“You know that feeling when there is music playing in your head and you don’t know the words, and then you hear the words and it all clicks?” That’s how Mike Turgel, the newest member of Compass’ Advisory Board describes the first time he heard Sherry Riva, Compass’ Founder and Executive Director, describe the organization’s mission. “And I just thought to myself, ‘wow, this is phenomenal.’”
As a Portfolio Manager on the Bank Loan team at Eaton Vance Management, Mike knows the importance of savings and assets very well. He first learned about Compass when he became a partner several years ago in the Boston chapter of Social Venture Partners – an organization which connects and supports donors to make a greater impact on their local communities. When Mike described his philanthropic interests to the then-Executive Director of SVP, she knew that Compass would be a perfect organization for him to learn more about.
“One of the first things I did was sit in on a financial education workshop at the office in Lynn,” Mike describes. “The Compass coach was talking about budgeting and credit scores. It was real time, real world examples of the mission statement. I got to see the work playing out in real time and I was sold.”
As a member of the Advisory Board, Mike is especially looking forward to helping Compass build its overall capacity to fulfill its mission, including how Compass continues to support families after they graduate from a Compass program. He is excited to bring his experiences and expertise to the table. As a student at NYU’s Stern School of Business, Mike says he gained an appreciation for the value of shared ideas. He sees the Advisory Board as a place to think about ideas and challenges from multiple angles in order to help them take better shape. He also knows the value for any organization of staying laser-focused on its core competencies. He saw this in Compass’ work and it was one of the elements that attracted him to the organization.
Mike is a Massachusetts native and now lives in Needham with his wife and their two children. We are thrilled to welcome Mike to the Compass family.