Don C. Lein | Comptroller and Artist in Residence

Don C. Lein

Don C. Lein, Comptroller and Artist in Resident of Civilitiville USA is a humanitarian and a seasoned Corporate Senior Executive and Board Member and a Harvard Business School graduate, class of 1962.  Don is a CPA as well.  Don was the son of a small town banker during and after the depression.   Don attended a business school and then the University of Iowa where he studied accounting.  At the U of I Don was the tutor of the basketball team, which played in the final four national tournament in his junior and senior years.

Don served in the Army as an auditor  at the Army Chemical Center at Edgewood, Maryland.  He met his wife Jean Cochran, who was a secretary, while serving at the Chemical Center. While in school and after graduation Don worked for Arthur Anderson as a senior auditor for two years and then moved to Boston to attend the Harvard Business School .  Don worked for a year at Fidelity Management in Boston  and was then hired by Jostens, the class ring,  yearbook, and  Championship ring company.

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Gail Tasch, MD

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Dr. Gail Tasch is a board certified psychiatrist, attended Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and completed a residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. Although trained in conventional medicine, Dr. Tasch has been concerned about the harm that people experience from the field of psychiatry.  Her main focus at this time is getting people out of abusive guardianships and mental health commitments. She has helped many patients leave the mental health system. 

Don was controller and then CFO of Jostens,  and eventually became President of the company where he worked for 30 years and retired in 1992. He managed controls at the time Jostens was one of the largest gold customers in the United States.  No easy task.  Jostens was a Fortune 500 Company.

When Don looks at financial statements today of some of our largest publicly held companies, his first reaction is that the statements are non GAAP- that is to say non Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Don’s humanitarian work includes Habitat for Humanity, The United Negro College Fund, St. Matthews House, the United Way and more.  Don was a pioneer and innovator in developing access for the handicap methods before there was legislation.

Don has served as treasurer for churches and clubs.   Don is a bridge player and a golfer and he shot a hole in one on his 50th wedding anniversary.

Don and Jean were collector’s of fine art and Jean wrote a cookbook, with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity.

Don and Jean had five children.

Don is a man of prayer and a Bible study leader and he has a heart for the poor.  John Denver and Johnny Cash are family favorites and Don has seen Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen in concert and regrets not seeing Elvis Presley, his contemporary in Los Vegas when he had the chance.

Civilitiville USA is self-funded with minimal costs- chiefly postage and printing so Don has little to do as Comptroller!  His wisdom, business and financial acumen and gentle spirit is, however priceless.