Get to Know CCHS Staffulty Member - Chuck Collins
- What subjects and grade levels do you teach?
My subjects include General Business, Accounting, Marketing, Personal Money Management, and Economics, and I teach all grade levels.
- What is your educational background?
I graduated from Fort Recovery High School, located in a rural area about 2 1/2 hours southwest of Toledo. I attended Defiance College and graduated in 1986 with a double major in criminal justice and business administration, then completed my Master of Business Administration degree in 1989 at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN. After working for several years, I returned to college and graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1995.
- What did you do before joining the CCHS staffulty?
My first job was as a juvenile probation officer in Defiance County from 1985 to 1986. After completing my MBA, I worked for a large computer services company called EDS headquartered in Dallas. For 2 years, I worked throughout the United States as a financial analyst, providing financial review of proposed information technology services projects and reconciling computer inventory for client sites. I was then assigned to live in Seoul, Korea to assist our joint venture located there, reconciling the company's Asian accounting and financial reports to comply with American accounting rules.
In 1992, I returned to the United States to attend law school in Toledo. Beginning in 1994, I worked as a trial attorney for the next 30 years with a large Toledo law firm called Eastman & Smith Ltd. I retired from the full-time practice of law in early 2022, and have spent much of the last 18 months winding down my law practice.
- What inspired you to become a teacher?
I previously taught college business classes at Minnesota State University while completing my MBA coursework. When the opportunity arose to again teach business classes here at Central Catholic, I spoke with Ms. Delp and decided to return to the classroom.
- What made you want to teach at Central Catholic specifically?
I have been familiar with Central Catholic for years, as I am close friends with Ms. Bluhm's parents and family. [Hannah Bluhm is a psychology and sociology teacher at CCHS.] Her father was my best friend and study partner in law school, and we practiced law together for over 25 years. I followed the 4 Bluhm children as they progressed through CCHS, and was impressed with how they spoke of the school. I am also friends with, and a neighbor of, Mr. Jeff Mielcarek, the baseball coach here at Central Catholic.
- What are your hobbies or special interests?
I greatly enjoy bicycling, and in the spring of this year completed a cross-country tour of the United States, leaving San Diego on March 6 and arriving in St. Augustine, FL on May 2. It was a professionally-guided tour in which we camped out most nights and cooked our own food along the way. A van and trailer transported our clothing and camping supplies from site to site, allowing us to enjoy the 60+ mile bicycle rides each day across the Rocky Mountains, western desert lands, and Gulf of Mexico coast along the way.
I am an avid baseball fan, having played during my 4 years in undergraduate college. I closely follow the Cincinnati Reds baseball and University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball teams.
My Christian faith is the most important aspect of my life, and I enjoy leading Bible studies on the Old and New Testament scriptures.
I am married to Amy, and we have 5 adult children. One is pursuing his MBA in south Florida, and the others live in the Toledo area.
