Creighton develops leaders who serve the public good

“Earning this award indicates that the institution invests in the development of leaders in a way that goes beyond instrumental reward,” she says. “Rather, Creighton develops leaders who seek to serve others both inside and outside the University.”

That approach, Kuzelka says, is embedded in Creighton’s Jesuit pedagogy.

“This recognition indicates that Creighton effectively develops faculty, staff and students into leaders who not only lead effectively, but also lead in the spirit of St. Ignatius through cura personalis, magis and care of our common home,” she says.

Creighton’s institutional commitment to serving the common good impacts many fields, encompassing, among others, healthcare, the war on global poverty, the military, management and even tax planning.

Anthony Houston, EdD’21

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Anthony Houston, EdD’21, is president of Dignity Health’s Arizona market, a position that requires him to guide eight acute care hospitals, a medical group, graduate medical education programs, imaging centers, specialty hospitals and other activities critical to Dignity’s mission.

Having earned his doctorate in education from Creighton and a master’s in healthcare administration from Xavier University in Ohio, Houston says he is deeply familiar with the Jesuit commitment to the public good, a familiarity that guides his professional career.

“I have been blessed to immerse myself in the Jesuit way,” Houston says. “I love being able to practice leadership in a ministry that strives to reveal the healing presence of God to others, with special preference for serving and advocating for vulnerable populations while promoting social justice.”

The Jesuit commitments to service, to living for the sake of others, and to magis, or becoming ever more the person God intends one to be, along with powerful lessons drawn from Chris Lowney’s Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World, guide Houston daily.

“The Jesuits focus on continually reflecting on what is working well, where and how they are finding God in all things, and where they have fallen down or missed the mark and how they can improve,” Houston says.

“I incorporate that reflective approach in my daily living, which allows me to explicitly connect with my values: Who am I? What do I stand for? What are my hopes and dreams? How is Jesus working in my life? How am I living and serving for and with others?”

Josie Politico Abboud, BSN’95

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For the past 28 years Josie Politico Abboud, BSN’95, has brought Creighton’s ethic of service to Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, where she currently serves as president and CEO.

It is a substantial responsibility, made more so by her role guiding the entire Methodist Health System as executive vice president. Oversight of four hospitals, more than 30 clinic locations, a medical supply distributorship, an educational institution and more than 8,000 employees provides ample opportunity to encounter what she calls “the full dynamic of human service.”

“I have always believed in the Golden Rule of treating others as you would have them do unto you,” she says. “Treating others with kindness, compassion and empathy is integral in helping them be better versions of themselves, inspiring them to pay it forward and help others too. That makes for a better community for all.”

Abboud cites Creighton’s Magis Core Curriculum as foundational to her approach.

“Creighton challenges you to serve in the community with and for others,” she says. “Its Magis Core Curriculum provides critical-thinking, problem-solving, communication and ethical decision-making skills that help you see the whole person’s emotional, spiritual, physical and social self rather than their individual facets.”

Col. Kristen Nichols, BS’01, DDS’05

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Creighton’s long reach carries into the military, where Air Force Col. Kristen Nichols’ embodiment of a service ethic sees her overseeing the Air Force’s largest dental service. As commander of the 59th Dental Group at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, she oversees 400 medical personnel serving almost 130,000 patients a year.

Like Abboud and Houston, Nichols, BS’01, DDS’05, attributes the ethic of service that guides her career to Creighton’s Jesuit commitment to educating the whole person.

“For me cura personalis and being men and women for others were two values that aligned when I chose to join the Air Force as a dentist following my graduation from Creighton dental school,” she says. “Dentists play a vitally important role in military readiness. Approximately one in five disease nonbattle emergencies during deployment are dental related. The call to care for America’s heroes is a direct reflection of my education at Creighton.”

Nichols says she takes inspiration from the observations of two famous Americans: Albert Einstein, who said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile;” and Benjamin Franklin, who said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

“Public servants have the opportunity to tell, teach or involve those they lead,” Nichols says. “I have found that those who involve, mentor and guide their organization will have a team that is successful, engaged and eager to serve others.”

Donald Montgomery, BSBA’84, JD’89

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General Electric Company for 28 years benefited from the Creighton credo carried into his work by Donald Montgomery, BSBA’84, JD’89, as has for the past four years Synchrony Financial, the largest provider of private-label credit cards in the U.S., where Montgomery is senior vice president and senior tax counsel responsible for general tax planning, mergers and acquisitions tax, international tax and tax audits. 

