Army with over 450 employees, 20 centers of operation and an operating budget of $50 million.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road but we have always trusted God to provide and lead. The struggle in the non-profit sector almost always goes back to funding. By our charter, we are actually a “not-for-profit” organization, and we meet human needs right up to the level of our resources. We want to help everyone in need but, of course, that’s not possible. We are known as an organization that stretches a dollar more than most. In other words, more of each dollar goes to direct service and we minimize overhead. This sometimes means that our infrastructure is stretched very thin and there is a tendency to overwork our people. In DFW we are currently focusing on taking steps to become a “best place to work” so that we can minimize turnover and maximize effectiveness. This is a big, hairy, audacious goal in our sector, but we are committed to it and we have a great board that is going to help us get there!
The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Command – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Salvation Army’s specialty is serving the most vulnerable populations around the globe. We are best known for our work with the homeless, the addicted, the impoverished, as well as children and people facing the ravages of natural and man-made disasters. We are on the front-lines in each of those spaces. I am most proud of the fact that we are 150 years old and still in the top 5 of America’s Favorite Charities. That is a testament to the fact that we have delivered on our promise to do the most good for the most people with the resources that have been entrusted to us. We are one of the most recognized and trusted brands worldwide and that is because we do what we say we’re going to do and we do it effectively and efficiently. We serve the last, the least, and the lost.
What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
I have always been someone who loves sports. I played Little League baseball, but I was never very good as an athlete. I grew up in the New York City area and loved following the Yankees, Knicks, Jets, and Islanders. To this day, I am an avid professional sports fan. I am a musician and started playing a horn at a young age. I fell in love with classical music, jazz, the group Chicago and many other artists and genres. I have always been an avid reader. When I was younger, I was fascinated by the former Presidents of our country and loved to read biographies and the Hardy Boys books.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8787 N. Stemmons Freeway
Suite 800
Dallas, Texas 75247 - Website: salvationarmydfw.org
- Phone: 214-637-8100
- Email: jon.rich@uss.salvationarmy.org
- Instagram: salarmydfw
- Facebook: salarmydfw
- Twitter: salarmydfw
Image Credit:
The Salvation Army
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