Wendel to retire from Foundation position

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County Foundation Executive Secretary Larry Wendel has announced his retirement from that position, effective the end of the year.

“It is with mixed feelings that I will retire December 31,” Wendel said, although he added, “I will leave knowing we have a great staff and board of trustees in place. I look forward to the continued growth of the Foundation and the benefits our area will receive in the years to come.”

Many people have seen Wendel walking from the Van Wert County Foundation office downtown to Perks Coffee Shop to sit with a cup of java and read the latest news. More recently, though, he has been strolling south down Washington Street toward the Van Wert Armory to check out the progress of the Wassenberg Art Center’s renovation of that building, paid for by funds from the foundation-administered Charles Wassenberg bequest.

A longtime owner of Wortman Construction Company, Wendel is currently acting as general contractor for the Wassenberg renovation — a hands-on project that will positively serve the Van Wert region for years to come.

Although foundations are run by a board of committed trustees who all share a common vision of bettering their community, there has to be a navigator. Since 1996, Wendel has served as the Van Wert County Foundation’s steward and compass, and has facilitated change that is obvious even by a glance around Van Wert.

It was a job he was well suited to, by education and temperament.

Wendel graduated from Convoy Union High, and earned bachelor and master’s degrees from Ohio State University. This formal education, combined with a teaching career and his ownership of a construction firm, was a perfect fit for managing a foundation.

Furthermore, Wendel’s down-to-earth demeanor and sense of empathy created an atmosphere of humanness and deep respect within the office of the Foundation that has subsequently facilitated positive community change and philanthropy to many organizations, students and thousands of people in the region.

“This (Foundation) is a combination of heart and business.” Wendel once said.

The Van Wert County Foundation was founded in 1925 by local bankers Frank Leslie, D.L. Brumback and attorney Kerns Wright with a mission to promote mental, moral, physical and educational betterment of Van Wert area residents. However, it wasn’t until 1934 that the first donor fund was received and two more years before the first grant was issued.

Since that very first grant, one can follow the financial development of the foundation by tracking the charitable grants and scholarships made in years following. A total of $36,577 in grants and scholarships was made in the 17 years from 1938-1955; $228,850 was disbursed in the 10 years from 1956-1966; $8,678,060 in the 31 years from 1967-1998; $16,068,845 in the decade from 1999-2009; and $3,580,883 from 2010-2012.

Through generous benefactors and careful management, the Van Wert County Foundation has become one of the largest county foundations in the state for the size population it serves.

Between the foundation’s quiet beginning in 1925 and the present, there has been nearly $29 million awarded to deserving agencies and students in the region. The foundation’s trustees approved 202 scholarships totaling $421,463 for the 2013-14 academic year alone.

In addition to its support of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, the foundation has also sponsored the free Summer Concert Series in the Park since 2002.

“The current Board of Trustees for the Foundation cannot thank Larry enough for his leadership and guidance over the last 16 years,” a release stated. “We are a better organization for his contributions and it gives us the momentum to continue our goal in the future.”

Wendel said highlights of his 34-year career with the Foundation include being part of the organization instrumental in developing the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, as well as the purchase of the Van Wert Armory and its transformation into what will become one of the premier visual art centers in the region.

Wendel has also enjoyed working with prospective donors and their families and the tenants who farm 2,700 acres of the Foundation’s farmland, as well as the rewards of working with a group of trustees who are truly committed to the mission of the Van Wert County Foundation and assisting in the mental, moral, physical and educational well-being of area residents.

Wendel said he would be working through 2014 to make sure there is a smooth transition of leadership for the Foundation, similar to what his predecessor, Bob Games, did for him.

Although Wendel had a pretty good idea of what running a foundation was like from his 17 years as a Van Wert County Foundation trustee prior to his taking over as executive secretary, he’s also aware the next person won’t be so lucky.

“It was a big advantage,” Wendel said. “While I didn’t know everything about the day-to-day operation, I did have a good idea of how the foundation was organized.”

Wendel also added, though, that the foundation he took over 17 years ago was barely a third of the size it is now.

Meanwhile, a search committee has been formed to begin the process in seeking his replacement.  An article will be released to the media within the next two weeks outlining performance and technical skills required for this position.

After his retirement, Wendel and his wife, Gloria, plan to spend much more time with their grandchildren, who are involved in sports, music, college and other activities, while Gloria will remain active as organist at First United Methodist Church.