Josh Schnauber | Chillicothe, Illinois

Josh Schnauber believes that small victories lead to achieving big goals. Starting on third shift filling orders at Caterpillar’s Morton Distribution Center, Schnauber kept working hard and moving up. He soon became a forklift operator loading trucks, then accepted the role as supervisor. Eight years and multiple positions later, he was moving his family to Belgium with Caterpillar. Now Schnauber is a Senior Manager of Transportation, leading a multi-regional team that manages all inbound ground transportation in North America.

Schnauber is grateful for the opportunities he’s had at Caterpillar and the people he has worked with along the way. A leader who made a big impact on Schnauber was Ed Rapp, former Group President at Caterpillar. Rapp “maximized his teams’ output by challenging them but also having a great focus on their work-life balance and overall well-being.” Schnauber recalls how Rapp would write thank-you notes to the spouses of employees who had to take business trips, and his amazing ability to remember the names of everyone he met.

Schnauber counts his time in Belgium as both immensely challenging and rewarding. He moved there with his pregnant wife and two-year-old son, deciding to live outside the expat community in a nearby village to be closer to work. “After three to four months of trial and error,” Schnauber recalls, “We were settled in and loved the village we lived in and still miss it to this day!”

Josh now lives in Chillicothe, the town he grew up in, with his wife Sara and children Brecken (9) and August (7). They are heavily involved, coaching multiple sports and, for the last six years, participating in the Chillicothe to Peoria St. Jude Run. Schnauber marvels at the generosity of his community, which raised over $555,000 last year. “I have always been amazed at how Chillicothe has pulled together to support this cause.”

Hannah Dutton from St. Jude Runs writes, “I believe Josh to be quite possibly one of the most genuinely good humans I know. By fundraising far more than is expected each year, developing new and innovative ways to raise money for our team, and encouraging others to join our team, Josh has elevated the success of Team Chillicothe in recent years. On run day, you will find Josh being helpful in any way possible and encouraging teammates as he runs 30+ miles with a smile on his face.”