We lost our dear friend and colleague Todd this month, and wanted to share a bit about him.
Todd Gibson joined the Newmind Group team in the summer of 2025, after 20 years in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer before retiring from service. He was a proud husband, father, and grandfather. He was a friend to all of us, and a true Newminder. You can read his obituary and learn about his family life here.
Todd Gibson, Newminder
Todd joined Newmind last year, first as a Happiness Engineer, then as a Squad Lead for our service delivery team, but that role doesn’t begin to describe what he brought to us. He stepped up to every challenge he came to, and a few that he didn’t, like cooking lunch for the Newmind team. Todd had a passion for cooking in his personal life, and he graced our team with those skills, cooking a full team lunch for us at every all-hands meeting (not an exaggeration—almost every Newmind meeting for the last year was off of the Todd Gibson menu, including Detroit style pizza from scratch, French dip sandwiches, and corned beef & cabbage for St. Patrick’s day).
He had a smile that was contagious, and he was always wearing it. When he joined our team, immediately he understood Newmind Group. He was easy to work with, and a trusted ally for getting through tough situations. He took his work seriously, and brought genuine warmth and personality to the work he did. He was a friendly, confident, encouraging leader who joined Newmind exactly when we needed that.
There’s a lot to be said about a guy like Todd. Below you can find a few words about our friend from members of our team:
The first time I met Todd, I gave him a tour of our upstairs office because he was going to be working up there. And I said, “We can get you your own coffee pot up here,” because I knew he loves coffee. Now that I know him a little bit better, I know he was such a social animal and he really enjoyed his trips down here for coffee. So, I’m glad I never got him that upstairs coffee pot.
—Abbi, Admin Team
It just personifies Todd that, when he first shared news about his illness, he didn’t share any worry about his condition or the details—he was concerned about everybody here. He was concerned about his clients. He wanted to make sure that Alex, his technician, was taken care of. He loved this team.
—Jamey, Leadership team
He was a selfless individual and we’re a better organization and better individuals because he was in our lives, even for a short time. I personally treasure the time we had a quiet morning coffee together before the business of the day started, or when we were in the kitchen together prepping lunch for the crew.
—Abby, Admin Team
I’ve worked every day with Todd since he started with Newmind. Words can’t even begin to describe the hole that this has left. Todd was a very caring individual. If he didn’t understand something or agree with something, he would find a way to individually connect with you, have a productive conversation, and get to a real solution with almost no judgment. That’s a very rare trait.
We were always able to talk about client issues and the issues we were facing, how to work through them, and we developed a really collaborative relationship. I worked almost every single ticket with him in the very beginning for the first year but then towards the end he was finally starting to run free. Not only running free with the engineer tasks but also really pushing on the squad lead role and growth for himself and our staff. He also made it a point to always ask me how I was doing before even asking the question of whatever he may have needed help with. He always seriously wanted to know and he wanted to check in to see how my family was as well. He just cared that deeply.
—Andrew, Delivery Team
While I didn’t have much time working with him during his time at Newmind. What I did see, was that he was a kind and humorous person. He had many interests and passions that made him a true renaissance man. He will truly be missed by me and the whole team.
—Heath, Delivery Team
Todd was and is still just an incredible human being. He always knew what to say when you were feeling down or frustrated to pull you out of it and up away from it too. He always had moments of wandering around the office and checking in with everyone just to make sure anyone in the office was doing ok, and having a good day. I also like to think that he needed a break and used it to come chat about fun and random things with us all.
There’s so much that he did for us all and me specifically that I will forever be grateful to have known him for as short as I did. I’m especially grateful for him as he told me and encouraged me to apply myself in order to grow to new heights that I didn’t know I could reach but he could see it from miles away. He’ll be missed in the biggest moments and the littlest as well, but I know that he’ll always be a part of the culture here and honored going forward.
—Hayley, Delivery Team
He was a straight forward dude. I liked talking to him because he did very little sugar coating. I could vent about something and he would give an unfiltered unbiased response.
—Michael, Delivery Team
As somebody who didn’t work directly with Todd, but who’s been at Newmind for a long time, it was interesting to see just how quickly he fit in. We’ve been through a lot of different eras and a lot of different people who can take time to fit in with our culture. Todd was such a rare addition to Newmind in that he just appeared fully formed, it was like he’d been a part of our team forever. He had confidence and a great attitude toward the people he worked with. It gave me a boost seeing somebody show up and personify that right away.
—Garrett, Growth Team
Todd was the best person you got to see first thing in the morning to start the day and have coffee with. He was always there to bounce ideas or vent to and vented back in return. I always say he was the “Navy Ying to my Army Yang.”
His passing has left a huge hole in my personal and private life. He will be dearly missed by my wife and me. Dinner and board games with him and Betsy were a high point in our return to Michigan
—Matt K, Delivery Team
Todd came into our world like an old friend, perpetually curious, ready to learn, ready to teach. He was a true Newminder. Fair winds and following seas buddy.
—Luke, Delivery Team
Todd was an amazing person. He really had a heart for leadership and for people, and he was always eager to see the best in people and for people. He was always looking to improve himself. I think his impact on the team was very evident, and I continue to appreciate hearing and seeing people doing things that reflect his influence on the team.
—Matt, Leadership Team
The Newmind team will be grieving Todd for a long time, and will continue to honor his legacy, both professionally and as a Newminder.
Fair winds and following seas.