Chris Meek
Encyclopedia
Christopher Douglas Meek (born September 30, 1970) is a philanthropist
and American businessman. Meek is a Financial Services Executive and is the founder and Chairman of START Now!
and Soldiersocks
. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Yerwood Center (Stamford, Connecticut
) and Career Resources (Bridgeport, Connecticut). He currently serves as Chairman of the Development Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at St Luke's LifeWorks and is the past Chairman of the Life Long Learning Committee. Meek is also currently serving as the Commissioner on Stamford's Urban Redevelopment Commission
to Douglas and Camille Meek. After his parents divorced in 1972 and after a brief time in Florida, Meek and his mother moved back to Elmira, NY and lived with his grandparents, George and Marion Giroux, until 1981. They were instrumental in raising Meek while his mother worked during the day and attended Elmira College at night, where she would go on to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology
.
. In 1992, Meek graduated from Syracuse University
with a Bachelor of Arts
in Economics and Political Science from the Maxwell School
of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Syracuse University) A member of Delta Tau Delta
Fraternity, Meek earned a degree in Financial Management
at Pace University
(New York, New York) and later graduated with a MBA in 1999.
While attending Syracuse University, he interned for U.S. Senator Al D'Amato
from 1990-1992 in his Syracuse Regional Office. This internship led to Senator D’Amato asking Meek to take a senior role in his Central New York Re-Election campaign committee during the 1992 Senatorial Race against New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams
. D'Amato defeated Abrams.
in Syracuse, NY from 1992-93. He worked for Dean Witter Reynolds
from 1993-95. In October 1995, Meek moved from Syracuse to New York City and began working for Hull Trading Company
, a Chicago
-based options market-making firm. In July 1999, Hull was acquired by Goldman Sachs
and Company. Meek ran the firms’ floor-based trading operations from 1999-2002. Since, Meek has served as a Financial Services Executive in New York City
.
, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America
, and CitiMortgage (Citigroup
). Regional banks such as Webster
, People's United Bank
and NewAlliance Bank
and agencies like the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Urban League of Southern Connecticut, Money Management International, Catholic Charities
, the Housing Development Fund, Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut and Mediation Specialists from the Fairfield Judicial District and the Connecticut State Department of Banking have all participated. START Now! holds job readiness workshops helping participants prepare resumes and cover letters, learn how to apply for jobs online and hone their interviewing skills through videotaping mock interviews. The organization also hosted a Green Jobs Fair in conjunction with Norwalk Community College
.
START Now! is a not-for-profit organization designed to help individuals and families become self-sufficient by educating and providing them with the support and opportunities available in society and allowing them to become thriving members of the community. To date, the program has shown both success and growth, having helped over 250 families and banks avoid foreclosure. In 2011, START Now! was the proud recipient of the prestigious Presidential Call-To-Service Volunteer Service Award (President's Volunteer Service Award
) by President Barack Obama.
In July 2009 Meek received a request asking for help in obtaining hygienic items for our American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan
. This led him to create the not-for-profit, SoldierSocks.com
provides people a way to donate so our men and women serving in the Middle East can obtain simple items like socks and baby wipes. So far, Soldier Socks has shipped more than 35,000 pounds of necessities to more than 40 units serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. As SoldierSocks.com expanded, new opportunities arose. In 2010,
SoldierSanta.com was launched with the aim of delivering holiday gifts to soldiers abroad.
as Commissioner
on the City's Urban Redevelopment Committee (URC). The URC provides leadership for the continuing revitalization of the City. Working in collaboration with the community, the Commission focuses on rehabilitating blighted areas: balancing population density and socio-economic diversity; promoting convenient affordable housing; enhancing pedestrian presence; improving the availability of suitable parking; expanding the job and tax base; and ensuring the attractiveness of buildings, open areas and urban infrastructure. In October 2011, Chris was awarded the 2011 March of Dimes Franklin Delano Roosevelt Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award.
