Welcome and thank you for opening our 2009 yearbook and
reading this far. I hope you continue on and enjoy the stories
about how The Norfolk Foundation helps people in Hampton
The Inside Story It’s All About People
Roads. We never forget that the work we do each day improving
our region is possible only because of our generous donors and
the efforts of our grant recipients.
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We start the yearbook with a list of last year’s
highlights for easy reference. But if you keep
reading you will find that it is people – our donors,
scholarship recipients and the folks helped by the
nonprofits we fund – who play the leading role
in this yearbook. They include:
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Tidewater Community College respiratory
therapy student Elizabeth Rhodes, whose quick
thinking saved a hospital patient’s life
Suffolk’s Stuart Levy, who is leaving an estate
gift to fund college scholarships for students
from his hometown
Symphonicity’s Mr. Tympani, Anthony Cuci,
who puts the punch into performances at
Virginia Beach’s Sandler Center
Lake Taylor High School graduate Gwen Davis,
a scholarship recipient and Harvard-trained
attorney
Ellen Wilson, a patient helped by the Chesapeake Care Clinic who now volunteers there
Elizabeth, Stuart, Anthony, Gwen, Ellen and
the rest of the “leads” in the stories are all stars
in our eyes. We feature them to give you
a flavor of what your gifts and support
have made possible. We also hope that
their stories give you ideas about ways to
make a difference in the lives of people
in our region.
We can help donors like you chart and
accomplish your charitable goals. We provide
neutral advice to professional advisors about philanthropic options for their clients. We objectively
review nonprofit grant requests and scholarship
applications and provide funding. Finally, we invest
wisely the resources entrusted to us so funds will
be available to serve future generations.
The current recession has challenged us as
we work to ensure that resources are in place
for grants and scholarships both today and in the
years ahead. Despite the economic downturn
we distributed a record $10.5 million last year for
grants and scholarships. As a public charity we
believe in financial transparency. You will find
details on our 2008 finances on page 39. Each month
you can view our most recent endowment investment results at www.norfolkfoundation.org.
As we look to the future, we are excited
to be part of a regional accomplishment with
our upcoming merger with the Virginia Beach
Foundation later this year. The day when we merge
and become the Hampton Roads Community
Foundation will be a red letter day for our region
that signals a new era of regional philanthropy.
Josh Darden, who recently ended his term as
our board chair, has led a team that has worked
tirelessly to make the merger a reality.
In the tribute printed on the facing page
we celebrate Josh’s leadership of our
Foundation for the past 10 years.
Thanks for reading and for your role in
helping us do good things for our region.
Angelica Light
President
and CEO
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Joshua P. Darden Jr.
T
‘An Extraordinary Individual’
Dedicated to Helping People
P h oto b y G l e n M c C l u r e
The Velvet Hammer – that’s what PBS news anchor Jim Lehrer affectionately called Joshua P. Darden Jr. when both served on the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation board a few years ago. The nickname came
from Darden’s ability to raise significant funds for worthy causes he
supports –ranging from his alma mater, the University of Virginia, to the
CIVIC Leadership Institute in Hampton Roads and The Norfolk Foundation where he just finished a decade of chairing the board of directors.
“People have a hard time saying no to Josh if he asks you to do
something,” says Norfolk attorney Thomas G. Johnson Jr. of Willcox &
Savage. P.C. The main reason is that Darden, a soft-spoken business
leader people describe as a gentleman, is generous with both time and
money. “If a project has merit, he will support it…
He’s good at getting people involved and getting them
to take ownership of an idea,” Johnson adds.
In Hampton Roads Darden’s ideas include the
ACCESS College Foundation he co-founded with
Frank Batten, retired chairman of Landmark Communications. Since 1988 the nonprofit has helped
more than 75,000 area students attend college. When
he first heard about the plans for ACCESS, Norfolk
Mayor Paul Fraim thought “it was just too big an
idea and that it would never get done.” Today Fraim
credits Darden for a large part of ACCESS’ success.
Fraim had a similar reaction to another
Darden idea in 1998 when he saw Darden scribble
a number on a napkin at breakfast one morning in
Charlottesville. Darden, past rector of the University of Virginia, was
chairing a university capital campaign. What Darden wrote on the
napkin was unprecedented -- a campaign goal of $1 billion. “That blew
me away,“ says Fraim. The amount was larger than any public university in the country had ever raised. “But Josh was right, and they did
it” raising $1.4 billion by 2000.
Another Darden idea now taking flight is merging The Norfolk
Foundation with the Virginia Beach Foundation to form the Hampton
Roads Community Foundation. That regional accomplishment is slated
for later in 2009. At The Norfolk Foundation Darden is known for energizing the 59-year-old Foundation and spearheading initiatives such as
improving early care and education for all area children.
Darden joined the Foundation board in 1985 and is “a tireless
spokesperson for the value of a community foundation,” says Angelica
Light, president and CEO. In a typical week Darden meets one-on-one
with several people to share his enthusiasm for philanthropy and the
Foundation. In addition to the fund Darden and his wife, Betty, started at
the Foundation in 2001, he plans to make a future gift from his estate.
Darden’s commitment to philanthropy and civic leadership was
influenced by his family, which included his father J. Pretlow Darden,
a Norfolk mayor, and his uncle Colgate Darden , a Virginia governor.
“They were great role models who shaped my values,” Josh Darden says.
“I saw that the things they did in the community made a difference. …
Being involved in the community makes you feel good about how you
spend your time.” He hopes to pass the same ideals on to his two
daughters and four grandchildren.
After graduating from the University of Virginia and serving in the
Army as a paratrooper and artillery officer, Darden returned home to
Norfolk in 1959 to work at Colonial Chevrolet. His first foray as a community volunteer was raising funds for what is now the United Way of
South Hampton Roads. He has since helped lead organizations ranging
from the Governor’s Commission on Transportation in
the 21st Century to the Hampton Roads Partnership.
In Hampton Roads “it’s hard to imagine an important effort in the past three decades where Josh hasn’t
been an important component,” Fraim says. “He is one
of the most giving people that I know.”
Over the years Darden’s business, Colonial Auto
Group, grew to 10 car dealerships and was known for
the training and opportunities employees received.
Before selling his business in 1995 Darden was named
national Automobile Dealer of the Year by Time
magazine and helped about 20 former employees get
their own dealerships.
“He is an extraordinary individual,” says George
Pelton, CEO of First Team Automotive Group in
Hampton, who started his career selling cars at Colonial Chevrolet in
1971. “When one of his people was ready to be a general manager or
go out on his own, Josh would help him find the proper place even if
he was going to be a competitor. He takes great pride in those of us
who have had success in the business world.”
Darden is “the person you want to be because of his moral compass,”
Pelton says.” It was never enough to win – you had to win with integrity.”
Charles Barker, CEO of Charles Barker Automotive based in Virginia
Beach, also was a Darden protégé. He credits Darden’s company with
“developing more car dealers than any other single operation in the
country.” In the early 1970s “Josh helped put General Motors’ first
minority dealer in business,” Barker recalls. He went on to help other
minority employees, including Ernest Hodge of Atlanta who now owns
dealerships in several states. In 2006 Darden helped inspire Hodge to
donate $1 million to his alma mater, Norfolk State University.
Barker admires the “quiet way” Darden does his philanthropy and
says Darden has motivated him to help others. “Josh is always willing to
help people make better lives for themselves,” Barker says. “One time
I asked him how he wants to be remembered, and he said ‘I want to
be known as a philanthropist.’”
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