A native of Maywood, Illinois, where he says his childhood was guided by family members, friends and teachers who encouraged his academic, athletic and spiritual journeys, Montgomery says he encountered a similar community at Creighton.

“I saw those same attributes in the coaches, players and the individuals I met in the broader Creighton community,” he says. “It was clear that the Creighton faculty and staff focused on growing the whole person and the betterment of the communities in which they lived.

“Leadership development was in the DNA, and the opportunities to develop and display leadership skills were unlimited.”

Montgomery was recruited to the Creighton baseball program and, together with his wife, Paris, has since established the Donald and Paris Montgomery Endowed Baseball Scholarship.

“Being a leader should not be about receiving personal accolades or compensation or be measured by whether one finishes first or at the top,” Montgomery says. “Instead, leaders should be agents for sustainable positive change and impact for the benefit of all.

“Creighton’s core mission is to develop educated individuals who depart the University with these core attributes and go on to positively impact the communities in which they live and work.”

Jamie Van Leeuwen, PhD, BA’96

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East Africa, too, is feeling the impact of graduates imbued with a Creighton service ethic.

For Jamie Van Leeuwen, PhD, BA’96, Creighton proved a natural extension of an upbringing guided by parents who were educators in underserved and underrepresented communities. In 2009, Van Leeuwen founded the Global Livingston Institute, which introduces students and community leaders to best practices community development in Uganda and Rwanda.

Creation of the institute took place simultaneously with his work with John Hickenlooper, former Colorado governor and current U.S. senator, and with philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, where Van Leeuwen focused on building out Powell Jobs’ youth and community engagement work connecting young people around the country to paid internships.

“My professional career has been shaped by Jesuit values and innovative and compassionate leaders who understand the value of giving back and investing in community,” Van Leeuwen says.

“Creighton anchored the values that I leaned on to shape the Global Livingston Institute.

“Good public service means that you: Listen. Think. Act. There has never been a more important time for institutions like Creighton to invest in and shape the next generation of public servants by mentoring and ensuring that every young person has a seat at the table.”

Creighton, of course, has never rested on its laurels. If its past is full of graduates who exemplify the commitment to leadership in public service recognized by the Carnegie Foundation, its future promises no less.

Saige Christen and Vanessa White

Saige Christen, a junior from Harvey, Louisiana, who is a member of the women’s cross country team and is pursuing a double major in psychology and philosophy with a minor in criminal justice, is a member of the Next Generation Leaders Program, a four-year leadership program that seeks to positively impact the culture of equity, diversity and inclusion on Creighton’s campus and in the future careers of its members.

She is joined in the Next Generation program by Vanessa White, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying criminal justice and cultural anthropology. 

White, a member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and president of Creighton’s Native American Association, says she is driven by a desire to serve Indigenous communities. 

“Public service has always been a passion of mine,” she says. “My time at Creighton has shaped and guided me toward that purpose. From Day 1, public service was woven into the fabric of every course, fostering students dedicated to serving their communities. 

“As a proud member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, I’ve been driven by a desire to serve Indigenous communities and with the encouragement and guidance of my mentors and peers, I helped reintroduce the Native American Association on campus.”

Christen is a lifelong volunteer who quickly recognized that Creighton was a place that valued and encouraged that commitment.

“Throughout high school, I spent my weekends serving,” she says. “Whether volunteering at the Louisiana Audubon Zoo or helping at the Second Harvest Food Bank, giving back to my community was a large part of what made me feel whole. 

“So, my acceptance as a Next Generation Leaders scholar at Creighton  ­— a program that rests on public service — was the catalyst to my decision to enroll here.”

In addition, she has volunteered with SAVE, a nonprofit organization serving elementary students in the Omaha Public Schools system, as well as Open Door Mission, a shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

“Creighton calls us to be ‘women and men for and with others,’ and they provide every opportunity to answer that call,” Christen says. “From the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, ensuring athletes like me have access to service opportunities, to the Schlegel Center for Service and Justice to the professors and people that surround us with service opportunities, it is impossible to not be able to answer that principal Jesuit mission.

“Creighton has emphasized that our education is not just to get a fancy degree or a lot of money, but to help us be trailblazers of change in our communities.”