Employee Spotlight

Jay Cathey

Regional Manager, Property Management

Our May Employee Spotlight is on someone who is used to the spotlight and loves performing for an audience. Jay Cathey, Regional Manager and May’s Spotlight award recipient, is an accomplished singer and musician who performs weekly at his church, Community of Hope in Clarksville, Tenn.

Between leading worship services, performing and recording “gigs,” he hosts between 120 to 150 shows and a dozen speaking engagements each year. He also organizes some 50 to 60 volunteers who have a gift for music, ministry or production to produce a contemporary church service each week. The professional production is also streamed live and can be viewed at www.facebook.com/clarksvillefirst/.

A singing career was something Jay considered once, and he was offered record deals. But due to different circumstances, Jay chose not to pursue it. But music and entertaining are still very much a part of his life.

“I come alive most when I am entertaining others,” Jay says, explaining he is a natural extravert. “I enjoy making people happy and connecting with the audience. There’s just joy with that.”

With his demanding job, responsibilities with his church, involvement in several professional organizations, participation in nonprofit fundraising events and family life, Jay is a busy person. But that is how he thrives. He rises each morning with the sun to get in a couple of hours of exercise and quiet meditation and prayer to prepare for the day.

When most people are just getting out of bed in the morning, Jay has already spent a couple of hours working on himself. He cites a quote by Abraham Lincoln: “If I have six hours to chop down a tree, I am going to spend the first four hours sharpening my axe.”

“I am a firm believer that I’m the axe that needs to be sharpened,” Jay says. He is always looking for ways to improve himself or maximize time. He uses what he has learned in self-reflection and self-evaluation over the years to play to his strengths while working on weaknesses.

Jay is writing a motivational and inspirational book based on challenges he has overcome, such as his recent weight loss of more than 200 pounds in two years. How did he do that? Well, you’ll have to read his book which should be published in spring of 2023. But Jay does offer these words of advice:

“I read this quote somewhere, and it just stuck,” he says. “Being heavy is hard, being healthy is hard. Choose your hard.”

LHP is pleased to shine the spotlight on Jay Cathey. We appreciate all that you do each day to make our communities healthier and happier places to live.