By Laura Smith
Bob Stoothoff has lived all over the country, but for the last two years he and his wife, Cindy, have called the Triangle home. When they arrived, they were interested in finding a local, reputable environmental organization they could support. They found out about Triangle Land Conservancy through the another conservation organization they support.
Bob and Cindy Stoothoff
From all he has learned, Bob Stoothoff describes the organization as “solid” with a great business plan and good staffing and support. This is one of the reasons why the Stoothoffs have chosen to become Heritage Society members and include TLC in their estate plans.
Bob has always been a man involved with business planning. He first got experience at Quaker Oats, where he worked for 19 years doing marketing and sales management, then by years of independent consulting. He has since lent his planning abilities to several volunteer organizations.
Bob’s volunteering began in 1993 when he and his wife moved to Beaufort, SC. (He is careful to distinguish the pronunciation of “Bue-fort” SC and “Bo-fort” NC.) The Stoothoffs spent 20 years of their life in Beaufort. During that time, both Bob and Cindy were involved in the community, Cindy with the Arts Council and Habitat for Humanity and Bob with environmental/planning organizations as well as being part of the Chamber of Commerce and Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association.
Bob spent six years volunteering with the Friends of Hunting Island where, among other projects, he helped with trails and eventually initiated a successful – if untraditional – collaboration between park rangers and mountain bikers; he spent seven years with the Beaufort County Open Land Trust serving on its board and helping to build its endowment; and he founded Pathways Connect, a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization that helped design the Beaufort County Greenways Plan.
With all of that work in his past, Bob has decided that life in the Triangle will have a slower pace. The Stoothoffs have taken their time to get to know the area and, while they have long been donors to many organizations, they wanted to start narrowing down their interests and thinking about their estate planning. TLC stuck out in their minds as one of the organizations to include.
“You’re an organization that’s focused on the right stuff. I want to be a part of that financially,” he said.
If you, like the Stoothoffs, are interested in including TLC in your estate planning, you will be helping to ensure our good work continues. For more information about becoming a member of TLC’s Heritage Society, please contact us at 919-908-0059.
