About the UCBN
UCBN Leadership Team
Executive Director of the CEC
T.J. holds a BA in History from Hillsdale College and an MA in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. T.J., who grew up in Arizona, moved to Upstate South Carolina to attend graduate school at Clemson University and then taught history and theology for five years in Catholic schools in Greenville. In July 2013 he became the pastoral associate at St Mary's Church and along with Fr Jay Scott Newman co-founded the CEC, where he is responsible for directing its operations and coordinating its programs and conferences. In their ample free time, TJ and his wife, Alycia, have six children, are lay members of the Dominican Order, and TJ works full time as a Financial Advisor.
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Jordan Roberts
Chairman of the UCBN
Jordan has undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish from Clemson University. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Charleston School of Law. Jordan works as a financial advisor at Parallel Financial in Greenville. He has been in the financial services industry since 2015. Jordan also serves on the Board of Birthright of Greenville and Christ On Main. Jordan was received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2014 and is a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Jordan, his wife, and five children live in Simpsonville. In their free time, they enjoy reading and trips to the beach.
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Gabe Salamida
Director of Operations of the UCBN
Gabe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and an MBA from Franciscan University of Steubenville and works as a mission-driven Recruiter and Account Executive at the Oxenham Group. Gabe met his wife, Sarah, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in 2024 they moved to Greenville to raise their three children in a place shaped by faith, community, and the outdoors. They’re parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and enjoy spending weekends hiking, biking, and swimming in waterfalls.
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Our Purpose
By our Baptism we are called to be disciples of the Lord Jesus. And to live as true disciples of Christ, everything about us must be measured and guided by the Gospel, including our daily work. Human labor and enterprise have a God-given dignity, and it is largely through the hallowing of daily work that lay Catholics grow in holiness. The Upstate Catholic Business Network seeks to help Catholics sanctify their work so that we might live as better disciples of the Lord Jesus, who himself lived as a carpenter, laboring well in all he did.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:16). It is impossible to grow in virtue on our own, and we we all need the help of like-minded souls in the ongoing effort of trying to become saints. For this purpose, in 2017 the Center for Evangelical Catholicism created the Upstate Catholic Business Network based around events including monthly breakfasts where Catholic business professionals in the community meet together to collaborate, share best practices, and encourage one another in the constant struggle to keep Christ at the center of all we do.
UCBN Catholic Business Standards Statement
Required agreement for all businesses listed in the UCBN Catholic Business Directory
Our Commitment
The Upstate Catholic Business Network exists to connect faithful Catholics and Catholic-friendly businesses across the Upstate region - and to build a marketplace rooted in trust, integrity, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Every business listed in this directory has agreed to the standards below. This is not merely a formality. It is a public witness to the belief that how we do business matters, and that our work can be an expression of our faith.
Standards Agreement
By submitting a listing to the UCBN Catholic Business Directory, I affirm that:
1. I conduct my business with honesty and integrity. I deal fairly with customers, employees, vendors, and competitors. I do not engage in deceptive practices, false advertising, or exploitation of any kind.
2. I respect the dignity of every person. I treat all people, regardless of their background, with the respect owed to them as individuals made in the image and likeness of God. This includes my employees, customers, and those I serve.
3. My business does not promote or fund activities contrary to Catholic teaching. My business does not knowingly support, fund, or promote causes, organizations, or activities that are in direct opposition to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
4. I am committed to service over profit. While I operate a legitimate business, I recognize that my work is a vocation and a means of serving others, not merely a pursuit of personal gain.
5. I will represent UCBN and its members with professionalism. I understand that my listing in this directory reflects on the broader Catholic community. I commit to conducting myself and my business in a manner that reflects well on the Church and on my fellow UCBN members.
6. I welcome accountability. I understand that UCBN reserves the right to remove any listing if a business is found to be acting contrary to these standards, and I accept that determination in good faith.
7. I am a Catholic in good standing. I attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and do not engage in any activities in direct opposition to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
Agreement
By submitting a listing to the UCBN Catholic Business Directory, I confirm that I have read, understand, and agree to abide by the UCBN Catholic Business Standards Statement. I understand that my listing may be removed at the discretion of UCBN leadership if I am found to be in violation of these standards.