Tim Busch


Tim Busch (Timothy R. Busch), founder and CEO of the Napa Institute, is a seasoned entrepreneur, attorney, CPA, a builder of business entities, and a serious Catholic. In 1979 he founded an Irvine, California-based law firm, The Busch Firm, that specializes in estate planning, asset protection, tax, real estate, corporate law litigation and the representation of religious organizations.

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His various affiliations in private operating and real estate companies include the Pacific Hospitality Group and The Heritage Collection, to name a few of his real estate and hotel ventures, and he is also the founder of the Napa-based winery Trinitas Cellars, co-founder of numerous other ventures, and a partner in Busch’s Markets (a 16-store, fresh foods market in southeastern Michigan that Tim and his two brothers continue to grow and expand after buying the entity from their father, the now-late Joseph Busch, a number of years ago).

Tim and his wife, Steph, who are both long-time members of Legatus, are extensively involved in various Catholic organizations and charities, including founding or co-founding a few themselves. As their children were growing, the couple founded two, still-thriving Catholic schools—St. Anne’s in Laguna Niguel, CA, and JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA. They co-founded the Magis Institute with Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J.

In addition, Tim founded nine Legatus chapters and in 2011, he and Fr. Spitzer co-founded the Napa Institute, a unique conference and pilgrimage nonprofit focused on preparing Catholics for what Archbishop Chaput once referred to in a landmark talk as “the Next America.”

Tim serves on many boards, including that of The Catholic University of America, The Catholic University of America Board of Visitors for the Busch School of Business and Economics (Chair), the Board of Visitors of the Institute for Human Ecology, Magis Institute, Napa Institute (Chair), the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, EWTN, and JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA (Chair).  He served on the Executive Committee of the Papal Foundation, where he also served on the Board for 12 years.  In 2016, the Catholic University of America named its business school the Tim and Steph Busch School of Business and Economics, in recognition of Tim and Steph’s generous support of the school.

He may be reached at tbusch@catholicbusinessjournal.com




Articles:

A Trip Of Faith: Vietnam, Singapore, Laos, And...

April 5, 2024

Sometimes you find Faith where you least expect it. That’s my takeaway after visiting Southeast Asia in recent weeks. I spent time in Vietnam, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia. The faithful find themselves in different and often difficult situations in each...

Bud Light, Target, Haven't The Dodgers Learned Anything?...

June 23, 2023

Will the Los Angeles Dodgers ever be the same? I doubt it. One of the most-storied sports brands in history is reeling. It’s the result of management’s foolish decision to invite an anti-Catholic hate group to an LGBT Pride night, then rescind the invitation...

Remembering Cardinal George Pell

January 11, 2023

Cardinal George Pell, whom I believed to be a modern-day saint, passed away on January 10th. It was a great pleasure to get to know Cardinal Pell during visits to Rome over the years. As a testimony to his faith...

Covid Restrictions On Religion: I'm Still Attending Mass...

March 3, 2021

I never thought I’d watch Mass from the front seat of my car. I never thought I’d receive Holy Communion standing in the parish parking lot. But there I’ve been, Sunday after Sunday for months on end, in the parking...

Catholics Must Oppose Woke Capitalism

September 14, 2020

What is “woke capitalism”? This is a question that every Catholic should ask. Not just Catholic CEOs. Not just Catholic entrepreneurs. Not just Catholics in business school. Every Catholic, period. Why? Because every Catholic believes in – and benefits from...

Pivot: Adapting During The Pandemic

July 28, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to rethink our daily lives. From the personal to the professional to the spiritual, the habits and rituals that we have come to rely on have been upended. It’s been difficult, to say...

Every Day Of Advent Is Preparation — And...

December 11, 2019

If you ask my family what I’m like during the holidays, they’ll tell you that I tend to go a little overboard. The get-togethers, the gifts, the good times with loved ones and treasured friends -- I can’t get or...

Undaunted, Justice Thomas Seeks The Court’s Atonement On...

September 30, 2019

by Tim Busch and Kevin Stidham—Another Supreme Court term has ended, and once again the court failed to revisit the question of abortion. In our time, it seems that abortion is discussed everywhere except the Supreme Court, where most justices...

A Book Worth Reading: American Priest

May 14, 2019

There are books worth reading, and then there are books worth sharing after you’ve read them. I heartily recommend the new book by Father Bill Miscamble, a Holy Cross Father, at the University of Notre Dame. It’s called American Priest: The Ambitious...

Lenten Reflections From A Catholic Business Leader

March 20, 2019

For this article, I've been asked to "dig deeper" and to share some of my inner, personal motivations for Lent this year. It's a challenge I am happy to embrace, even though imperfectly, because throughout my career and even now...

What Is In Store For 2019 : Good...

January 9, 2019

We are in very tumultuous times in the stock market. One day it is down 600 points and the next day it is up 1,000. But this isn’t the time to panic. After 10 years of very cheap money which...

Christmas Is To Save Us

December 22, 2018

As practicing Roman Catholics, the title may seem obvious. Of course, Jesus Christ became flesh and blood so that He could die on the Cross and save us from Original Sin. This may lead us to wonder why we celebrate...

