Meet Our Board of Directors: Jeff Cachat

Meet Our Board of Directors series is an invitation for supporters and friends of Aim Higher Foundation to meet the talented and dedicated individuals who give so much of themselves to the students and families we serve.

Aim Higher Board Member Jeff Cachat, far right, poses with his wife, Cathleen, and guests at the foundation’s 2023 Night of Light Celebration.

In this September 2024 issue, we introduce Mr. Jeff Cachat.  Jeff has served on Aim Higher Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2021 and has been an instrumental member of the organization’s Finance and Development Committees. He currently serves as Chair of the Development Committee.

Jeff brings a strong operations, technology, and sales skill set and tremendous leadership experiences to the foundation. He is employed as Sales Director for Hypertec Group, a leading IT hardware solutions firm based in Montreal, Canada. Prior to his work with Hypertec, Jeff spent eleven years with Cray Research and IBM in both program and project management-based roles. He has held leadership positions throughout his career, including serving on the Board of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Parish Men’s Club for five years and as Club President for two of those years. Jeff and his wife, Cathleen, sent their two children through Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Jeff notes that the privilege he received as a child attending Catholic primary and secondary schools instilled in him a passion to open doors to this opportunity for all children. He shares, “I chose to get involved specifically with the Aim Higher Foundation because its mission spoke to me. I experienced firsthand the positive impact Catholic education had on my life – all areas of my life.  Catholic schooling is more than just a great education. It develops the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. No child should be denied access to this unique life-transforming education.”

President Ricky Austin, remarks, “Jeff brings a genuine passion to the mission of the Aim Higher Foundation.  His energy, enthusiasm, and generosity is contagious. I think I speak on behalf of the entire team, “We delight in Jeff’s presence and all that he brings to the mission.”

In his role as Chair of the Development Committee, Jeff has a keen eye on how the foundation measures its impact. He notes, “I look at it in two ways. The first is in what we hear back from the families on how Aim Higher’s scholarship support has impacted the family as a whole and their children’s lives – the stories are transformational!  The second is in the raw data that we have access to, which clearly shows the pure educational results and benefits that Catholic schools provide over other educational choices.”

The collective mantra at Aim Higher Foundation, “We won’t rest until all children have access,” speaks volumes to Jeff.  He shares, “I wish for and pray that one day the Aim Higher Foundation will be able to meet the financial needs of ALL families who desire to send their children to a Catholic school. All children, regardless of background, deserve the values-based, life-transforming, excellent education that Catholic schools offer.”