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navigating life’s crossroads by Lauren Stumberg | photos by Ron Pritchett
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Prior to retirement, Ron Fielding knew he needed a plan for how he would fill his time. “I had decided that I should give one-third of my time to my wife and my dogs, another one-third to staying connected in business through for-profit boards and the other third I would spend volunteering and giving back,” said Fielding. While Ron has found this balance to work out just great for how he envisioned retirement, he was unaware when deciding to volunteer his time with Hill Country Family Services just how rewarding the experience would be. In addition to serving on the Hill Country Family Services (HCFS) Board of Directors as the Treasurer and Internal Affairs Committee Chair, Fielding is the former EVP of Hormel Foods and the current Chairman of the Advisory Council for the UTSA School of Business. HCFS feels blessed to have access to Fielding’s Fortune 500 financial experience and knowledge that he brings to the board. According to Ron, “I am extremely proud to be a part of this organization. When the Covid-19 crisis hit, HCFS didn’t skip a beat. They stepped up to help the local community in such a way that it was as if they had been preparing for this all along.” Fielding continued his praise by saying, “It has been really rewarding to be able to be apart of
an organization that was able to respond to people’s needs immediately. So many people’s lives changed instantly this past spring and through the excellent leadership and the team that has been built here at HCFS, it was remarkable to watch as they leveraged their skills and talents to provide essential help to the local community members in need.” Staci Almager, Chief Executive Officer at HCFS added, “We were ready! Not only were we able to help people with their financial needs, but with their emotional and psychological needs as well. This agency helped so many people to deal with the constant and enormous pressures of a society that shut down.” Almager credits the success of HCFS to her staff and the hundreds of local people, like Fielding, that volunteer their time each year to keep the organization running like a well-oiled machine. According to Staci, “Each year we have approximately 12,000 volunteer hours logged!” Having celebrated its 35th birthday this past August, Hill Country Family Services has been helping Kendall County citizens to not only survive a crisis, but to learn how to thrive in the community since 1985. HCFS serves Boerne, with 85% of the families they serve living inside
pictured (left to right): Staci Almager, CEO of Hill Country Famlily Services and Ron Fielding, HCFS Treasurer and Internal Affairs Committee Chair
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B oerne B usiness M onthly | September 2020
