Mike Keis '05 - Gift Matching Empowers Tuition Assistance
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
February 21, 2024
Cretin-Derham Hall is not merely four years of a student’s adolescence but a life-long community. For Mike Keis ’05, Capital Markets Accounting Manager at Piper Sandler investment bank and generous supporter of CDH, that community started before he ever walked through the doors.
“Both my parents’ families went to Cretin and Derham Hall, and our neighbors had six kids that went to CDH ahead of me, so I grew up with the purple and gold even though I didn’t live in the heart of St. Paul,” he said. “I’ve always had a passion for the community. I love the history of it.”
When Keis finally attended CDH himself, he did so with his brother, James Keis ’06, sister, Molly Keis ’02, and five of his cousins, Brian Mitsch ’01, Patrick Mitsch ’04, Katie O’Rourke ’01, Patrick O’Rourke ’03, and Bridgid O’Rourke ’06.
“Getting to go at the same time as all of them was super fun,” he said. “We all came from different parts of the St. Paul Metro Area and had gone to different elementary and middle schools, so it was really cool to all come together under one roof for high school.”
While under that roof, Keis experienced essential exposure to what would later become his career.
“The teacher that shaped who I am and why I’m doing what I am today was Br. Martel. He taught all the business classes, and he really got me into accounting. When I got to college, I felt like my freshman year classes were mostly review,” he said. “He was also an integral part of the BestPrep program in Minnesota, so several other classmates and I spent a week up at St. Cloud State University for a business camp. The connections that they helped us make really gave me a better view of what I wanted to do in the future. Thanks to Br. Martel, I found joy and passion in the business world.”
After graduating from CDH, Keis went to the University of St. Thomas, where he got his degree in accounting. He then started at Piper Sandler, previously Piper Jaffery, and worked his way from their treasury department to his current position as an assistant vice president.
“I like how accounting feels like solving a puzzle,” he said. “All the answers are in front of you, you just have to find them.”
In addition to the empirical part of Keis’ job, he is also responsible for mass coordination between the company’s branches, clients, and his personal team.
“I work with our banking teams to ensure all revenue and expenses are accounted for and check closing dates on deals to see if the transaction has gone through and if we’re going to recognize the revenue for quarter two or quarter three,” he said. “There’s a lot of communication within our group. We have satellite offices around the country along with a couple of bigger offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, London, and Aberdeen, Scotland.”
Every October, Piper Sandler has an Annual Charitable Giving Campaign, which matches employee nonprofit donations from $25-$5,000 and a year-long Matching Gifts Program, which matches $25-$1,000. Hundreds of companies enable CDH to provide more students with tuition assistance through gift-matching programs. CDH donors can contact their human resource departments to learn if they are eligible for a matching gift.
“The programs are a great opportunity to give to communities that you actually live and participate in. That’s part of the reason why I’ve always given to CDH,” Keis said. “I also try to give a little specifically to our hockey program, which was a big part of my time there. Some of my best memories are just hanging around the locker room with my teammates, who’ve remained some of my best friends today. It’s great to get the kids some extra sweatshirts, ice time, or hockey tape.”
Today, Keis coaches JV boys hockey at CDH with Dereck Weinke ’89.
“Being back in the community has been awesome because you feel like you’re part of the school again. You get to support a cause that you love and represent your community,” said Keis. “It’s been super positive to speak with some alumni that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Derek Weinke was my coach when I was CDH, so now coaching with him feels like coming full circle.”
Keis’ best advice for current CDH students is to utilize that alumni network after graduating.
“The networking CDH offers across the Twin Cities and Minnesota is super helpful, even more so than college in some aspects. You’re only a few people removed from getting someone’s contact information,” he said. “All our alumni want to help other CDH graduates and see them become the next generation of leaders.”
Alumni contributions like those from Keis help make CDH available to those students in the first place.
“I hope we can continue the strong passion that CDH represents. I want CDH to continue being a school that has strong goals, strong faith, and strong principles where people know they can get a great Catholic education and foundation for the next steps in their professional careers,” he said.
Join us in ensuring CDH will flourish! Your generous gift ensures the continuation of a long tradition of innovative learning within a thriving community built upon our faith and values.
Ways to Give
Here are 3 easy ways to give:
-
Mail your gift to Cretin-Derham Hall
-
Give online at c-dh.org/donate
-
Venmo@CretinDerhamHall
For more information on stock gifts, IRA Rollover, estate gifts, endowments, or other giving options, please let us help you! Contact Rob Bollinger, Vice President of Advancement at 651-696-3343.