ON A MISSION
Values in 2009 Mission
Reflected in Professional/Family Life of Grad About to Celebrate His 25th Reunion
C
HICAGO—Charles [Chuck] Glew ’85 describes Nobles and the two schools he subsequently graduated from (Harvard College cum laude and Stanford Business School where he received the Henry Ford II Award for graduating first in his class) as filled with “smart, inquisitive and motivated people with a diversity of interests.” Having flourished at all three, he has tried to position himself, his wife and their three young children in comparable environments. “I believe that bringing together a community of bright and talented young people naturally sets a tone and raises the bar on expectations,” he observed. “This is not to say that the culture becomes overtly intellectual—it’s more that intellectual engagement becomes part of the fabric of daily life.”
“Nobles emphasized good citizenship, which guides me to this day…. We were encouraged to pursue individual excellence, remain firmly grounded, cherish classical values and be aware of the communities around us." Glew was one of several hockey players in his hometown of Medfield who left public school before eighth grade to play for Independent School League teams. The memories that remain from his Nobles years, interestingly enough, are less about his time on the ice and more of his time in the
classroom. Dick Baker (English), Fred Sculco (science) and Joe Swayze (The Nobleman) were his touchstones, and to this day he can hear the stentorian voice of Headmaster Ted Gleason reading Dr. Seuss books in Assembly. The ability to think and to express ideas clearly was the facility for which he is most grateful. “I learned to think in a much more structured way.” With Baker, he recalls, he learned the art of “struggle” and the “hard work of thinking…to push for a further level of insight. That effort did not come naturally to me.” Glew is a founder and Senior Principal of Flexpoint Partners LLC, a private equity investment firm with more than $1.5 billion of equity capital under management that specializes in healthcare and financial services. Before founding Flexpoint, Glew served as a principal of GTCR Golder Rauner and spent four years at Summit Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Boston and Palo Alto, Calif. Glew finds that his personal and public lives are very much in sync thanks to Nobles and his subsequent education. “Nobles emphasized good citizenship, which guides me to this day…. We were encouraged to pursue individual excellence, remain firmly grounded, cherish classical values and be aware of the communities around us.” Glew and his wife, Linda, pursue a variety of philanthropic activities, often combining financial support with “on-the-ground” involvement. The Glews sponsor tuition for a high school girl whose recently immigrated parents could no longer afford to keep her in the Catholic school where she had
Chuck Glew ’85
flourished. And each December, they organize a Christmas party (with food, entertainment, Santa and presents) for kids participating in a program serving at-risk families in nearby Evanston. “Linda is consistently attuned to the community around us,” said Glew. “I am amazed and grateful for the interesting ways she keeps finding for our family to make a bit of a positive, direct impact.” Incorporating an on-the-ground involvement allows the Glews’ three children (in the fifth, second and Kindergarten grades) to participate. Glew described the opportunity that his family had to help a friend make Christmas special for some shelter residents. Glew’s friend grew up in Gary, Ind., and spent much of his high school years homeless. Now a
WINTER 2009–2010 l THE NOBLES BULLETIN l 5