Bumgardner reflects on time with Parke County Community Foundation

Unchartered waters.

That is how Brad Bumgardner is viewing the next stage of life, following his retirement from the Parke County Community Foundation after more than two decades at the helm as executive director. 

"I am in unchartered waters. I've never retired from anything else before. I am going to do a little consulting for the foundation, but, hopefully, that will be few and far between," Bumgardner told The Parke County Post. 

Bumgardner came to the Parke County Community Foundation in 1997 as a member of the Board of Directors and was selected as the foundation's first full time executive director in 2000. He officially retired effective May 1, and will be replaced by Colleen Engle. 

As a lifelong resident of Parke County, Bumgardner said Parke County has been a great place to work and try to help move forward through the community foundation. 

"Parke County is like a lot of other small, rural counties in that it struggles to keep folks there, keep schools filled with students and that is tough when jobs have pulled out. I don't know where the 26 years went. We have an endowment, which is a savings account for the foundation, and we spend the interest. That has been a wonderful thing. We had a good couple years and we are housing $27 million and the foundation will give out about $1.7 million in grants this year and $400 thousand in scholarships. The folks here in this community love this place. We are just thrilled. My wife, Susan, and I have a pretty big faith and knowing that something will be here long after I am gone is very powerful," Bumgardner said. 

Bumgardner said he was asked by a fellow board member to serve as executive director.

"I had been in ministry for 20 years, and my kids were just coming into the junior and senior high. It was good timing. Things were good at the church, and we had some good times, but things can get a little exhausting at times. For us, our kids were going to be able to stay here and do athletics and other things. We felt like it was a good time, and I have always enjoyed finance. We said this is the place we love, the people we love are here and we felt like that was really providential. The people make Parke County special," Bumgardner said. 

During his time as executive director, the Parke County Community Foundation played a major role in being a founding member of Partnership Parke County, Ritz Theater Historic Preservation and Organizational Structure, Beachwood Park Pool renovations and improvements, renovations of the Parke County Tourist and Information Depot, Creation of Parke County Community Foundation Forever Funds and other projects. 

As for what he is most proud about, he said it is the fact that he, as well as others, knows more about philanthropy.

"I think God brings to us the excitement with the logical side of things, and I think I have had the two best jobs in Parke County and I have been so fortunate. The people I worked with was just great. We also gave out $22 million in gifts and the dollars that are coming in are going out. We have been pleasantly surprised with the response. It is about trust and we have had over 1,000 different individuals make gifts. It is really been a wonderful thing. I am the luckiest guy," Bumgardner said. 

With retirement upon him now, Bumgardner said he and his wife are looking forward to literally traveling all over the world to visit family.

"Our one daughter lives in London, another is in New York City and another is in Texas. We are planning to go see them and spend a whole bunch of time with each other. It will allow Susan and I the opportunity to be with the others as much as we can. All three are doing super and we are tickled to death. We are looking to do some volunteering and look forward to tomorrow. We are going to be here in town and in Parke County," Bumgardner noted. 

As he heads into retirement, Bumgardner admits the Community Foundation will be in good hands moving forward. 

"The foundation exists to grow and to grant and that is our job. If we do our job, these other folks can do theirs. I would say to pay attention to people in need and make sure we are looking for and hope to help those in need. We have some young people on our board and they have picked up the banner. I think we can hand it over, and it will be great. We have some people that are very bright, highly compassionate and very bright. I am not skeptical at all with the future. We have a great young lady that will be our new executive director, and I am just excited," Bumgardner said.