Volunteer draws on a lifetime of skills to serve as OneWay’s CFO
As Chief Financial Officer, Laine Malmquist ensures the financial health of OneWay, proving there is no task too big or small for OneWay’s volunteers.
About seven years ago, Malmquist heard that OneWay was looking for a Finance Director and asked if he could help in the interim on a part-time basis. A few days every week, he went in to fill basic accounting needs, drawing from his background in corporate, nonprofit and educational finance.
After a few years, OneWay asked if he would officially step into the role of CFO. Today Malmquist volunteers two to three days a week from his Chicagoland home.
Malmquist is just one of dozens of team members who have volunteered their time and talents as part of the OneWay team.
He takes care of big issues like audits, tax returns, payroll taxes, insurance coverage and bank reconciliations, which are essential to OneWay’s financial stewardship.
“It’s more problem-solving now,” Malmquist says. “And even though it doesn’t seem to have a direct impact on [hands-on] ministry, it does have a significance.”
It wasn’t the finance work itself that drew Malmquist to this role, though. In fact, he knew little about the ministry as a whole. “I was most drawn by a combination of music ministries and Prayercast ministries,” he says. He has appreciated the chance to learn about the many ways God is using OneWay around the world.
Throughout his time with OneWay, Malmquist has also enjoyed “getting into the office and being with people” and seeing the many new staff and volunteers that have joined the ministry recently.
“It’s amazing how many different skill sets OneWay uses and can use. You never know where you might be able to fit in. It’s hard to believe that there would be people they couldn’t use in some way.”
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Learn more about how you can use your gifts and talents to serve in Kingdom-advancing work as part of our Grand Opening Celebration! Join us from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 24 to worship together, tour our new building and learn about exciting opportunities!