Meet the Executive Director
The Benton County Foundation has long been guided by an all-volunteer board of directors. In 1999, Kristy Pribyl was hired as the Foundation’s first administrator to manage the accounting and office needs of a growing organization. In May 2007, the board of directors approved the hiring of the Foundation’s first executive director, Dick Thompson.
Dick joined the board of directors in 2000 and was president from 2003 until he accepted the part-time appointment effective June 1, 2007. The executive directorship reflects the board’s desire to increase the Foundation’s ability to serve Benton County’s youth and social service agencies.
“The Foundation has grown dramatically over the past few years, and this growth offers new opportunities to better serve the philanthropic needs of our community,” said Dick. Two major opportunities that have arisen in recent months include: 1) a new relationship with Oregon State University that allows the Foundation to manage several scholarships, and 2) the potential to move the Foundation office to a permanent and much more visible location.
“For more than 50 years, the Benton County Foundation has been a respected and trusted organization and has demonstrated the ability to execute charitable distributions based on our donor’s instructions,” said Dick. “I simply want to see this service grow, because as the Foundation grows, so does the benefit provided to our youth and local communities. It is time to be more proactive and visible, and to grow in support of the expanding needs in Benton County. By working with individuals and organizations to establish and manage endowment funds, charitable ambitions can be realized long into the future.”
Dick has made his home in Corvallis since coming to OSU in 1969. He had a long career in marketing and strategic partnerships with Hewlett-Packard, and most recently has managed his own business development consultancy. He is married to Rebecca Swanson, owner of the Swanson Insurance Agency. Dick serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis and is a member of the Corvallis Rotary Club. He also serves as an alumni advisor to OSU’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.