The Biography of Roger G. Backes M.S., Personal Coach
 
Roger was born in Peoria, Illinois and got his B.A. in Sociology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale Illinois. He took a couple years off from college to volunteer for the draft, and he served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter gunship crew chief in 1968 and 1969. Roger received the U.S. Army Medal for Valor in Combat and the U.S. Army Air Medal.

Roger became a Rehabilitation Counselor with the State of Illinois Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) in Chicago. He worked in Chicago’s economically troubled neighborhoods on the west and near south sides, helping people with disabilities and other vocational impediments become reemployed.

While in Chicago, Roger received his M.S. in Counseling and Guidance from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also served as the AFSCME International Union Steward and as statewide AFSCME President for Illinois DVR.

In 1977, Roger married and moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he worked at the Madison Opportunity Center as a Rehabilitation Counselor, and as AFSCME Local 853 Steward and President.

In 1979, Roger accepted a counseling position at the Mental Health Center of Dane County in the Support Network Day Treatment Program. In 1985 he became the Director of the program renamed Yahara House. He introduced a model of rehabilitation called “Fountain house” which he had learned at the Thresholds program in Chicago.

Roger transformed Yahara House into a premier national rehabilitation program serving 225 people a year, increasing the employment rate from 14 to 60 percent among people with serious mental illnesses. In 1999, Roger was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in Madison.

In 2001, Roger started his own enterprise called “Coaching by Roger Backes.” As a Personal Coach, Roger helps a diverse group of individuals create a vision of their ideal life, and then supports their goal development and follow through on their action plans.

Roger has two daughters, Molly (1980) and Megan (1982) from his first marriage. He married attorney Sally A. Hestad in 1993, when he became the stepfather of Sally’s daughter, Valerie Tremelat (1973). Roger and Sally live in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, which is adjacent to Madison’s south side.

Roger is a State of Wisconsin Certified Professional Counselor and a Certified Advanced Practice Social Worker. He has been a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), and is currently a Certified Psychosocial Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP).

Roger has been a pioneer in the local Personal Coaching field, and is a charter member of the Madison Chapter of the International Coach Association. Roger is also the local Coachville Study Group Host, which is a monthly meeting of coaches and other interested parties, designed to advance our skills and our supportive interactions. Roger has received extensive and ongoing training from both coaching associations.

Roger organized and ran men’s groups for 15 years in Madison; founded and leads the Restless Leg Sleepdisorder education group for south-central Wisconsin; he is the Education Chair for the Madison Uptowner’s Toastmasters Club; the Membership Chair of the Madison Macintosh Users Group (MUG); a member of the Downtown Rotary of Madison; and a volunteer weekend program staff worker and local member of the Mankind Project.

Roger believes that Coaching is a revolutionary cultural change that will continue to grow until it is commonly understood by most people. He also believes that Coaching will create enormous benefits for societies all around the world.

The most exciting thing about Coaching at this time is trying to figure out why it is so effective. If you have ideas about this, please email your thoughts to Roger.