The Parks Foundation of Hendricks County (PFOHC) welcomes a new addition to its board, Harold Tinsley, a financial advisor at Edward Jones who is just as passionate about the outdoors as he is about community engagement. Which is why joining the PFOHC Board of Directors just made sense.
“I’m passionate about the outdoors and outdoor activities,” Harold shared. “I appreciate what the parks have to offer to our community. I would like to see our parks system grow and increase the awareness in the community of what they have to offer.”
His enthusiasm for supporting PFOHC stems from his belief in the importance of community involvement in maintaining and developing public spaces. “There are limited resources
through traditional channels to build and maintain park systems,” he explained. “It is up to the members of the community to provide additional resources to develop our parks, and this can be done through the parks foundation.”
Having lived in Hendricks County for most of his life, Harold has always supported public parks and trails, often engaging in outdoor activities like fishing and hiking. But he understands that finding avenues to support these spaces can be challenging. “I often have the desire to support these places while I’m visiting them, but the method of supporting is often difficult to determine,” he shared. “The Parks Foundation makes the ability to support easier.” For Harold, donating to the Parks Foundation is a tangible way to see his impact.
“There are many things to contribute or donate to, but you may never see the results of your donation,” Harold said. “When contributing to the Parks Foundation, you can go to the parks and see firsthand the impact you are making to the community.”
When it comes to his favorite park, that was easy. Sodalis Nature Park in Plainfield, but his reason might surprise you. Long before Harold was a financial advisor, he worked at the Indianapolis International Airport Authority as a mechanic when they had to create a property for the bats to replace the property that was being developed. So, Harold was involved in planting the seedlings that now make up the forest that protects the endangered bats in our region.
Outside his advocacy for parks, Harold leads an active outdoor lifestyle, spending most of his free time hunting, fishing, and hiking. He is married and has two children, 18 and 21 years old.
As Harold embarks on his board membership, his passion for the outdoors and dedication to community enrichment promise to be valuable assets in advancing the mission of PFOHC and enhancing the park experience for all residents of Hendricks County.