‘I love Legatus,’ says 2023’s top chapter president

Robert “Bob” Pliska, a 35-year Legatus member, Detroit Chapter president, and member of Legatus’ International Board of Governors, received the National President of the Year award at the 2024 Summit at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA, in January. 

Pliska was born in Dearborn, MI, and has one younger sister. His father worked as a mechanic for the Ford Motor Company, and his mother was an accountant. He followed his mother’s occupation and became a CPA. Today, he is president of Sperry CGA/Property Investment Counselors, a commercial real estate firm in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham that is affiliated with more than 60 offices throughout the country.

How did you get involved with Legatus?

When I first heard about Legatus, I thought it was a great organization, so I joined in 1989, just two years after it was founded. Like Tom Monaghan and the other leaders in the organization, I believe focusing on the five “Fs” — faith, family, friends, finance, and fitness — can lead one to have a great life. It doesn’t mean that you still won’t have problems in one or more of these areas, but your strength in other areas can help you to overcome challenges. 

I, for example, lost my wife to cancer when she was 46. It proved to be quite a thing to overcome. I had two teenage daughters who were devastated by the loss. But I was able to take over, provide them the support they needed, and see them go on to be happily married to Catholic husbands and have seven children between them. I am a happy grandpa!

Tell us about your Detroit Chapter.

Legatus started in Ann Arbor, 50 miles away. Many Detroit members had difficulty attending because of the distance, so we started the Detroit Chapter, one of the first. I served as member chairman and president in 1999-2001, and we got the membership up to 125 members, or about 250 with spouses. The national office of Legatus thought our gatherings were too large, so for greater synergy and camaraderie we created the Detroit Northeast Chapter. In the Detroit Chapter today we have 40 to 50 members, and I’m currently serving my sixth term as president and my second period on the International Board of Governors.

How are you successful in recruiting new members?

First off, we’re clear that we’re not a charity, as business people often have many charities and are not looking to get involved in another. Rather, we are a group that exists to share the Catholic faith as business professionals. Next, at the end of our meetings we encourage our members, who are often friends with other Catholic CEOs and company presidents, to share with these friends the benefits they receive as part of Legatus and to invite them to consider joining. This is the primary way we recruit new members. And, we strive to have quality meetings with good speakers so members will want to return for future events.

Nationally, we’re hiring a company that can help us identify potential members. We can talk to parishes they are likely to attend that can help us connect to them. It is our goal to get at least six new members per chapter annually, which we hope will more than offset those members we lose because of such things as death, disability due to old age, or when someone moves away.

How has Legatus benefited you personally?

It has helped me be more active in my faith. It has introduced me to many new friends, who have helped me with such challenges as when I lost my wife or problems I’ve had in business. I love Legatus, and this award I received shows that its people love me. In a world that seems to be going crazy in so many ways, it’s been a source of stability and support.