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Platteville Community Fund names Volunteer of the Year
PCF Volunteer of Year
Bill Van Deest (left) was named Platteville Community Fund Volunteer of the Year. Van Deest is pictured with PCF Advisory Board members Cindy Tang and Les Hollingsworth.

The Platteville Community Fund selected William Van Deest to receive its 2013 Volunteer of the Year recognition.

Van Deest has resided in and served the Platteville community for nearly 45 years.

“Bill’s involvement with the Platteville Community Fund dates to its founding, over 10 years ago,” said fund board president Eileen Nickels. “Bill has promoted investment in the future of this community. He has worked diligently on behalf of people, organizations, and projects. He truly understands the need for providing for the future of Platteville.”

Van Deest moved to Platteville from Indianapolis, when he joined the faculty in business at UW–Platteville. He taught full-time at UWP for 10 years, serving part of that time as department chair in business. He continued his work as a faculty member, part-time, for many years, teaching on campus and through the distance program.

Van Deest and his wife, Dianne, along with Don Gonnerman, founded Midwest Title Co. in 1974. The Van Deests operated that enterprise, with its primary office in Lancaster, through 2002.

Van Deest is a past Platteville Community Fund board member, having served nearly 11 years on the PCF Advisory Board. He chaired the organization and continues his involvement as a volunteer, maintaining the organization’s history and stewardship records. Van Deest’s other civic involvements include the UW–Platteville Shakespeare Festival Board, where he served as president; the Southwest Health Center Board, where he acted as secretary; City of Platteville Museum Board; the Platteville Public Schools Music Boosters; and the Platteville Morning Optimists.

Van Deest is currently employed by L&M Corrugated as senior advisor. The Van Deests have two children — Carrie, producing director at the University of Minnesota Theatre Arts & Dance Department, Twin Cities campus, and Sam, a process engineer with J.M. Smucker Co. in New Orleans.

The Platteville Community Fund, a component of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc., is a tax-exempt public charity.

For more information about the Platteville Community Fund, contact Nickels, 778-2959, or Barb Daus, donor services representative with the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, 778-3344, barb@cfsw.org. To donate, send a check to the Platteville Community Foundation, P.O. Box 46, Platteville, WI 53818, or visit www.cfsw.org to donate online.