Induction recognizes a longstanding commitment to prioritizing the well-being of others
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., October 30, 2025 – Starfish Holdings (Starfish), the parent company of Torch Technologies, Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, and SIMVANA, today announced that Founder Bill Roark was inducted into the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership Servant-Leader Hall of Fame at a ceremony held last night at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.
This prestigious honor recognizes individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a deep and enduring commitment to servant leadership—placing the well-being of others first and creating meaningful, measurable impact on individuals, communities, organizations, and society at large.
“Bill Roark represents the epitome of leading with care. His dedication and enduring commitment to strengthening the ESOP community have left an invaluable impact on society. Anyone who has crossed paths with Bill has benefitted from his warmth, wisdom, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of shared ownership to transform lives and organizations,” stated Reginald Lewis, Executive Director of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership at Seton Hall University.
“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership Servant-Leader Hall of Fame. This is a prestigious honor and one I will cherish always,” said Starfish Holdings Founder and CEO Bill Roark. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ I have used this quotation as a guiding principle throughout my life and career. That’s what servant leadership is all about—doing the right thing for all parties involved. That is why the companies I founded are employee-owned, why we are a public benefit corporation, and why giving back to the community is embedded in our corporate bylaws.”
Roark joins an esteemed group of 2025 Hall of Fame inductees, including:
- Dr. Ellen Censky, President & CEO, Milwaukee Public Museum
- Patricia K. Costello, Esq., A.J.S.C. (Ret.), Member, Executive Committee, CSL Law
- LaKeesha Eure, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, City of Newark
- Timothy P. Geelan, Retired CEO, Ascend Bank
- Dr. Jason R. Weber, Vice Chancellor for Leader & Culture Development, Texas Tech University System
- Rickard T. Thigpen, Esq., Senior Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, PSEG
- Paul Straka, Director of Business Development and Consulting, SAM, Inc.
- Jerry Wilkinson, Founder and Chairman, The Wilkinson Group
- Sumalya Rehman Illyas, Seton Hall University
- Mercy Center, Organizational Exemplar
- The MJ Companies, Organizational Exemplar
About the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to advance the awareness, understanding, and practice of servant leadership by individuals and organizations.” In the words of founder Robert K. Greenleaf, servant leadership envisions “a better society—one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people.” Both an ancient philosophy and a modern practice, servant leadership seeks to enrich lives, foster people-centered institutions, and strengthen the relationships that sustain communities.
About Starfish Holdings
Starfish Holdings, Inc. (Starfish) is the parent company of Torch Technologies, Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, and SIMVANA. The company is an S corporation owned by the Starfish Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and Trust, with a focus on growing the retirement portfolios of its employee-owners. Starfish is committed to remaining an Evergreen enterprise through sustainable practices, ensuring employee ownership and financial well-being, supporting community growth, and enabling customer and partner success, all while operating with integrity. To learn more, visit starfishholdings.com.
