I moved around a lot as a child and teenager spending time in Delaware, Iowa, Maryland and Texas. We attended church on a sporadic basis and while I was familiar with basic tenants of the Christian Faith, I did not really know what faith in Christ vs. faith in works meant.
I attended Columbia University in New York City (“NYC”) where I studied classical literature and economics and played on the varsity golf team. I found NYC to be an interesting place, but I really liked Georgetown Texas, where my parents were living, much better. After graduation, I spent three years as a financial analyst with a large, New York based investment bank in their Dallas regional office and then attended the University of Texas at Austin where I received an MBA focused on finance and economics. Upon graduating from UT at Austin, I went to work for an energy company in Houston, Texas and began dating my wife to be, Karen Kithcart.
After dating for about nine months, we got engaged and decided to move back to Dallas where I accepted a position in energy investment banking and Karen discontinued her job as a flight attendant but continued to work for Southwest Airlines as a flight attendant trainer. It was in Dallas where we went to pre-marriage counseling with a pastor named Rhett Payne who officiated our wedding. Having Rhett officiate our wedding was really divine intervention as the pastor Karen had contact had a conflict and recommended him. I’ll never forget our first pre-marriage counseling session with Rhett when he asked us, “when you die, where do you go and why?” Suffice it to say, our answers did not resonate with clarity. However, after a few more sessions and attending Rhett’s church post marriage, we’ve got a better, more biblically correct answer now.
To fast forward a little bit, Karen and I, along with our two children, Cassidy (14) and Blake (11) have resided in Westlake, Texas since 2006. We joined Bara in 2012 as part of the merger with Redeemer Church and have certainly been welcomed in by the Bara church family. After 12 years in energy investment banking, I became the Chief Financial Officer of a Dallas based oil & gas company, Cinco Resources, Inc., where I currently work. The Stoltenberg family really likes living in Westlake and attending Bara in nearby Trophy Club.
My Hope For Bara Church
My hope is that Bara continues to grow and brings more people, particularly youth, to faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
About Me
Favorite Restaurants
Pappasito’s Cantina
Bob’s Steak and Chop House
Vinnie’s in Trophy Club
Favorite Drink
Diet Coke
Favorite Economists
Milton Friedman
Adam Smith
Robert Mundell (Supply Side Champion and Founder)
Larry Kudlow (Supply Side Defender)
What I Like To Do For Fun
Play golf
Surf and other beach activities
Watch my kids play soccer, run X-country and play basketball
Lecture on supply side (i.e. free market) economics at my kid’s school
Favorite Bible Verse
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” - Hebrews 9:27
