Phil King, new RCCF board member, has traveled quite a bit over the years. But he told us, “Every time I come back home it is always fun to see and catch up with friends. The people are the reason why I love Rush County.”

While he’s visited many other places, he hasn’t lived in many others. If you were to time travel to Phil’s childhood bedroom in Milroy you’d find three of his heroes – his parents and a photo of Major League Baseball pitcher, Tom Seaver. He credits his parents with teaching him many valuable life skills – work ethic, honesty, integrity and treating people equally. From “The Franchise” he learned the importance of concentrating on the task at hand, paying attention to form, and following a process. The combination of these influences certainly lead to his successful career.

After graduating from RCHS in 1973, Phil earned a B.S of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Purdue and an M.B.A at Xavier. He spent a year and a half in Marion, Ohio with his first job before returning to Rush County to work for Batesville Casket Company. As a manufacturing Engineer and Facility Manager, he assisted in troubleshooting problems and design and implementing solutions to increase customer satisfaction. After 42 years, he retired in June 2020.

Phil is using his professional skills and expertise as part of the team working on the development of the new community center. He admits, “RCCF is most known for funding scholarships, but it does so much more. I wish people would recognize the expanded role that we play in the betterment of community life. As details come out of the new REC Center, I hope more people will start to see what RCCF does to impact the community. I think RCCF has the resources to carry out the best use of money to help the most people in the county.” He also serves on the finance committee and now on the board of directors, too.

Phil and Michele, his wife, share their home with Leo, a tiger cat, and Derby, a Bernese Mountain dog. “The development of the Rushville Riverside Park is an amenity that has allowed me to expand my favorite activities – walking my dog and listening to enjoyable music,” Phil shared. Derby loves Rush County, too.

Another of his favorite pastimes is sailing. “I enjoy getting out on the water. Some time ago I was asked to crew on a sail boat. From that I got into racing for a short time. This propelled me to get a sailboat. I enjoy using my skills and the wind to relax on the water,” he said.

We’re delighted to have Phil on the RCCF crew! With him on board we have no doubt that our ship will be able to handle rocky waters and smooth seas alike.