As RVRN’s longest-serving board member, Rich Clarke has seen this organization expand into a nationwide network serving an ever-growing number of families and individuals. He recently talked with us about his love of RVRN and what he’s up to now.
“I joined the board in March 2015, having just retired, when a dear friend whom I respected a great deal and was then Executive Director asked me to join. I knew a few Christian Science families and saw their challenges in addressing the needs of family members with developmental special needs,
“My background was largely in the corporate for-profit world (30+ years with PepsiCo, Kraft, and others) where I worked in a variety of functions—sales, marketing, finance, general management, and so forth—which ultimately led to senior management positions. I felt this experience, combined with prior service on various non-profit boards, prepared me to contribute. Whether a for profit or non-profit organization, the same skills, experience and disciplines apply, such as strategic thinking and planning, financial management, organization development, human resources, etc.
“RVRN serves a long underserved segment—and even ignored—constituency of the CS community,” he explains. “Although RVRN has been around for nearly 40 years, it’s wonderful to see the progress RVRN has made since the original ‘Rainbow Valley Ranch’ closed in 2005. Today we offer a variety of experiential enrichment programs, financial assistance, and informational and inspirational resources. As awareness of RVRN grows, our organization is quickly becoming a national resource to this underserved segment of the CS community, and our services may continue expanding to meet needs.”
When Rich is not working in his various volunteer capacities, he loves to play pickleball with friends, paint landscapes from his Newburyport, Mass. home, and enjoy time with his family including two grandsons, ages 9 and 7.
We are so grateful for Rich’s longtime service and vision!
