A Lawrence man credits his success to his parents' stress on learning.
Meeting Francois Henriquez makes you wish you'd tried a little harder in school.
Henriquez, 42, has a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a law degree from the Columbia University School of Law.
He currently serves as senior vice president and general counsel for the U.S. Central Credit Union, based in Overland Park.
It's the equivalent of the Federal Reserve Bank for the nation's 13,000 credit unions.
Henriquez is articulate, insightful and gracious. When he speaks, he does so in complete sentences, punctuated perfectly.
His word choice is impeccable.
And if there's a theme that runs through his life -- aside from accomplishment -- it's a firm belief in education.
For proof of this, you need only walk into his back yard, which abuts the grounds of Quail Run School.
"We chose the house almost exclusively because of its proximity to Quail Run," Henriquez said.
He and his wife, Laura Stephenson -- an associate professor of psychology at Washburn University in Topeka -- have two sons who attend the school: Alex, 6 1/2; and Nicky, 5.
"These children will never have an excuse for being late to class," he said, smiling.
Feels a connection
Henriquez credits his success to the emphasis his parents -- Gaston and Alfreda Henriquez, who immigrated to the United States from the Bahamas -- placed on knowledge and learning.
"I came from a background not of extreme privilege," he explained.
"It was made very clear to me by my parents that education would be the only way to better my station in life."
Henriquez recently further strengthened the role education plays in his life.
He has been elected to a four-year term on the board of trustees of Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo., one of 13 theological schools of the United Methodist Church.
"They called me, and I was surprised, flattered," Henriquez said.
"I guess my immediate reaction was, 'Oh, my gosh, I don't really know anything about theology.' But I overcame that. I realized no one's going to be seeking my advice on the curriculum," he said with a laugh.
"I'm very excited by it. It's fun, because I feel I have a connection to this service (as a trustee). I am a Methodist, and I am interested in the direction our church is going.
"The future of the church is dependent upon the leadership that's being developed today. So this is something I can really reach out and touch," Henriquez said.
He and his family are members of First United Methodist Church, 946 Vt. Henriquez also serves on the church's board of trustees.
"We feel very connected to our church. It's a constant part of our lives. It's a pretty important part of our sense of community, especially with the kids."
It was U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Deanell Tacha, a friend and colleague of Henriquez, who suggested him as a possible candidate to join the seminary trustees, Henriquez said.
Tacha, who lives and works in Lawrence and is also a member of First United Methodist, is also a trustee of the Saint Paul School of Theology.
'A great life'
Henriquez wears his accomplishments lightly.
In recent years, he has served on the Kansas Credit Union Council, the board of directors of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, as well as on the board of directors of Drury College in Springfield, Mo.
After he earned his degree from Columbia, he was hired by a Wall Street law firm, where he worked on multimillion-dollar business deals that were written up in Wall Street Journal stories.
Then he was offered a job with Stinson, Mag and Fizzell, a prestigious Kansas City law firm. He took the job to be near Stephenson, and he made partner there after four years.
He later accepted a position at Lewis, Rice and Fingersh, another Kansas City firm, where he continued to work in financial institution law.
In December 1993, Henriquez -- then 36 -- was named general counsel for the U.S. Credit Union.
Henriquez said he's happy with where his life has taken him.
"Most days, I wake up and say, 'I'm a pretty fortunate guy.' I have a great life. I have great kids, and I love my wife.
"What more could anyone ask for?"
-- Jim Baker's phone message number is 832-7173; his e-mail address is jbaker@ljworld.com.
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