Unity Through Reform

September 30, 2018

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5) — The 2018 “Summer of Sorrow” has proven to be a tumultuous time for the Church....

Our Great Commission: The Call Of The Laity...

August 3, 2018

I, like many of you, have been disheartened by the unfolding scandal regarding now Archbishop Theodore McCarrick - a scandal we thought had been sufficiently handled in 2002 with the implementation of the Dallas Charter, which adopted a zero tolerance...

Business Listings:

A Trip of Faith: Vietnam, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia

April 5, 2024

Sometimes you find Faith where you least expect it. That’s my takeaway after visiting Southeast Asia in recent weeks. I spent time in Vietnam, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia. The faithful find themselves in different and often difficult situations in each place, yet even so, I was impressed by what I saw. Vietnam Consider Vietnam, once…


Bud Light, Target, haven’t the Dodgers learned anything? As a sports team owner, I know better

June 23, 2023

Will the Los Angeles Dodgers ever be the same? I doubt it. One of the most-storied sports brands in history is reeling. It’s the result of management’s foolish decision to invite an anti-Catholic hate group to an LGBT Pride night, then rescind the invitation after criticism from the right, only to re-invite the group after blowback from the left.…


Remembering Cardinal George Pell

January 11, 2023

Cardinal George Pell, whom I believed to be a modern-day saint, passed away on January 10th. It was a great pleasure to get to know Cardinal Pell during visits to Rome over the years. As a testimony to his faith in God and His divine teachings, he loved sacred tradition and pursued truth with persistence…


COVID restrictions on religion: I’m still attending Mass from my church parking lot

March 3, 2021

I never thought I’d watch Mass from the front seat of my car. I never thought I’d receive Holy Communion standing in the parish parking lot. But there I’ve been, Sunday after Sunday for months on end, in the parking lot at St. Kilian Catholic Church in Mission Viejo, California. From the start, I knew…


Catholics Must Oppose Woke Capitalism

September 14, 2020

What is “woke capitalism”? This is a question that every Catholic should ask. Not just Catholic CEOs. Not just Catholic entrepreneurs. Not just Catholics in business school. Every Catholic, period. Why? Because every Catholic believes in – and benefits from – an economy where everyone is able to succeed. A flourishing economy is an expression…


PIVOT: Adapting During the Pandemic

July 28, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to rethink our daily lives. From the personal to the professional to the spiritual, the habits and rituals that we have come to rely on have been upended. It’s been difficult, to say the least. But it’s also a good time for us to ask: How can we…


Every Day Of Advent Is Preparation — And Celebration

December 11, 2019

If you ask my family what I’m like during the holidays, they’ll tell you that I tend to go a little overboard. The get-togethers, the gifts, the good times with loved ones and treasured friends — I can’t get or give enough during this special season. My wife and kids make fun of me for…


Undaunted, Justice Thomas Seeks the Court’s Atonement on Abortion

September 30, 2019

by Tim Busch and Kevin Stidham—Another Supreme Court term has ended, and once again the court failed to revisit the question of abortion. In our time, it seems that abortion is discussed everywhere except the Supreme Court, where most justices seem intent to do anything to avoid the topic. And still, each passing term, the…


A Book Worth Reading: American Priest

May 14, 2019

There are books worth reading, and then there are books worth sharing after you’ve read them. I heartily recommend the new book by Father Bill Miscamble, a Holy Cross Father, at the University of Notre Dame. It’s called American Priest: The Ambitious Life and Conflicted Legacy of Notre Dame’s Father Ted Hesburgh , and it profiles the…


Lenten Reflections from a Catholic Business Leader

March 20, 2019

For this article, I’ve been asked to “dig deeper” and to share some of my inner, personal motivations for Lent this year. It’s a challenge I am happy to embrace, even though imperfectly, because throughout my career and even now I have been — and continue to be — inspired by and learn so much…


WHAT IS IN STORE FOR 2019 : Good News, Perseverance, Enduring Hope

January 9, 2019

We are in very tumultuous times in the stock market. One day it is down 600 points and the next day it is up 1,000. But this isn’t the time to panic. After 10 years of very cheap money which has driven up asset prices, including the stock market, the Fed has been normalizing interest…


Christmas is to Save us

December 22, 2018

As practicing Roman Catholics, the title may seem obvious. Of course, Jesus Christ became flesh and blood so that He could die on the Cross and save us from Original Sin. This may lead us to wonder why we celebrate this Feast of the birth of Christ with so much festivity, while the Easter Triduum…


Unity Through Reform

September 30, 2018

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5) — The 2018 “Summer of Sorrow” has proven to be a tumultuous time for the Church. The Barque of Peter has been rocked by scandal after scandal, and many Church leaders…


Our Great Commission: The Call of the Laity to Holiness & Reform in Times of Scandal

August 3, 2018

I, like many of you, have been disheartened by the unfolding scandal regarding now Archbishop Theodore McCarrick – a scandal we thought had been sufficiently handled in 2002 with the implementation of the Dallas Charter, which adopted a zero tolerance policy for sexual indiscretions with minors by priests and deacons. (It has come to light…