Board of Directors

Cindy is mother to Nick, Rob and Chris and grandmother to four beautiful children. She is a retired attorney, but family has always been her first priority. Family was always a priority for Rob and it is her desire to support programs that strengthen families, particularly programs that offer support for fathers. Further, to honor Rob's legacy, she wants to help young people who want to pursue an alternative path to a four year college.

Chris is an in-house attorney whose practice spans a wide array of areas, including corporate governance issues. As the younger brother of Rob, Chris was often the subject of Rob's especially aggressive "tough love." As they grew older, though, they became best friends and, in the last couple of years of Rob's life, were fortunate enough to live in close enough proximity to see one another on a weekly basis. As the father of a young child himself and as the recipient of many of Rob's lessons working with his hands, Chris is eager to support the Foundation's dual purpose.

Nick is an educational consultant and writing coach who assists teens in planning for college and life after high school. Rob's older brother by three years, Nick was always an impeccable role model to Rob (except during the late '90s, aka the "basement years"; also after that). His priority through the Foundation is to help young people, whose path doesn't necessarily lead through college, access the resources they need to find fulfillment in their work.

Nathaniel (Nat) is an academic general surgeon and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. His work largely revolves around educating practicing surgeons and those in residency training, which resembles an apprenticeship model. He was amazed as he watched Rob developing numerous interests and talents outside of his formal work roles. Nat's priority through the Foundation is to enable young people to further their education, either alongside their fathers or via nontraditional pathways.

Taylor is a firm Principal and leads the Client Development, Marketing and Professional Services Divisions for David Mason + Associates (DMA). Taylor met Robbie in middle school and the two would go on to remain great friends for 25 years; sharing in the joy of growing up together, getting married (Rob officiated Taylor's wedding) and having children. In addition to his work at DMA, Taylor is the President of the Diversity Awareness Partnership and serves on ACE Mentorship Board of Directors, and the St. Louis Children's Hospital Development Board. Collectively, these organizations focus on diversity, family support and youth education. It's lessons learned through these board and work experiences that Taylor will draw from to fulfill the Robert N. Soper Foundation mission.

Jonathan Dowd is a carpenter by trade and was a great friend of Rob's. Rob was the person who helped Jon find his way to pursue his passion for carpentry after an Operations Management role at a renowned St. Louis law firm. Jonathan and Rob became friends during confirmation class in 1999 and remained incredibly close until Rob's passing. Jonathan feels deeply tied to the mission of facilitating education for those who are interested in trade school. Jonathan is also a devoted father and would like to honor Rob's legacy by supporting organizations aimed at helping men become better fathers. Through this work, we will keep the legacy of Rob alive and well.

Andrew serves as Market Managing Director for PNC Institutional Asset Management's Missouri, Kansas and Minnesota offices. In this role, he works with a variety of not for profit organizations to understand and establish investment-oriented goals to support each organizations' mission and to ultimately ensure the longevity of their success. Along with years of institutional investment management experience, he brings not for profit thought leadership and best practices to the Robert N. Soper Foundation. Having known Rob since summer camp in grade school, Andrew is excited to have an impactful role in the Foundation's initiative to celebrate Rob's memory by supporting meaningful causes that Rob was passionate about.