Jay has lived in the Chicagoland area all his life. While he has dreams of having a home on a warm coast or waking up to a beautiful, majestic mountain one day, he doesn’t see himself leaving the area anytime soon. He currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two children. 

Jay was saved by Jesus at the age of 8 at his local church and devoted himself to following Him at age 13. Throughout the ups and downs that go along with adolescence, he continued to grow in the truth of the gospel, discovering what God’s love meant and what it meant to live for Jesus. It was during his high school and college years when he committed to serving Jesus through serving others around him and serving in his local church. 

Coming out of college, Jay’s gift for management was quickly realized by his bosses and he became an instant leader in the marketplace. To name a few, he had the awesome responsibility of grand-opening and managing several LifeTime Fitnesses, overseeing Target stores, and most recently, was the Vice President of Club Operations for Everclean Car Wash. While enjoying a successful corporate career, Jay was called into full-time vocational ministry in between his corporate stints. He obtained his Master in Ministry Leadership degree from Moody Theological Seminary and served at a local church as the Executive Pastor for 10 years. There he was able to merge his executive leadership skills and love for Jesus and His people. 

As the Pastor of People Integration for 180 Chicago, Jay is excited to return to a formal ministry role. It will be like a full circle moment as he focuses on helping others come alive by presenting the good news of the Gospel and helping others to understand it could revolutionize EVERY area of one’s life, like it did for him. Jay’s desire is to see God work in reviving people’s lives and making them whole, healed, and complete whether they realize they need it or not. 

Jay’s happiest times are when he is with his family discovering new places, restaurants and experiences.