EL POMAR PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
From the Cheyenne Edition: Dave Palenchar is involved in a little bit of everything
Dave Palenchar is involved in a little bit of everything
By Danny Summers
Reprinted from the Cheyenne Edition
When Dave Palenchar retired from the Air Force in 1990, he decided to relocate to Colorado Springs.At the recommendation of a representative from NATO, Palenchar met with El Pomar Foundation chairman and CEO William Hybl.
Hybl said, “He wanted to know if I knew of any jobs he might be qualified for,” Hybl said. “We talked for 45 minutes and I asked him to come back the next day. That’s when I offered him a job to come work for us.”
Palenchar is one of those guys who seem to have his hands in everything. Whether it’s fundraising for the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts or overseeing the grant making process for El Pomar Foundation, Palenchar is a perfectionist in every sense of the word. “David is incredibly organized,” said Robert Howsam, who helped Palenchar raise $5 million for the Pikes Peak Center. “And he encourages input from those around him. He looks for ideas and he makes ‘em happen. Because he’s such a good listener, he can give you the feedback and fine tune ideas.”
Palenchar is a man with great vision. He has to be. As a trustee and senior vice president of programs for El Pomar, he helps oversee $450 million – one of the largest private grant foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. 1994, chairman of the board for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, and the vice chairman of the Air Force Academy Foundation. And that’s just scratching the surface.
“You can count on Dave’s counsel and his ability to discern the real meaning of what’s going on,” Hybl said. “I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s there.”
Palenchar serves on many boards. He’s secretary for Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care; secretary and treasurer for Junior Achievement USA; board of directors for Junior Achievement Worldwide; community board of directors for Wells Fargo Bank, Colorado Springs; board of directors for Central City Opera; and board of trustees for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Business Citizen of the Year.
“When it’s fun, it’s not work,” Palenchar said. “And to be able to work with the people I do is a privilege.”
Palenchar, 62, lives in the Broadmoor area with his wife of 39 years, Victoria. They have two daughters – Stephanie and Vanessa – and two grandchildren that he spoils. He is a devoted Colorado Rockies baseball fan, and he waited in anticipation to watch Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez start Tuesday’s All-Star game in Anaheim. Palenchar has many pressing issues, and among them is the upcoming Rocky Mountain State Games. The three-day event takes place July 30-Aug. 1 at various venues around the city.
“He’s sharp as can be and he’s so easy to work with,” said Carolyn Kruse, the Sports Cor-
porations vice chair. “And he’s someone you really respect and admire for his involvement with the community.”
The State Games are the biggest source of revenue for the Sports Corp., which has a budget of $1.4 million for 2010. Palenchar and his staff began planning for the Games nearly a year ago.
“A lot of the State Games from around the country have severely stepped back,” Palenchar said. “But we’re able to keep operating in the black. All of the local sponsors we have helped make this work. I think that’s a testament to how we run things.”
Palenchar himself will be a contestant in the State Games. A runner, he will be competing in the 5K event with Sports Corp. CEO Tom Osborne and Colorado Springs mayor Lionel Rivera.
“I was at a luncheon the other day where the mayor was speaking and he was calling Tom Osborne out,” Palenchar said. “My goal is to just finish ahead of Tom.”
A graduate of the Air Force Academy where he majored in engineering, Palenchar served as an officer from 1970-1990 with positions as a pilot, faculty professor at the Academy and European and Asian foreign policy advisor from his offi ce in Washington, D.C. In 1979, he eceived his master’s in Asianstudies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
“When I retired I wanted to come back to Colorado Springs,” Palenchar said. “I was hired by El Pomar and everyithing else has just sort of fallen in place.”
