Development

DEVELOPMENT Tim Deem retiring as VP of Development, Tony Kinkel named as successor.

Dr. Tony Kinkel joined Mount Dora Christian Academy and Children’s Home on January 1st as the new Vice President of Development. He oversees efforts in fundraising and donor relations.

Kinkel brings a unique blend of teaching, administrative, policy-making, and leadership experience. A native of northern Minnesota, his resume includes 16 years as a state legislator and 13 years as a community and technical college president. He most recently served as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Board for School Administrators.

Dr. Brian Mast, President of MDCA&CH, praised the choice of Kinkel for this key position. “We are delighted to welcome Tony to the Mount Dora family," Dr. Mast said. "Tony brings with him a servant heart and a passion for helping children and families. He is the right person to continue the great work taking place in the Development office."

Kinkel succeeds Tim Deem, who is retiring after serving in that capacity since 2009. “Tim has done an outstanding job for our organization over the past 16 years, beginning with his tenure on the Board of Trustees in 2005,” said Dr. Mast. “He has built relationships with donors, churches, and grant-making foundations that have resulted in millions of dollars in donations. The school and children’s home have greatly benefited from his leadership.”

Dr. Mast recently presented Deem with the Divine Servant Award for his “passion, love, and dedication” to Mount Dora. He noted that Deem had devoted a good portion of his professional career to serving the Academy and Children’s Home. During his tenure, Deem was responsible for over 90 benefit dinners in the last 12 years, bringing in over $1.5 million. He started the Distinguished Speaker Series bringing in Tim Tebow, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Willie Robertson, and Mike Huckabee to our campus. He has overseen important initiatives such as the promotion and funding for the Lugar Cottage Remodel, the Jerome Thompson Science Building, Samuels Student Center, Wishart Science Lab, Preschool Playground, Bulldog Stadium and Tom Jett Field.

"Serving on the Board of Directors for five years before moving to Mount Dora helped prepare Tim for the position as Vice President for Development. He spent countless hours dedicating his time and energy to improve MDCA&CH. Days, nights, and weekends were spent traveling for benefit dinners, meeting with donors, and nurturing relationships between MDCA&CH and those who support us. Rarely taking vacation time or sick time, he never wavered in the task at hand, even during the year that he was fighting cancer and the health difficulties caused by the treatment of cancer. The relationships he built with donors will continue to bless our school and home for years to come. We will ever be indebted to Tim for all that he did for MDCA&CH," said Administrative Assistant of Development Kathy Pruitt.

About his new position, Kinkel shares, “It is the thrill of a lifetime to be a part of MDCA&CH at this stage in my career. "I must admit I am nervous to try to follow someone like Tim Deem. He and his staff have done an amazing job creating personal relationships with our donors. He has uncanny ability to remember nearly every donor’s name. I come to MDCA&CH hoping to share what I learned as a teacher, an academic dean, state senator, college president, and most recently, the head of the Minnesota Board of School Administrators. The Lord has blessed my career.

I look forward to continuing the work Tim Deem started 13 years ago. With more children in need, and more parents questioning the direction of public schools, it is our prayer that MDCA&CH will continue to be a shining light for the next generation of children."

Kinkel and his wife, Melva, have two children: Brett, age 34, who lives in Kansas City with his wife and son, and Kellen, age 20, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

A New Look for Single-Parent Housing

Single parent Rebecca Blum and her family recently moved into the newly renovated House #1 on McDonald Street. This 1950s era house required both structural and cosmetic upgrades and now looks like a new house! Rebecca is shown here with son, Micah Long, and daughter, Gracie Blum. Not pictured are children Mason and Faith Kmieciak. Rebecca is a teacher assistant at a nearby elementary school and is attending school at Lake Sumter State College.

House #2, next door, has already been renovated as have the single-parent apartments on West 13th Avenue. Our thanks to all the donors who made these renovations possible.

DEVELOPMENT Joy of Giving

Greetings to all of you! I am the new Vice President of Development at Mount Dora Christian Academy and Children’s Home! As many of you know, Tim Deem is retiring after 13 wonderful years of service to the school and children’s home.

Our family comes to MDCA&CH after the Lord blessed us with over 30 years of public service. I have served as a teacher, college professor, state senator, college president, and head of a state agency. Recently, however, I came to a point in my life when I realize that all the success in the world meant nothing if the world my grandchildren must live in was rudderless and without a moral compass. For me, it was time to use my talents in a more direct way at helping the next generation of Americans in their spiritual and moral development.

As we transition leadership of this office, I am reminded of King Solomon’s transition many years ago found in 1 Kings 3. In his prayer to the Lord, Solomon said, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. Therefore, give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

As I witness the tremendous success of this office, and the work of the Lord through Tim and his partners, Kathy Pruitt, Dave Hogan, and Brad Green, my prayer to the Lord is that the devotion and kindness he bestowed upon Tim may be extended to me. Tim has been blessed with an amazing ability to remember nearly every donor by name. He has developed a personal relationship with many of you. I ask for your patience and wisdom as we move forward together. I promise to devote every ounce of my ability to garner the resources so that our house parents, our children, and our teachers can continue to utilize their God-given ability to help change the lives of the next generation.

One of the things that has amazed me as I learn the profession from Tim is the dazzling array of financial tools one can use to bolster his or her giving to MDCA&CH. Our office can help you with annuities, donor-advised funds (DAF), and IRA asset donations. We can direct more of your investments going to charitable causes rather than to Uncle Sam. For those who do not itemize their taxes, cash donations to the children's home and school are tax-deductible, up to $600 per family. In addition, parents and grandparents who have a 529 Education Plans may contribute up to $10,000 for tuition at MDCA.

These are exciting times! I look forward to getting to know you on a personal level. May God bless our school and children’s home!

We hope you will make plans to join us for a regional benefit dinner near you hosted by Mount Dora Children’s Home. This year’s theme for the dinners is “Preparing Today’s Families for Tomorrow’s World.”

So far this year, we have hosted benefit dinners in Sarasota and Montgomery (Alabama), in addition to the Boyd Scholarship Dinner held on our campus. Two more regional benefit dinners are scheduled for this spring. They are the Jacksonville Benefit Dinner on April 2 at the University of North Florida and the Tampa Area Benefit Dinner on May 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tampa Airport.

Reservations and tickets are required. For more information on any of these dinners, please contact Brad Green at 352-729-9255 or brad.green@MDCHome.org.