Chris Gaughan
Board of Trustees - Board Member
Chris Gaughan is the father of three teenagers, Michael, Kevin, and Dorothy, and is the husband of 18 years to his long-suffering wife, Kristin.
In the fleeting moments when he is not a full-time chauffeur and life coach for teenagers, Chris likes to unwind at his day job where he is an attorney who practices in the field of estate planning. Chris has been practicing law for over 20 years and is a member of Gaughan & Connealy, a law firm he formed with his lifelong friend, Casey Connealy, in 2012.
Gaughan & Connealy has assisted over 6,000 families in preparing comprehensive estate plans since its inception. In addition to working with individual families, Gaughan & Connealy has developed a planned giving program that is utilized by numerous parishes in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Chris has extensive experience in tax planning, wealth management, planned giving, and special needs trusts. He is also the author of Midwest Estate Planning: A Guide for Your Family, a book he wrote and published with his business partner.
Chris and his family are fourth-generation parishioners at St. Thomas More, where they are active in their parish community. Chris is a past president of the School Advisory Board, a founding member of the parish’s Planned Giving Committee, a fundraiser for STM for All (St. Thomas More’s inclusive education program), a member of the school’s Safety Committee, a room parent, and a Sacristan, Eucharistic Minister, and Lector. Chris is also a Board Member for the FIRE Foundation.
Chris attended St. Thomas More Grade School (1994) and St. Thomas Aquinas High School (1998). He graduated from Rockhurst University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and then earned his Juris Doctor in 2004 from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Chris’ two sons, Michael and Kevin, attend St. Michael the Archangel High School. His daughter Dorothy is in eighth grade at St. Thomas More.