John Hern spent his entire professional life doing the things that needed to be done. When he stepped down as CEO of his law firm after 19 years of tremendous growth, Hern decided it was time to focus on the things he felt like he’d been putting off: pursuing his long-time dream of creating music and making the world a better place for everyone.
Of all the ways he could allocate his charitable resources, Hern chose Acton Institute as his vehicle for improving the world: "Promoting human flourishing—is there anything better than that?" Hern adds, "Acton has the courage to say how they're going to promote human flourishing. And that’s through individual rights and liberties.”
The annual Acton University is a favorite project of his. Hern has attended two of the events in person and describes them as “an absolutely phenomenal experience.” He notes especially the intellectual and demographic diversity found at the event.
Hern also appreciates how Acton University does more than just talk about academic ideas. As a retired CEO who is passionate about the study of leadership, he avidly supports how “Acton promotes stewardship and leadership in a very effective way."
Hern’s support of Acton University goes further than simply words. He has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, all donations made to the new Alumni Investors program. Alumni Investors is a group of Acton alumni who donate a monthly gift to help financially support first-time attendees come to Acton University.
Making Acton’s programs such as Acton University as accessible as possible deeply aligns with Hern’s and Acton Institute’s belief in “the dignity of every human being.”
To learn more about Alumni Investors, visit acton.org/investors
