ChairWaves

What is it that makes businesses successful? According to Hershey, PA Vistage Chair, Kirsten Yurich, it is both the head and the heart. Being technically accurate can only get you so far, after that it is the human connection that gets you across the finish line. Kirsten wasn’t formally educated in leadership, she learned while on the job. As a board certified behavioral analyst, she worked her way up to become a CEO and now has multiple avenues of involvement in community leadership in addition to Vistage, including speaking engagements, hosting workshops and a podcast. 

The best way to contact Kirsten is through her website.

Raleigh, NC area Vistage Chair, Chris Quinn and his wife, Ana, are taking “family business” to the next level. As Co-Chairs of 12 groups with nearly 200 members, Chris describes their teamwork as ideal, with him being the visionary and Ana being the implementor. Together they not only lead their groups, but also help other Vistage Chairs with business development and recruiting. Their two adult sons, now members of an Emerging Leaders group, are following in their parents footsteps. Not only does Chris talk the talk, but he walks the walk, highlighting the path to success for both his members and other Chairs so that they can get on with the business of being more than just human beings, but also, in his words, “human doings.”

The easiest way to contact Chris is through his LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Anyone can get FOMO. Even longtime CEOs who have completed multiple exit strategies. Just ask Dallas/Ft. Worth area Vistage Chair, Dwain Farley. Having never heard of CEO level peer groups, Farley was first introduced to them when he was recruited to be a Chair, and suddenly wondered what his career would have been like if he had been part of a peer group. Six years and three groups later, this former IT guy finds himself creating networks and programs of a different kind. And whenever his “healthy former CEO skepticism” kicks in, questioning his ability to lead or make a difference for other business leaders in an impactful way, Farley remembers his early conversations with Vistage members and trusts that his group members will get the same value from the work that they are doing with each other.  

If you’d like to contact Dwain, feel free to reach out to him through email at [email protected] 

As the youngest of 10 siblings, Jesse DePriest learned early on about “good, productive conflict,” especially when it came to working on the family dairy farm in Alaska. Years of collaboration and teamwork helped him as he transitioned into his time in the Army, first as a helicopter pilot and then as an officer in aviation leading others. After completing his service, and moving into the private sector to work in Industrial Engineering, Jesse never forgot his mission of working hard but always respecting and valuing the people you work with. He incorporates those ideas into everything he does through professional coaching, using the principals of lean leadership to help guide others to find their purpose through leadership. Along with running his own business, Jesse is chairing two groups with Vistage in the Omaha, NE area.

If you would like to reach out to Jesse, contact him through his LinkedIn profile or email him at [email protected]

Nashville native, but also first generation American, Rod Thurley learned that he had a gift for talking and selling while attending college in Tennessee. He used those skills while working in the automotive industry and then when he transitioned into the RV industry. Six months after starting work at an RV dealership, at just 31-years-old, he bought the business and dedicated himself to running it for the next two decades. During that time, he had a network of peers who would be instrumental in helping him get through the great recession of 2008 and then enable him to retire in 2014. But Rod wasn’t ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement and with the blessing of his wife, he found himself owning another business up in Alaska and then back in Tennessee as a Vistage Chair. Today, Rod chairs multiple groups, helping others so that they too may continue to have success on their road to business success. 

If you would like to contact Rod, you can check out his website, or email him at [email protected]

Bloomington, IN Vistage Chair, David Quick’s life changed one day while eating lunch in the “middle of nowhere.” That day, he met with a Master Vistage Chair and was inspired to take his career in a new direction. After serving in the Navy and then having three different CEO gigs by the age of 42, David was wondering “now what?” He says he can’t remember if he found Vistage or Vistage found him, but either way it was a match and for 11 plus years now, he has been chairing what he calls a hybrid group between Small Business and Chief Executive. When David isn’t chairing he’s busy working as a Pinnacle Certified Business Guide and Cultural Index Executive Advisor. All of which, when combined together, runs like a well oiled machine.

If you are interested in learning more about David or reaching out, feel free to contact him on LinkedIn.

Inspirational. Hard-working. Fearless. Just a few of the words I would use to describe THE Pete Thomas. Based in Ann Arbor, Pete’s first group launched in January of 2025, but his story didn’t start out in Michigan. As a child, he lived in 13 cities in his first 13 years, experiencing a lot of hardship during those early days. At 13 years-old, that all changed, and Pete was ready for it. An avid reader with a love of learning, Pete dedicated himself to school and then his career, eventually becoming a successful CEO for a software company. And it was there, during a pandemic, that he says he learned more than just what can be taught in books. Now Pete passes on his knowledge to others while challenging them to be the best versions themselves, writing the best versions of their own stories. Enjoy this episode!

If you would like to contact Pete, message him on LinkedIn, or email at either [email protected] or [email protected] 

On this week’s episode of ChairWaves I spoke with cross-town Vistage Chair, Dan Hogan. Dan chairs two groups in the Denver metro area, one of which he co-chairs with previous podcast guest, Karen Kemerling PhD. Our chat covered everything from his transition to Vistage after 25 years in the corporate sector, his varying roles in Vistage, what inspires him when working with business leaders and CEOs, the idea of diverse perspectives, decision paralysis, and finally the similarities between bee colonies, peer groups and corporations. 

The best way to contact Dan, to discuss any of the things listed above, or anything else you may be interested in is through his LinkedIn profile, through dm or a call (his phone number is listed in his profile). 

It’s more than an art, it’s a business. As the former founder of three tech start-up companies, two with successful exit strategies, Colorado Chair David Lyon knows all about the business side of Vistage and what it takes to run a successful group (or two). But, there have been a lot of surprises along the way. David claims that he learned more from his failed venture than his two profitable ones and despite his talent for building things from scratch, he was honored to be gifted his first group from another chair who was retiring. Being part of one of David’s groups means a lot of learning, growth, challenges, and rigorous intellectual debates, i.e. lively discussions…in his own words “We get after it.” And the result is not a surprise, industry leaders and executives that are better for it. 

If you’d like to contact David, he can be reached by email at [email protected] or through LinkedIn.

Leading comes naturally to St. Louis, MO area Vistage Chair, Linda Goldstein. From running a family business to running the business of a town, this former Mayor believes strongly in building up those around her in order to strengthen the community as a whole. Sitting outside, in a neighborhood park, Linda met with prospective members to form her first group during the height of the pandemic. And it was during that time, when many were feeling disconnected from their communities and everyday routines, that Linda saw the need for collaboration and the power of collective wisdom. What a breath of fresh air! I hope you enjoy this episode of ChairWaves with The Honorable Linda Goldstein. 

If you’d like to contact Linda, you can email her at [email protected] or reach out to her throughLinkedIn.