After 20 years of fundraising for Boys and Girls Country, Elaine Petranek will retire on April 30. Elaine was hired as Director of Development after giving her resumé to a friend with a connection at BGC.
“I didn’t know about the position; Shirley (former Executive Director) just called me. It was a God thing,” says Elaine.
Elaine and Shirley
Her first SpringFestival was held in the parking lot with barbecue and a live auction in the old gym building. They raised about $56,000 that year. Over the course of her time here, the festival and all other fundraising efforts flourished. The festival today raises over $600,000.
“It is the growth of our children – emotionally, educationally and spiritually – that has made this job meaningful to me,” Elaine says.
She has loved watching kids grow up, learn to ride a bike or drive a car, get a job, make all A’s, graduate from high school and college, get married and come back to campus to show their family where they grew up.
As Director of Planned Giving for the last five years, Elaine has been instrumental in our current “Building for the Future” campaign. She drew on her wealth of knowledge from past cottage renovations as well as the construction of the Penny Loyd Student Life Center and Alexander Operations Center.
We are so grateful for Elaine’s legacy of leadership and relationship-building.
