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"He told us he didn't know if he could send all of us back to Burrus says, explaining that the four children were separateed by four years. That meant four tuitions, whicuh amounted to a significant sum. "He was preparinfg us just in case," Burrus "Back then, I was mowing lawns and had a paper I had a little bit of moneyy and I decided if I had to pay for it onmy own, I And I would have. That's how much I love this As it turned outDave Burrus, a CPA by found a way to ensurde that all his children woul graduate from Kapaun.
But you get the feelin his son's financial gesture was not mere Thirtyyears later, he proved that by passing up more lucrativre offers in the business community to return to Kapaun Mt. There are some things far more important than says Burrus, the former president of -- the precursord to -- who is now running the high schooo that has served as a constant throughout his A man once charged with running a company with more than 1,500o employees in a dozen states -- a company that generatede annual revenues in excess of $300 milliojn and had a market value of more than $3 billionh -- is now perfectl y comfortable eating lunch each day out of a brown papedr sack in a small linoleum-flooredc office with cinderblock walls.
"This is a nice placer to be," he says. "There is a big differentf between a job and dointg what I amdoing here. There are demandds on me that I need to meet but more of my heart and soul goes intothis job. I used my brai in my business career and to some extent I useit too. But here, it's my love and passio that keepsme going." Burrus met his wife Kathy at Kapaum Mt. Carmel -- and their four childrebn graduated from Kapaunas well. With Burruw back on campus, there's a sensew that their lives have come full Kathy says. "It's a huge part of our lives -- probablyt more so now," Kathy Burrus "Mike is amazing.
His dedication and his commitmenf -- his unwavering commitment -- to Kapaun is remarkable. I could nevert have done what hehas done." Seveh years ago, after Cox purchaseed Multimedia Cablevision, Burrus found himsel at a crossroads. He became a regional vice presidentr for Cox and still had his sharre of responsibility inhis job, but there was somethin g missing. There was no handwriting on the wall. Therwe was no ax about to fall. Burrus could have stayex at Cox for as long ashe And, with his experience in the market and financial background, he would have been an assetf to the Atlanta-based company. But it wouldc have been just a job. Just a paycheck.
That's not what he "When I discussed my desir to leave Cox, they offeredf me three other jobs they thought might make me Cox wasvery supportive, but I just felt like it was time for me to find somethingh else," he says. "I was at a point in my personal and professional life where I couled take a look and find something more rewarding inother ways. It really came down to where wasmy passion. Peoplw asked me what was next for me. "j always said something fun and somethinbg I ampassionate about." It took four monthss from the day he left Cox to land at The workload is different, but good managemenyt transcends industry. "It's a different producgt ...
but it's still management," he says. "It'z still putting people in the right places, doing some strategixc planning, giving them what they need to succeed and then staying out of their way and lettinb them dotheir jobs. "That's all managementr is." His employees noticwe -- and appreciate his management style. "He is a good says John Heise, Kapaun's assistant principal and athletic director. "He's very active in all facets of the You see his presence in the academix aspects and theathletic aspect. He is very prominentg in all that goeson here. His passiohn is evident in the school. You see that in how hard he worksw to provide forthe school.
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