Tim Parker to lead community campaign

Tim Parker, President of Harbor Industries, Inc. of Grand Haven, will chair Greater Ottawa County United Way’s 2010-11 Community Campaign, set to kick off September 16.

Parker will announce the Community Campaign Goal for 2010 at Yogi Bear Camp & Resort in Grand Haven Township at 1:00 p.m. on September 16, which is also the date for United Way’s Day of Caring, the largest one-day volunteer event in Ottawa County. More than 600 volunteers have already signed up to complete volunteer projects throughout the county, and all volunteers are invited to Yogi Bear Camp & Resort for a free picnic lunch, prize drawings, fun, and campaign activities from 11:30 to 1:00.  Since 2001, Day of Caring has been the traditional kickoff of United Way’s Community Campaign in Ottawa County.

This year, Parker says that Ottawa County businesses are showing signs of recovery, and that gives campaign officials reason for optimism.

“Many of our local companies that run workplace campaigns have begun hiring again, and they are dedicating themselves to participating in both the drive for donations as well as our goal to ‘raise’ 4,300 volunteers throughout Ottawa County.  And, for everyone who does not work at a company that runs a campaign, we offer the chance to sign up at www.ottawaunitedway.org to donate or volunteer with a click of a mouse,” Parker said.

He also noted that more companies have signed on as campaign sponsors this year than last, with Fifth Third Bank and The Holland Sentinel as Platinum sponsors; AD Bos Vending Services, Harbor Industries, Inc., Magna Mirrors of America and Shape Corporation as Gold Sponsors; and Haworth, Inc., Lake Trust Credit Union, Michigan Commerce Bank and Varnum Law as silver sponsors.

“Sponsor dollars help United Way to run the campaign so that more of the dollars donated can be reinvested back into our local community. This year, 61 programs of 41 local nonprofit agencies are receiving United Way community investment dollars, and their work touches the lives of more than one in four people in Ottawa County,” Parker said.

Parker leads a campaign cabinet of 44 volunteers from area companies, organizations and agencies who have been working throughout the summer to launch the campaign. They are meeting with the heads of the more than 200 major firms, small businesses, professional offices and governmental units in the county to thank them for their past support and lend any assistance they may require in setting up their 2010 workplace campaigns. Parker also noted that several companies have already launched “pacesetter” campaigns. These include Mercantile Bank in Holland, Community Shores Bank in Grand Haven, Shape Corporation in Grand Haven and Pliant Plastics in Spring Lake. Haworth, Inc., traditionally the top campaign in Ottawa County, will launch its workplace campaign with a breakfast honoring long-time and leadership givers on August 25.

Parker has a long history of service to United Way. He served Tri Cities United Way in leadership roles for many years, and then served on the board of Greater Ottawa County United Way from its inception, including as treasurer and vice chair, until his retirement in 2009 due to term limits. He and his wife Jill Parker were the Lighthouse Leadership Circle Chairs of the north county for the 2008-09 campaign and last year he served as chair of the newly formed Health Division of the campaign cabinet.  In 2004, Parker was the recipient of United Way’s lifetime achievement award for community service and philanthropy, the G.W. Haworth Strength of the Community Award … and the youngest ever to receive it.

Parker is the third generation of the Parker family to head up Harbor Industries, a designer and producer of retail displays, fixtures and digital media solutions for companies worldwide. In 2009 the United States Small Business Administration named Harbor Industries the Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Business of the Year for the entire United States.

Parker and his wife Jill are Spring Lake residents and the parents of two sons. He graduated from Michigan State University and earned a Masters of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve.

For more information, telephone 396-7811 in Holland, 842-7130 in Grand Haven.