Brian Roach
Tell us about yourself. What do you like to do with your time when not vounteering with Habitat?
I am a Managing Director for Wells Fargo Bank where I help manage a 160 person team that sells complex financial contracts called derivatives to corporate customers of the bank. These contracts help customers manage their risk associated changing interest rates or commodity prices. It is about as far from homebuilding as you can get. I moved to Oakland from San Diego about a year ago. In San Diego I also worked for Wells Fargo as a lender to national restaurant chains.
In my free time in San Diego my wife, Wendy, and I grew fruit commercially which we sold at local farmers' markets. Despite our small operation we were the largest producer of certified organic blueberries in San Diego county. We also grew a wide range of specialty crops such as cherimoyas, pomellos, guavas and dragon fruit. We have been trying to sell the farm for the past year. Until the farm is sold, Wendy and the three dogs (Mac, Barney and Paloma) live in San Diego and continue to maintain the property.
When I am not volunteering at Habitat I am usually reuniting with Wendy and the dogs either in Oakland or San Diego. It has been challenging, but we make the best of it. I don't relax well, but when I do it most often involves the Boston Red Sox or the New England Patriots. If either team is playing you can rest assured the game is on. In the fall, I regularly fly back to attend Pats games with my college friends.
How did you begin volunteering for Habitat for Humanity?
After moving to Oakland last summer I began looking for a new volunteering activity. I was aware of Habitat, but I had never been to a build site. It all started after an inspirational vacation back east to Rhode Island to help a friend put cedar shingles on his house ("Shinglefest 06"). The house was coming up on its second winter without siding. I figured that if I came out to help my buddy Doug get started he could get the job done before the first winter storm. For six days we cut shingles, hammered nails and climbed ladders from sunrise to sunset. I had so much fun working outside learning the finer points of classic cedar siding that I knew that Habitat was the organization for me. I started with Habitat in November 2006.
"Brian’s an amazing dude. Between recruiting volunteers and organizing company build days, volunteering on most Saturdays, and writing thank you letters to all the Wells Fargo volunteers, he’s pretty incredible. The only problem I have with the guy is that he’s a Red Sox fan. Go Yankees!"
-- Stephen Eales, AmeriCorps member
Describe a favorite experience you have volunteering with Habitat.
The challenge and excitement of the Build-A-Thon in April was like nothing I have ever experienced. I was a crew leader for all four days. While everyone will say that it wasn't a race, there were progress goals and each team was constantly checking their progress relative to the others. The work was hard and the days were long. You had to be on your game mentally and physically all the time while maintaining enough energy to encourage and coach the other members of the team each day.
What motivates you to continue to volunteer with Habitat?
I like coming back each week to see the progress on the homes and how my AmeriCorps friends are doing. The AmeriCorps team at Edes Avenue are the heart and soul of the project. I admire their commitment to affordable housing, their energy level day in and day out, and their patience dealing with new volunteers. I have learned a great deal from them not only about house construction, but about coaching and team building as well. I typically volunteer on Saturdays which is the last day of their work week. I try to bring a little fun and levity to their day to help it pass a little more quickly.
"I like coming back each week to see the progress on the homes and how my AmeriCorps friends are doing. The AmeriCorps team at Edes Avenue are the heart and soul of the project."
Tell us about Wells Fargo's involvement with Habitat.
Habitat for Humanity is a priority for Wells Fargo. As the nation's biggest home mortgage lender, the bank believes that increasing the availability of safe and affordable housing is a crucial step in helping all Americans achieve the goal of homeownership. As an indication of the bank's commitment, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation donates $2,500 to Habitat every time ten Wells Fargo Team Members and their friends and family volunteer for a Habitat affiliate. In addition, during the annual United Way campaign, the bank matches Wells Fargo Team Member contributions to Habitat.
What are plans with us in the future?
My primary goal for this year was to organize at least ten Build Days in order to qualify for $25,000 in WFHF grants. So far, I am on pace to achieve that goal. Secondarily, I am working to better organize how the bank supports Habitat. We are a big decentralized financial services company with approximately 80 lines of business and 170,000 employees. In the Bay Area there are over 10,000 employees many of whom work and live in the East Bay. There is so much we could be doing if we were better organized to bring volunteers and funding to Habitat. I am working on several initiatives to build the relationship between the bank and Habitat. There is no reason why we couldn't have 20 to 30 Build Days in 2008 and raise $100,000.
What is your favorite tool to work with?
I grew up in my father's cabinet shop, so I am much more familiar doing finish work than I am doing framing. I used a table saw long before I ever used a circular saw. I would be quite content if [Site Supervisor] Chrissy handed my a cut list and assigned me to a table saw or a mitre saw for the day. Also, as a former gentleman farmer, I am pretty handy with a chain saw and a back hoe as well.
