Meet Rob Steele, one of our nervous yet excited contestants for this year's "Dancing With The Stars" fundraiser benefiting Cristo Rey! Rob is currently serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. With a background as a pediatrician, he often refers to himself as an "accidental administrator" – a fitting title for someone who probably never thought he’d be trading stethoscopes for strategic planning.

When he's not in the hospital or the boardroom, you'll find Rob enjoying the outdoors on his cycling adventures, sweating it out on his Peloton, or chasing his grandson up the stairs. Outside the world of medicine and hospitals, he has indulged in his passion for dance – always with his wife, Renee, who has proudly been his best dance partner for the past 25 years. Whether it's a gala, a wedding reception, or a spontaneous living room dance-off to a 90's hit, Rob and Renee know how to cut a rug together!

Rob and Renee's family is close knit. So, their five children (two successfully launched and married, one thriving in college, and a pair of twins almost done with high school), weren't at all surprised when he agreed to join this dance event. However, what they didn't know was that it was Renee (in cahoots with Teresa Olsen and Claudia Meyer) who was in on the scheme to get him to participate, giving him that loving nudge towards the dance floor.

Rob is genuinely honored to participate in this event that supports a school as incredible as Cristo Rey. He sees firsthand the value it brings to its students, many of whom work tirelessly within Children’s Mercy. Through such partnerships, they play a crucial part in helping take care of children and their families. Rob is ready to bring his footwork – and perhaps a little humor – to the dance floor in support of these amazing students and their future.