Standout CEO Has Focused on Philanthropic Efforts
In 1986, entrepreneur Rick Kearney left his job as a systems engineer for IBM, moved to Tallahassee and converted his own house into a homeless shelter.
Standout CEO Has Focused on Philanthropic Efforts By Jennifer Ewing
In 1986, entrepreneur Rick Kearney left his job as a systems engineer for IBM, moved to Tallahassee and converted his own house into a homeless shelter.
For Kearney, this radical action makes up a single scene in a life of charitable giving. During his 23 years in Tallahassee, he has continued to infuse the community with his generous spirit. He has founded a soup kitchen, a foster home for abused teens, a homeless shelter and The Beatitude Foundation, a gift-giving fund that serves the disadvantaged.
Meanwhile, as president and CEO of Mainline Information Systems, a technology solutions company, Kearney contributes financially to countless charitable organizations, including Big Bend Hospice, Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association and the Tallahassee Little Theater.
Recently, Kearney’s company pledged $200,000 to Tallahassee’s Cascade Park, a downtown recreational area set to open in the spring of 2011. The funds will pay for a centerpiece fountain, which will symbolize a former waterfall that helped seal the selection of Tallahassee as Florida’s capital city.
"A vibrant downtown, among other things, needs an interesting and inspiring landmark," says Kearney. "The Cascading Waterfall amenity, which takes into account the history of the region while improving upon the environment, allows Mainline to demonstrate our pride in the community, while creating long-term benefit to its residents and visitors."
While the park will be primarily funded through a local option sales tax, a number of amenities could not be built without private donations. "If you research across the U.S. for large parks like this, there are always some private and corporate donors to make it happen. Parks and recreation tend not to get the funding level, especially in tough economic times, that they might deserve. To offset that, people in the community say, ‘Well I want to see this happen’, and that’s how it comes to fruition," says Blueprint 2000 Senior Project Manager Gary Phillips.
Kearney’s generosity has reached many outside the Tallahassee community as well. While serving on the board of directors for the humanitarian agency Catholic Relief Services, he visited Brazil, Peru, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Also, following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Mainline employees volunteered their time to assist in the relief efforts of the American Red Cross. "We believe in giving back to the community," says Kearney.
As a result of his benevolence, Kearney was named the 2009 Philanthropist of the Year by the Big Bend Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
