Service Beyond the Uniform: Leading with Purpose

For Jeff Papows ’76, Ph.D., leadership has never been defined by a single title, uniform, or career milestone. It has always been a responsibility — one rooted in service, accountability, and an enduring commitment to standing beside others when it matters most.

A proud alumnus of Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military college, Papows embodies the institution’s enduring motto: “I Will Try.” Today, that promise continues through his work as a board member of Canine Support Teams (CST), where he helps guide an organization dedicated to restoring independence, confidence, and hope to America’s veterans through professionally trained service dogs — at no cost to them.

Leadership Forged at Norwich, Carried Forward in Service

Norwich University instills more than academic rigor or military discipline. It cultivates leaders who understand that service does not end when one chapter closes — it evolves.

Papows’s journey reflects that philosophy. As a respected business leader, technology pioneer, and philanthropist, he has consistently applied the values forged at Norwich to every arena he enters. His involvement with CST represents a natural extension of that calling: Veterans helping Veterans, alumni supporting alumni, leaders ensuring that those who served are never left behind.

“Service is not something you retire from,” Papows often emphasizes. “It’s a responsibility you carry forward.”

A Career of Firsts: Leadership at the Forefront of Technology

Papows brings to CST not only a heart for service, but decades of executive leadership at the highest levels of global technology.

As former chief executive officer of Lotus Development Corporation, Papows helped guide one of the most influential software companies of its era. Under his leadership, Lotus Notes became a foundational technology in enterprise collaboration, redefining how organizations communicate, share information, and operate in an increasingly connected world. Long before “digital collaboration” became a buzzword, Lotus Notes laid the groundwork for modern email, workflow, and cloud-based productivity systems.

Widely recognized as a technology and internet pioneer, Papows played a critical role during a transformative period in the evolution of enterprise software and the early internet economy. His career has been marked by an ability to anticipate change, lead through complexity, and build systems that empower people — qualities that now directly inform his approach to philanthropy and nonprofit governance.

That experience — leading organizations through innovation, growth, and disruption — has become an invaluable asset to CST as it navigates a changing funding landscape and works to ensure long-term sustainability for the veterans it serves.

Canine Support Teams: Changing Lives, One Veteran at a Time

For more than 30 years, Canine Support Teams has remained steadfast in its mission to provide highly trained service dogs to veterans living with PTSD, mobility limitations, traumatic brain injuries, and other service-related challenges. These dogs are far more than companions — they retrieve dropped items, interrupt panic attacks, assist with mobility, and provide grounding during moments of trauma.

Yet their greatest impact is often emotional. They restore confidence; they rebuild independence; they help Veterans reclaim their sense of purpose.
For decades, CST’s work was supported in part through federal funding. With that grant now concluded, the organization now relies entirely on the generosity of individuals, corporations, alumni networks, and community partners to ensure no veteran is ever turned away.

Papows’s leadership — shaped by both service and executive experience — helps ensure CST remains mission-focused, fiscally responsible, and positioned for lasting impact.

Bridging Communities: When Sport, Service, and Purpose Align

That leadership was recently on display in Boston, where CST service dog-in-training Bo, a golden retriever with a calm presence and an eager spirit, walked into TD Garden for a moment that symbolized far more than a meet-and-greet.

Accompanied by CST trainer Da’Von Patterson, Bo visited leadership from the Boston Bruins and the Boston Bruins Foundation, marking the beginning of a partnership rooted in shared values and a genuine commitment to veterans.

As a CST board member, Papows has helped cultivate partnerships like this one — collaborations that bring visibility, resources, and long-term impact to the veterans CST serves.

Shared Values Across Ice Rinks and Arenas

Papows’s leadership also bridges worlds that may seem distinct but share the same foundation: discipline, teamwork, accountability, and care for others.

A lifelong equestrian and chairman of the Kevin Babington Foundation, Papows has long supported initiatives focused on safety, recovery, and resilience for athletes facing life-altering injuries. Those same principles guide his work with CST.

Joining him in this intersection of sport and service is Charlie Jacobs, whose roles as both a Boston Bruins executive and an international show jumper create a powerful connection between hockey, equestrian sport, and veteran advocacy.

Together, leaders like Papows and Jacobs demonstrate how communities can unite around a common purpose — ensuring compassion extends far beyond the arena or the rink.

The People Behind the Mission

Bo’s journey reflects the collective effort that defines CST’s success — from Christina and Stephen, his dedicated puppy raisers, to Natalie Schwartz of #QuiviraGoldens, a longtime CST supporter whose breeding program has strengthened CST for years.

Under the expert guidance of Da’Von Patterson, Bo continues his advanced training and specialized service-dog preparation. Soon, he will stand beside a veteran whose life will be forever changed.

A Full-Circle Commitment

For Jeff Papows, serving on the board of Canine Support Teams is not a résumé line — it is a continuation of a promise first forged at Norwich University.

It is alumni supporting alumni. Veterans supporting Veterans. Leaders ensuring no one walks alone.
If you know of a deserving veteran, recommend them to Canine Support Teams. 

Service does not end when the uniform comes off.