By day, John Rochester is a financial adviser. He can be found in a suit and tie, carrying out his responsibilities as a vice president at Morgan Stanley's downtown Santa Fe office. But what Rochester does in his free time when his tie comes off is an entirely different matter.

Recently named No. 1 in Morgan Stanley's national awards, 2007 Top Ten Difference Makers, Rochester volunteered 1,513 hours to two local nonprofits. The numbers work out to the equivalent of a three-quarter-time job.

Having volunteered with Santa Fe Performing Arts for seven years, Rochester is the new president of its board of directors. Santa Fe Performing Arts offers on-site after-school and summer classes, has an educational outreach program in the public schools and hosts performances in the community.

Rochester's volunteer time is spent wherever needed, from developing fund-raising and marketing campaigns to selling tickets in the box office. He also occasionally performs in shows, is an assistant drama teacher and serves as co-director for several programs.

Nick Sabato, executive director of Santa Fe Performing Arts, said Rochester is always willing to help.

During a recent production when the theater was short of stage hands, Rochester stepped in. He was to revolve a backdrop between scenes. The person who was expected to help didn't appear on the other side of the scenery, so Rochester turned it by himself.

"These things aren't easy to revolve, much less for one person to do it alone," Sabato explained. From the audience, Sabato saw the piece of scenery start to revolve, then stop. "In that moment, before it started to move again, I wondered what was wrong," Sabato said.

The show went on, and Sabato later learned that the scenery stopped revolving because Rochester rolled it over his foot. "Fortunately, he knew enough about stage hands that he was wearing boots with steel toes," Sabato said with a chuckle.

Rochester also served as president and board member for the Food Depot over the past 10 years. He now focuses his volunteerism with The Food Depot on financial issues and fund-raising events like the annual Souper Bowl.

Rochester said, "My favorite thing is when my interests in both of these groups cross over. I get to emcee the Souper Bowl, so I get to use the stage to help the Food Depot."

Volunteering doesn't always have a humorous side. Rochester was president of The Food Depot board during the Cerro Grande fire in 2000.

"There was no means of communication between the firefighters and the organizations that were trying to support them," Rochester recalled. "My personal cell phone and that of The Food Depot's executive director became the central means of communication for all support for firefighters. Our cell phones rang constantly,
24 hours a day, for two weeks. Now there are communication procedures so that won't happen again."

Rochester was on The Food Depot board when that organization built the Coll-Green Angel Depot building where The Food Depot, Kitchen Angels and Food for Santa Fe share space. "Volunteer work is very rewarding when you're doing something that terrific for the community," Rochester said.

Sherry Hooper, executive director of The Food Depot, said that Rochester's expertise has enabled The Food Depot to professionalize its financial structure. "He has shown an outstanding commitment to ending hunger in New Mexico," Hooper said. "John is a tremendous ambassador for the Food Depot in the community."

Sabato calls him "a blessing to Santa Fe Performing Arts, and a blessing to the community at large."

Because of the incredible efforts of the Top Ten Volunteers, Morgan Stanley makes a contribution in each of their names to a nonprofit agency of their choice.

Valerie Ingram is the Development Director at the Santa Fe Community Foundation and can be reached at vingram@santafecf.org or 505-988-9715 ext. 4.