We’ve made a new staff hire we’d like to introduce you to. Jordan Howell recently joined the Salt Company staff as a men’s leader to help disciple our college students. Read on to learn more about him.
Tell us about your family.
My wife, Ellie, and I have been married for just over two years. We have a miniature aussiedoodle named Hazel, who is not quite a year old.
Both of our families are from a small town (Manson) in northwest Iowa. My mom, brother, and sister-in-law still live in the area, however Ellie’s parents have recently moved to Des Moines. Ellie has 5 siblings: one brother living in Maryland, a brother and sister in Urbandale, and twin sisters that are moving to Cedar Rapids this year as freshmen at Kirkwood CC.
Where did you grow up, and how did you end up in Cedar Rapids?
I grew up in Manson, IA, a town of about 1,700 people in northwest Iowa. My entire childhood was spent in Manson, until later moving to Ames, where I graduated from ISU. I have lived in Cedar Falls for the last 4.5 years, working in the insurance industry while Ellie finished her athletic and academic career at the University of Northern Iowa.
We were planning to move to East Lansing, MI as a part of the Salt Network plant to MSU when Keeyon Carter had reached out about a potential staff spot at Veritas. (Keeyon and I had previously done ministry together in Waterloo, and he had married Ellie and I in 2017). God then started what was a 2 month process of prayer/discernment, ultimately landing us in Cedar Rapids in June.
How would your family and friends describe you?
Words that family/friends would use to describe me include (but are likely not limited to): outgoing, funny, driven, competitive, active, and sometimes stubborn.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy getting active, whether that be running, biking, lifting weights, or playing sports. I also enjoy watching sports both on TV and in-person. I consider eating a hobby, and I can do a lot of it. Ellie and I enjoy spending time outdoors, taking our dog on walks through our neighborhood. Time with my wife and with friends/family are the most enjoyable.
What’s your role at Veritas and what excites you most about being a part of Veritas Church?
My title is Men’s Ministry Leader within the Salt Company. I will assist in leading discipleship groups of college-aged men while also helping cast vision for student leadership direction and preaching multiple times per semester.
I am most excited for the opportunity to see God move across our four local campuses. I believe that He has something special in-store for the 18,000+ students in our area, and it is humbling to have the opportunity to join in on all that the Lord is doing.
What’s the most useless piece of information you know?
My previous job required me to know a significant amount of information on the worker’s compensation system, including rules/regulations, as well as processes and procedures. No longer working in the insurance industry, my expertise in worker’s compensation proves to be quite useless in everyday life.