The Spartanburg County Foundation President to Retire
September 18, 2013
SPARTANBURG, SC – September 18, 2013 – After a distinguished 16 year tenure with The Spartanburg County Foundation, John H. Dargan will retire effective December 31, 2013. Dargan has served as President and CEO of the Foundation since March 1997. A committee has been formed to conduct a search for Dargan’s replacement.
The Spartanburg County Foundation has experienced tremendous growth since Dargan took the reins in 1997. During his tenure as CEO, Foundation assets have more than tripled from $37 million to more than $126 million. At the beginning of 1997, the Foundation housed 320 funds; today the Foundation manages nearly 900 funds.
“We have been fortunate to have a leader with John’s insight, leadership and passion for the Spartanburg community,” said Rob Gregory, chairman of The Spartanburg County Foundation Board of Trustees. “He’s contributed much to the organization, and in turn to the community. As only the fifth CEO since the establishment of The Spartanburg County Foundation in 1943, John has built on a strong foundation and tradition of service to the people of Spartanburg County. The Board of Trustees is grateful for his service, and we wish him the best as he plans the next chapter in his life.”
Under Dargan’s leadership, the Foundation has enjoyed a time of prosperous growth, both in assets and in community impact. In 1998, Dargan and the Foundation Board of Trustees made the decision to take a proactive approach in the area of education. A partnership was formed between the Foundation and all seven Spartanburg County School Districts with the goal of creating an afterschool academic program that would assist students who were having difficulty achieving the minimum standard on state tests. In 1999, the Foundation made its largest single grant of $1,050,000 to fund the Extended Day Academic Program. By the time the three-year grant concluded in 2002, area schools had served more than 1,900 students, meeting the program’s goal of moving students from below-basic to basic levels on standardized achievement tests.
While the Foundation has always been a major supporter of the development of downtown Spartanburg, the organization emerged as a leader in many of the signature projects associated with the revitalization of downtown. During Dargan’s tenure, the Foundation supported the restoration of the Spartanburg Train Depot, the revitalization of Cleveland Park, the creation of Barnet Park, the renovation of the former Georgia Cleveland Home to house St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, enhancements to Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, and the renovation and development of a permanent downtown facility for Mobile Meals of Spartanburg. In 2006, the Foundation relocated from its offices on East Main Street to East Kennedy Street to make room for additional downtown growth and to serve the community as a philanthropic center.
Also during Dargan’s service, the Foundation made several significant lead gifts, encouraging the community to step up and support important initiatives and projects. Before The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg began soliciting community support to construct the Chapman Cultural Center in downtown Spartanburg, The Spartanburg County Foundation made a $1 million lead gift to support the project, encouraging additional community support and serving as an early endorsement of this critical downtown project. In 2011, the Foundation awarded a lead gift of $500,000 to The College Hub of Spartanburg County. The gift, which was matched with funds raised by the community, benefitted the program which seeks to increase education attainment in Spartanburg County through overall advocacy for a college-going culture across our county.
In July 2013, the Foundation was recognized by earning a spot on three prestigious Community Foundation Top 100 Lists. There are more than 700 community foundations in the United States; of these, The Spartanburg County Foundation is on the list of Most Gifts Per Capita at number 20, up from 57 last year; Most Active Grantmakers at number 46, up from 81 last year; and Most Activity Volume at number 65 nationwide. In 2012, the Foundation awarded more than 1,600 grants to nonprofit organizations that serve Spartanburg County, totaling over $11 million in financial assistance that was given to meet community needs. Additionally, more than 2,800 contributions were made to the Foundation in 2012, for a total of almost $28 million in gifts. In the 16 years under Dargan’s leadership, the Foundation has received a total of $141,128,827 in contributions, and has granted $93,517,058 to the Spartanburg community.
A native of Spartanburg and a graduate of Presbyterian College, Dargan served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Prior to his role with the Foundation, Dargan spent 25 years in the banking industry; first with American National Bank in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he lived for eight years; moving to Columbia, South Carolina in 1980, where he traveled for South Carolina National Bank in their National Accounts area, and later internationally with responsibility for account development in Latin America and Western Europe. He moved to Spartanburg in 1986 to assume the role of City Executive for SCN/Wachovia, where he worked until he accepted the position of President and CEO of The Spartanburg County Foundation in March 1997.
“From a personal perspective, I am in good health and very happy in my work. I eagerly anticipate what may come next in my life. From a professional perspective, the Foundation is on a solid footing and a strong trajectory,” stated Dargan. “The Foundation’s three year strategic plan ends December 2013, and it would be appropriate for the next three year plan to be led by my successor. The organization is led by a very capable Board of Trustees and a strong staff who are well positioned to carry out our work into the future.”
Dargan will serve the Foundation as President Emeritus throughout the transition.
