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Your Catholic Neighbor: Tom Ehmann
Bottom line means doing God’s will
By Joyce Coronel, The Catholic Sun
January 3, 2008
After 13 years of working for banks, Tom Ehmann made a career change and never looked back.
As an information analysis manager for J.P. Morgan and a financial analyst with Citibank, Ehmann knew he was working for stockholders, not customers.
“The corporate world thinks business is about making money, but I think it’s about taking good care of your customer and the money will come,” he said.
Sensing a calling to make the leap from corporate man to personal financial planner, the longtime St. Benedict’s parishioner began a career in 2005 with Edward Jones in central Phoenix. The firm is located near St. Thomas the Apostle Church, where Ehmann frequently makes visits to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
“My calling is to help people… faith is my motivator,” he said of his abiding beliefs.
Catholic faith and education has surrounded Ehmann all his life. He’s a graduate of St. Francis Elementary School, Brophy College Preparatory and the University of San Diego, where he received a degree in accountancy. He also holds a master’s degree from Arizona State University. He and his wife Kim have three children who attend St. John Bosco’s Interparish School.
Ehmann has a passion for helping people manage their money, which he said should be used to do God’s will. “I ask clients what money means to them. It’s often freedom or safety, but in the end, it is really just a God-given tool,” he said.
A strong believer in stewardship and tithing, Ehmann said, “You can’t argue with the Bible.” Though he’s making less money in his new profession, he feels like he is answering his calling in life. Ehmann said everything we have is God’s anyway, except our free will.
“We’re responsible for our will and we’ll be held accountable for it,” he said.
When it comes to finances, Ehmann is clear about one thing: people in America need a lot of help. “They’re in debt and they don’t know how to save. People are afraid. There’s a huge segment that can’t get off the credit card.”
He acknowledged that not everybody is afraid, but said they should be, because “the U.S. Comptroller has $50 trillion in unfunded obligations. That’s $400,000 per worker. Taxes are going to go up and benefits are going to be cut.”
Ehmann laments the fact that many people wait until they’re 50 years old before they start saving and said that’s late in the game.
“If you could tell anything to these people, it would be to start saving,” he said.
How does your faith affect your work?
I go to St. Thomas [the Apostle Parish] a lot since it’s across the street from my office. I go over there and meditate if the day’s not going right. In the morning I like to stop by to visit the church. It’s my foundation. I drop by there or visit the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. It’s my strength.
How does your work affect your faith?
I’m now working with people versus just numbers. It’s kind of like Mary who took the fun route listening to Jesus. I’m taking the fun route now listening to people. I’m interacting with people rather than just doing numbers. God is in everyone, so I’m interacting with Christ on a daily basis.
Are you involved in any ministries or Catholic organizations?
Yes, the Knights of Colombus. I’m a third degree Knight, I’m the program director for the Serra International Club, and I’m in charge of the children’s Liturgy of the Word at St. Benedict’s. That takes a couple of hours every week. The Serra Club sends seminarians a stipend and prays for vocations. We hold a dinner for the priests and also one for the nuns.
What’s your favorite quote?
“A normal person is someone you don’t know real well.” You can extend that to families. It’s my favorite because it’s so true. It’s like St. Therese of Lisieux said, that God made all the different flowers in the fields and to really get to know a flower, you have to look at it. You have to go to that next level. When you get in and get to know somebody, they’re not normal. There’s nobody who’s normal. God’s a lot more creative than that. We are all extraordinary.
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