Board Spotlight: Who is Bob Schaffner?

With 40 years of experience as a financial executive, Bob has often found himself being asked to be the treasurer of a Board of Directors. With a natural inclination to help people, he has often sought ways to give back to his community, especially since moving from Chicago to Colorado in 2008. It may surprise you, however, to learn that he initially came to our organization as a volunteer for our Fix-It program, not as a Board member. Bob has always been handy around the house, which he traces back to the days he spent with his father, a residential engineer and architect, at his building sites. 

In fact, when he moved here, he began his volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity, quite literally working on building sites. Upon meeting a fellow volunteer who happened to also volunteer with Fix-It, he joined the program and spent the next fourteen years installing over 1,000 grab bars. We often say that our services are only part of what we offer. The other part is the connection and caring our volunteers and staff give to our clients, and Bob has understood that from the beginning. He often takes the time to chat with the clients and really get to know them. He also lets his dry sense of humor shine when telling the clients that he is going to be asking for a raise, from one cent to two cents an hour. 

During his time on the Cultivate Board, he has served as Treasurer, only recently stepping down from that position to make way for a new Board member. He is often asked to take on this role because it is not often you find someone so comfortable and savvy with the financial side of things. His skills, honesty and integrity have made him a wonderful asset. 

When not volunteering, Bob can be found doing genealogy work. The longest family tree he has ever worked on measured 30 feet long when printed and contained 650 family members. He knows it is hard work, but he enjoys the hunt that takes him from digging through records to visiting cemeteries to discover all he can about history to provide it to future family members.

You also may see Bob out with his songbird wife, who sings for a local church choir, or walking their dog. He is also the father to two children and has six grandchildren. Overall, Bob says that he has been very blessed, and we are very blessed to have him as a part of our community. His kind and caring heart has touched and will continue to touch many lives in the Boulder community. 

About Carly Marquis:

Carly is passionate about working in the area to ensure that everyone is supported by the wealth of resources available in our community. Throughout her years at Cultivate she has stood in awe of the power of volunteerism. As Director of Volunteers, she is eager to continue to help those in her community find ways to give back.