On October 17, 2011 Meek announced his candidacy to represent the people of Connecticut's 4th Congressional District. Meek had previously been mentioned as a potential candidate for the United States Senate in 2012. Connecticut Magazines inaugural "40 under 40" honoring the state's next generation of leaders named Meek as one of the forty new young leaders who are "full of energy, ideas and the determination to steer an unswerving course into the future".
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and American businessman. Meek is a Financial Services Executive and is the founder and Chairman of START Now!
START Now!
START Now! is a 501 non-profit organization designed to help individuals and families become self sufficient by educating them and providing them with the support and opportunities available in society and allowing them to become thriving members of the community...
and Soldiersocks
Soldiersocks
SoldierSocks is a 501 non-profit organization that provides basic essentials to the men and the women of the United States Armed Forces fighting abroad to keep America and the world safe. Founded in 2009 by Financial Services Executive Chris Meek, the non-profit organization has grown since its...
. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Yerwood Center (Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
) and Career Resources (Bridgeport, Connecticut). He currently serves as Chairman of the Development Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at St Luke's LifeWorks and is the past Chairman of the Life Long Learning Committee. Meek is also currently serving as the Commissioner on Stamford's Urban Redevelopment Commission
Early life
Meek was born in 1970 in Elmira, New YorkElmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
to Douglas and Camille Meek. After his parents divorced in 1972 and after a brief time in Florida, Meek and his mother moved back to Elmira, NY and lived with his grandparents, George and Marion Giroux, until 1981. They were instrumental in raising Meek while his mother worked during the day and attended Elmira College at night, where she would go on to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
.
Education
Meek attended and graduated from Elmira Free AcademyElmira Free Academy
Elmira Free Academy, or EFA, is a high school in Elmira, New York, USA. It is one of seven public high schools serving Chemung county....
. In 1992, Meek graduated from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics and Political Science from the Maxwell School
Maxwell School
For Maxwell School as a graduate school of Syracuse University see Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.Maxwell School is a semi-control for boys and the oldest school in the north of Kuala Lumpur as well as one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia...
of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Syracuse University) A member of Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
Fraternity, Meek earned a degree in Financial Management
Financial management
Financial management may refer to:* Managerial finance, a branch of finance that concerns itself with the managerial significance of finance techniques....
at Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
(New York, New York) and later graduated with a MBA in 1999.
While attending Syracuse University, he interned for U.S. Senator Al D'Amato
Al D'Amato
Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato is an American lawyer and former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.-Early life and family:...
from 1990-1992 in his Syracuse Regional Office. This internship led to Senator D’Amato asking Meek to take a senior role in his Central New York Re-Election campaign committee during the 1992 Senatorial Race against New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams
Robert Abrams
Robert Abrams is an American lawyer and politician.-Life and career:He graduated from Columbia College and the New York University School of Law. He is considered a member of the reform wing of the Democratic Party.Abrams was a member of the New York State Assembly representing the Bronx from 1966...
. D'Amato defeated Abrams.
Career
After graduating from Syracuse University during the recession of 1992, Meek worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, or MetLife, for short, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, with 90 million customers in over 60 countries...
in Syracuse, NY from 1992-93. He worked for Dean Witter Reynolds
Dean Witter Reynolds
Dean Witter Reynolds was an American stock brokerage and securities firm catering to retail clients. Prior to its acquisition, it was among the largest retail firms in the securities industry with over 9,000 account executives and was among the largest members of the New York Stock Exchange...
from 1993-95. In October 1995, Meek moved from Syracuse to New York City and began working for Hull Trading Company
Hull Trading Company
Hull Trading Company was an independent algorithmic trading firm and electronic market maker. Known for its quantitative and technology-based trading strategy, it was acquired by Goldman Sachs in 1999.-History:...
