Steve Haas

Steve Haas is the Chief Catalyst and a gifted spokesperson for World Vision’s worldwide humanitarian work.

Bio

Steve is Chief Catalyst for World Vision, a global relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. That means he works with community leaders and the major donor community, contributes to strategic planning on major issues, and communicates about global issues that affect the poor.

After getting his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, he labored along the Thailand border as a relief worker aiding Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. With a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1985, he went on to pursue postgraduate studies in Edinburgh, Scotland, returning to the US to serve the business community in Charlotte North Carolina. He lives in the Seattle, Washington area with his wife Susan and three children, Andrew, Erin and BJ.

12 Things to Know About Steve:

1. You won't really understand me unless you ve watched this movie(s):

Chariots of Fire
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Les Miserables
Christmas Carol
Judgement at Nuremberg
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Killing Fields
What About Bob?

2. I'm most liable to get choked up when I hear about:

Transformed lives and communities
The compassion exhibited by my kids
Individual stories of those facing adversity

3. If I had a completely free day to do anything I wanted, I would:

Be the Steve Cam: Be a silent observer of my kids as they walked through their day.
Be an international photographer traipsing through some natural wonder or people's environment with Nikon cameras and an unlimited memory chip
Spend time with my wife

4. My kids drive me crazy when they:

Leave a trail of uncollected personal items
Disrespect each other with an offhand negative comment

(Come to think of it they rarely drive me crazy.)

5. I drive my kids crazy when I:

Continue to remind them of the uncollected personal items.

6. If you're going to give me a gift card, get me one from this store:

REI - Recreational Equipment Incorporated
Sports Authority
Did I say REI?

7. I'm most proud of my kids when they:

Show compassion on those who need it
Stretch further than they think they are able...even if they don't achieve it
Show integrity, especially when it costs them for doing so

8. If I had a million dollars to give to a charity, I'd give it to:

World Vision. I work there and see practically every facet of this ever-burgeoning organization and continue to be impressed with how it moves to serve others.

9. My go-to comfort food(s):

Food for me is strictly a source of body fuel ("Buel" - what we Haas' call it) and therefore hardly a source of comfort or inspiration. Yes, you can guess at my opinion of America's obsession/addiction with food preparationand delivery. If pressed, I do enjoy an "Oregon Chai Latte, peppermint ice cream, and all desserts Middle Eastern."

10. If I could snap my finger and make some problem in the world go away, it would be:

HIV/AIDS and Extreme Poverty.
Leaders who think they are above those they are tasked to serve

11. Home chore or professional task I hate to do:

Having been a janitor during school years, started my own organizations, a neat freak and actually enjoy getting my hands dirty, chores and maintenance do have their dividends. I'm not much of a meeting person and find a fair amount of any project often overwhelmed by the necessity to get everyone's opinion prior to launch. Set a course and let's get on with it!

12. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I watch or read:

Make that "don't read" enough fiction. To stay current in what my passion is I am wrapped up fairly deep in research and current events dealing with humanitarian issues. With the level of reading I do in this one area, it is somewhat troubling that I don't balance out more in the area of casual and more entertaining reading. I make up for this as an avid spectator of children's sports/activities and movies.