The Steward's Staff is a community improvement organization, dedicated to social development and reform, established by young entrepreneur and Louisville native, John Mark Eberhardt.  Being the president of another community-centered organization, Eberhardt was approached by concerned parents in the community to help address academic and leadership development needs of their high school aged children, John Mark began to volunteer and help organize a program that would help to address those particular needs. 

Just prior to that time, Eberhardt sold his insurance agency and failed at an attempt to re-enter corporate America, when his mentor (Robert L. Byrd, Sr.) expressed that Eberhardt should re-invest himself in entrepreneurship.  After his first offer was declined, Byrd suggested that John Mark use his talents in the non profit arena.  Unbeknownst to Byrd, this was the passion John Mark was beginning to pursue.  Byrd revealed that he was the executor of Jefferson Economic Development (1993), and the organization required restructuring.  Eberhardt accepted the challenge.

Shortly thereafter, Eberhardt joined the Center for Non Profit Excellence and graduated from their workshop series Get On Board! where he learned the infrastructure of establishing a non profit organization, as well as establishing an effective board of directors.  Later, Eberhardt approached the co-directors of The E.T.H.I.C.S. Society about bringing the program under the umbrella of The Steward's Staff.  They agreed.  In addition, Eberhardt’s spouse, Rayna Eberhardt, an English teacher at DuPont Manual High School, had been operating a mentoring program for girls, and after one of her meetings with TMG volunteer’s John Mark and Rayna believed it only natural for Transitions Mentoring Group (TMG) to fall under the umbrella of The Steward's Staff as well.

The Steward's Staff held its first board meeting on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 9 a.m. in the dining room of John Mark and Rayna Eberhardt.

Founded in 2007, The Steward’s Staff vision is of a world in which every person is equipped with the necessary skills to combat various social obstacles which may impair individuals from obtaining their goals.  The Steward’s Staff is dedicated to empowering individuals through leadership development, community engagement, and positive reinforcement of self-awareness and esteem; thereby, ultimately creating a unified world.