, a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based options market-making firm. In July 1999, Hull was acquired by Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
and Company. Meek ran the firms’ floor-based trading operations from 1999-2002. Since, Meek has served as a Financial Services Executive in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Community activism
In April 2009, Meek held his first in a series of loan modification events at the Yerwood Center in Stamford. The event consisted of five banks and several agencies offering foreclosure assistance. The program enabled 36 families to modify their mortgage, avoid going into foreclosure and losing their homes. Meek created the not-for-profit START Now! in May 2009. The program has grown to include major banks such as HSBCHSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, and CitiMortgage (Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
). Regional banks such as Webster
Webster
-People:As a surname:*Augusta Webster , English poet, dramatist, essayist, and translator.*Daniel Webster , American statesman, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and U.S...
, People's United Bank
People's United Bank
People's United Bank, a diversified financial services company with over $22 billion in assets, provides consumer and commercial banking services through a network of subsidiary banks with approximately 300 branches in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine and New York...
and NewAlliance Bank
NewAlliance Bank
NewAlliance Bancshares , doing business as NewAlliance Bank, was the second largest Connecticut-based savings bank. It was formed in 2004 through the union of The Savings Bank of Manchester, New Haven Savings Bank, and Tolland Bank....
and agencies like the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Urban League of Southern Connecticut, Money Management International, Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
, the Housing Development Fund, Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut and Mediation Specialists from the Fairfield Judicial District and the Connecticut State Department of Banking have all participated. START Now! holds job readiness workshops helping participants prepare resumes and cover letters, learn how to apply for jobs online and hone their interviewing skills through videotaping mock interviews. The organization also hosted a Green Jobs Fair in conjunction with Norwalk Community College
Norwalk Community College
Norwalk Community College , formerly known as Norwalk State Technical College and Norwalk Community-Technical College, is a public community college in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is the second-largest of the twelve colleges in the Connecticut Community Colleges.The school, which has an open...
.
START Now! is a not-for-profit organization designed to help individuals and families become self-sufficient by educating and providing them with the support and opportunities available in society and allowing them to become thriving members of the community. To date, the program has shown both success and growth, having helped over 250 families and banks avoid foreclosure. In 2011, START Now! was the proud recipient of the prestigious Presidential Call-To-Service Volunteer Service Award (President's Volunteer Service Award
President's Volunteer Service Award
The President's Volunteer Service Award program was established to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping others. These volunteers can be individuals, families and organizations located throughout the United States....
) by President Barack Obama.
In July 2009 Meek received a request asking for help in obtaining hygienic items for our American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. This led him to create the not-for-profit, SoldierSocks.com
provides people a way to donate so our men and women serving in the Middle East can obtain simple items like socks and baby wipes. So far, Soldier Socks has shipped more than 35,000 pounds of necessities to more than 40 units serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. As SoldierSocks.com expanded, new opportunities arose. In 2010,
SoldierSanta.com was launched with the aim of delivering holiday gifts to soldiers abroad.
Politics
On August 24, 2010, Meek was sworn in to a 3-year term by Stamford Mayor Michael PaviaMichael Pavia
-Education:Pavia earned his BA degree in psychology from Sacred Heart University and his Master's degree in Urban planning from New York University.-External links:*...
as Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
on the City's Urban Redevelopment Committee (URC). The URC provides leadership for the continuing revitalization of the City. Working in collaboration with the community, the Commission focuses on rehabilitating blighted areas: balancing population density and socio-economic diversity; promoting convenient affordable housing; enhancing pedestrian presence; improving the availability of suitable parking; expanding the job and tax base; and ensuring the attractiveness of buildings, open areas and urban infrastructure. In October 2011, Chris was awarded the 2011 March of Dimes Franklin Delano Roosevelt Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award.
On October 17, 2011 Meek announced his candidacy to represent the people of Connecticut's 4th Congressional District. Meek had previously been mentioned as a potential candidate for the United States Senate in 2012. Connecticut Magazines inaugural "40 under 40" honoring the state's next generation of leaders named Meek as one of the forty new young leaders who are "full of energy, ideas and the determination to steer an unswerving course into the future".