Darrell Drummond inducted into Lodi Community Hall of Fame for community service

Sept. 23--To Darrell Drummond, the best thing about Lodi is its sense of community. He believes nonprofit organizations help to bring out that sense of community, so he has dedicated his time to helping them thrive.

For his contributions to community service, Drummond was inducted into the Lodi Community Hall of Fame.

John Ledbetter, a friend who nominated Drummond, describes him as a person who takes action, and said his strongest quality is his commitment to the community.

"It's demonstrated in years and years of giving back to the community. It isn't just one or two things. It's years of commitment and understanding the needs of the community not only by financially supporting organizations, but by putting in his valuable time," Ledbetter said. After seeing nonprofits suffer in a struggling economy, Drummond wanted to create a sustainable way to provide funding to organizations in need.

Along with Bill Dauer, Annette Murdaca and Bob Anderson, he created the Lodi Community Foundation in 2005. To date, the foundation has raised $1.35 million, which has gone toward 24 or 25 different organizations, including the Lodi Public Library, Save the Grape Bowl, Lodi House, city of Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, and the Salvation Army.

Each organization is important because each has their own role in the community, Drummond said.

Drummond has been a member of Tree Lodi since 2004, and has been instrumental in planting trees throughout Lodi, most recently at DeBenedetti Park, where 450 volunteers came out to help, he said.

"If you can bring back your children or grandchildren and they say they planted that tree, that's the sense of community I love in Lodi," he said.

Drummond is a former board member of the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation and former president of United Cerebral Palsy of San Joaquin County. He has been a supporter of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce and helped to sponsor the Lodi Parade of Lights.

Pat Patrick, an associate of Drummond's through the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, said Drummond is very dedicated to the community as well as the people in it. Patrick has seen Drummond's passion through his tree plantings as well as the thousands of dollars for charities that have been raised through the Lodi Community Foundation.

Drummond's best contribution to Lodi has been in preparing for its future, Patrick said.

"Those trees will grow up to provide miles of shade and those thousands of dollars he's been able to develop will turn into millions in the future," he said.

Drummond has been a financial planner since 1989, and the owner and operator of Drummond and Associates since 1992. He has also been a member of the Financial Planning Association, where he worked on the Planning Pays Off symposium that brings local industry leaders together to support citizens in household budgeting and retirement planning.

He conducts young investor seminars for Students Organized for Success, an organization that assists high-schoolers in preparing for college.

The most rewarding part of his career is helping people achieve financial security, he said.

Drummond lives in Lodi with his wife, Candace. They have five children and eight grandchildren.

Other inductees this year include Kenneth Vogel, who has served on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors as well as various other boards and commissions, for his contributions to government; Pat Patrick, president and CEO of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, who has helped organize numerous community events, for his service at large; Leo Burke III and LaNise Burke, who established the Tip Your Heart Foundation and have raised more than $1 million for local charities, for their contributions to business; and the late Dr. James Cross, who served as chief of staff and chief of obstetrics at Lodi Memorial Hospital, and Marian Cross, who was a licensed marriage, family and child counselor in Lodi, for their contributions to health care.

The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Lodi Boys and Girls Club. Inductees will be honored at a dinner and program scheduled for 6:30 p.m.Nov. 8 at the Boys and Girls Club headquarters, 275, Poplar St. near the corner of Stockton Street. Tickets are $50 each. For more information or to make a reservation, call Eddie Cotton at 209-334-2697.

Contact Features Editor Pam Bauserman at [email protected].

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