Rob Flores Builds Cultural Bridges to the Hispanic Community

Norberto Ayala-Flores (aka Rob Flores) is the kind of guy who likes to change things up. Learn new stuff. Meet different kinds of people. That’s what initially motivated him to join and chair Friends of Art and later become a member of the Society of Fellows at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

“I got involved with the Nelson at first because it was something different for me and my wife to do with our girls,” he said. “It balanced out our life of school, soccer and volleyball.”

Rob’s volunteer work for the Nelson led Sue Seidler, a fellow volunteer, to recommend him as her co-chair for Art of the Wish, an exhibition and fundraiser depicting older Americans wishes for the world presented by the Center for Practical Bioethics in 2022.

“I knew nothing about the Center back then,” said Rob, “but I’ve always had utmost respect for my parents and a warm place in my heart for the aged, so I said yes to co-chairing the event.”

Later, when former Center CEO John Carney called to ask if he was interested in joining the Center’s Board of Directors, he explained, “I serve on a lot of Catholic-centric boards. So when John Carney called, I saw it as both an opportunity to add diversity to the organization’s leadership, as well as to connect with groups of people I don’t normally have the chance to spend time with.”

The Healthcare Connection

A first-generation Latino, born and raised in northwestern Nebraska with 15 brothers and sisters, Rob is an advertising and marketing executive in the general and Hispanic market areas. His clients engage Puente Marketing & Advertising, which he founded in 2003, when they want to know more about connecting with the growing U.S. Latino market.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Nebraska, on a visit home from Wichita where he worked for an ad agency, Rob found his aging parents caring for two young great nephews who needed a stable home. He worried about the stress it added to their lives. To help them, Rob and his older sister took the boys back to Wichita, enrolled them in kindergarten and first grade, and went to the local Medicaid office to apply for their health insurance.

In addition to bringing the importance of healthcare into stark relief, the office visit led to Rob meeting his wife, Rebecca, now married for 37 years and the parents of four daughters.

Well, Rob and Rebecca didn’t actually meet in the Medicaid office.

“After the visit, my sister said, ‘Wow, what did you think of that girl? You should ask her out.’”

The girl she was talking about had sat in on the session as part of her master’s in social work practicum. Rob told his sister he didn’t have time. Nevertheless, his sister went ahead and obtained the girl’s phone number, called her to confirm that she wasn’t married and to find out if she would be open to hearing from Rob. She was.

Advocate and Ambassador

Rob knows he would likely never have met his wife if not for the need to seek healthcare for the boys.

“Healthcare is ubiquitous,” he said. “I told my daughters that I didn’t know what career paths they would take, but two things that will be around for a long time are healthcare and need to serve the Hispanic population.”

Rob finds serving on the Center’s board a rewarding way to be an ambassador and advocate for those struggling with healthcare decisions and challenges, which is just about everyone at some point in their lives. He finds sharing stories that illustrate how individuals and families are helped by the Center’s Ethics Services the most powerful way to gain their interest and support.

“I look forward to Board meetings,” he said, “because I learn so much and can take my talents, skills, knowledge and treasure and offer it for something good.”

Story Written By Trudi Galblum