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Board Member Profile
Craig C. van Keulen, Past President
Why
do I support CLEF? Part of living in a community like Morgan Hill
is taking the opportunity to give back to the community in a way that
makes it better place for everyone to live. Joining CLEF as a
volunteer and supporter was the perfect opportunity for me to give back
to the Morgan Hill community that has given so much to my family and
me!
The
CLEF circle of help started for me in 1988 when "CLEF 1" was formed by
friends of mine named Avila, Knopf, Williams, Lazzarini and Etchebarne,
to help support the Morgan Hill Police Department when it was first hit
by budget cuts. It served a big need in the Morgan Hill community,
that being to get behind and support our MHPD that works tirelessly to
keep safe the businesses and families in our community, making it a
better place for all of us to live in.
During
the CLEF 1 years we also provided the funding for a couple of police
dogs, as well as other support needed by the MHPD. In the 1990's I
was one of the CLEF Presidents. Over time as the Morgan Hill
Community changed and grew, and people moved on and no longer had the
time or energy to do the hard work of operating a completely volunteer,
non-profit organization, CLEF went dormant.
Then
many years later in 2008 under the guidance of then police chief Bruce
Cummings, CLEF was revived by two Leadership Morgan Hill graduates and
CLEF 2 was formed with the same goal in mind, to support the MHPD, so
the MHPD could do the best job possible to make Morgan Hill the safest
and best place to live.
In
2012, I again saw a need to help CLEF and to support its great mission,
by using my skills to help it move from where it was to where it wanted
to be, which was a self-sustaining, completely volunteer, next
generation non-profit that could have a large, supportive impact on the
needs of the MHPD during these difficult economic times. We are all busy
people, but sometimes you just have to jump in, roll up your sleeves
and get involved. It's not hard, but a lot of fun and very
rewarding when you are working with great people, with great passion,
for a great purpose, community safety.
I
was honored to again be elected President of CLEF, and privileged to
work with all the wonderful, hardworking citizens of Morgan Hill on the
CLEF Board that devote so much of their time, talent and treasure to
make Morgan Hill the best and safest place to live. Together we
were able to build the Board, develop a sustainable budget strategy,
develop a grant program, and host the First Annual Black Tie, Cops &
Robbers Ball, which turned into the largest, non-profit, fundraising
event in Morgan Hill history, netting over $73,000 for the MHPD and our
community.
If
you want a great opportunity to serve your community, be with great
people that care about our community, and help make your community a
safer place to work and live, you will never find a more rewarding
organization to join as a supporter and volunteer than CLEF!
Please visit our website at www.morganhillclef.org and come join us at our monthly Board meetings! I'll see you there!
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