The good and faithful service of Tom Campbell
Black Mountain Home for Children president retires after 17 years
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 22, 2022
Tom and Cheryl Campbell were celebrated at the West Campus of the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families, June 5, as the president of the nonprofit organization retires after 17 years. Photo by Fred McCormick
As Tom and Cheryl Campbell arrived, hand-in-hand, at the historic dining hall on the West Campus of Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families, June 5, nearly every step was interrupted by a familiar face. Most offered hugs and handshakes, many recalled an impactful or charming childhood memory, but all of the greetings shared one common theme: an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
The ceremony that followed would celebrate the professional career of Tom, who is retiring after 17 years as the president of the faith-based Christian ministry and nonprofit organization that has served children of Western N.C for more than a century, but the emotional send-off felt much more like a family gathering.
The Campbells arrived on the campus of BMH in 2005, following Tom’s 14 years with Epworth Children’s Home in Columbia, S.C., and seven years directing a Circle of Care youth ranch in Oklahoma. Leading the home, which was founded in Haywood County as the Mountain Orphanage in 1904 before establishing itself in the Swannanoa Valley in 1923, gave Tom an opportunity to work directly with the children it serves.
“That’s what I’ve always enjoyed the most,” he said. “Coming to BMH allowed me to build relationships with the kids, while being part of a ministry that had potential for growth.”
A standard of excellence
BMH had just finished its first century of caring for children unable to live at home, due to unsafe or unhealthy living conditions, when the Campbells took up residence on the sprawling campus. Tom worked closely with the home’s board of directors when considering the organization’s next 100 years.
The home’s mission statement - “glorifying God by caring for children, youth and families” - was the guiding principle, according to Tom.
“We want to be seen as a Christian ministry where Christians can come together with a common ground, and work,” he said. “We also want to make sure the kids who come there are treated like we would want our kids or grandkids treated if they were there.”
Tom’s vision focused on establishing a “standard of excellence” with enhanced programming to better support the needs of the children and families served by the home, while building a self-sufficient and sustainable environment.
“We set two goals, as a board, 17 years ago,” Tom said. “The first was to develop a true continuum of care that could serve kids from birth through college graduation, and even beyond in certain situations. We’ll tuck in 91 kids tonight, from infants all the way up through kids in college.
“The other goal was to totally decrease our reliance on government funding,” he continued. “We still wanted to partner with the Department of Social Services, but we did not want our ministry to be based on receiving government dollars.”
BMH launched a capital improvement fundraiser in 2006, raising $4.8 million for the nonprofit’s endowment fund and the construction of the Ray Campbell Independent Living Village, which opened two years later. The apartments, which support youth who have earned a high school diploma or GED while they pursue a post-secondary education, have addressed a crucial need for the “at-promise” kids served by BMH, according to Tom.
“The national statistics for the population we serve show that only around 52% graduate high school or get a GED,” he said. “We dedicated that village in December of 2008, and of the 117 kids that potentially could have graduated, 104 did. That’s huge, because when you have kids who turn 18 and choose to stay in care and finish their education, it says a lot about our staff.”
By the time the Campbells celebrated 10 years with the home in 2015, BMH had become a licensed foster care placement agency, opened a satellite facility in Transylvania County and established an emergency foster care placement on its Swannanoa Valley campus.
A heart for the work
Tom Campbell greets friends at a retirement ceremony on the West Campus of Black Mountain Home for Children. The president of the faith-based nonprofit organization is retiring after leading the ministry for 17 years. Photo by Fred McCormick
While Tom’s administrative leadership helped create a road map for the future, his dedication to children and staff made him a mentor for both, according to Dan Windmiller.
“Tom has a heart for this work,” said Windmiller, who was hired as the home’s recreation coordinator in September of 2005. “I have a unique relationship with him, because for the first 10 years I was here, he was really hands-on with the recreation program. I learned so much from him.”
Windmiller had just graduated from Montreat College and had no prior experience when he was hired to build a recreation program from scratch. He worked closely with the BMH president, who emphasized the importance of engaging activities as a healthy outlet for children.
“He didn’t just sit behind a desk, he was in the thick of it with us,” Windmiller said. “He interacted with the kids everyday, and he modeled excellence. I really learned from him how important it is to be consistent and fair, across the board, because that’s really what builds trust with the youth.”
Currently, the BMH recreation program features daily activities during the school year, and many off-campus trips and retreats. The summer schedule is similar to that of a summer camp, Windmiller said.
“One of the many things I’ve learned from Tom is that recreation is about so much more than being a physical outlet,” he said. “It’s a tool for relationship-building, mentoring and an opportunity to provide kids with real practical leadership experiences. It really helps them grow and develop their social skills.”
Being part of the ministry under Tom’s leadership has been a “blessing,” according to Windmiller.
“When I first got here we were a four-cottage residential program that primarily served school-aged children,” he said. “So I’ve seen all this growth, from the independent living village, to the foster care program, to our campus in Brevard, the West Campus, the Apprenticeship Program, the thrift store and café. It is unreal how consistent that growth has been over time.”
Tom’s ability to cultivate wide-ranging community partnerships that have supported the home over the years are also a key piece of the culture he created at BMH, according to Windmiller.
“It all goes back to that standard of excellence, and the consistency of how he’s been with the youth and the staff,” he said. “It isn’t always easy work, but everybody trusts him, and each other. That’s created a real family atmosphere here.”
Tom credits Cheryl for her constant effort to nurture and strengthen those strong bonds within the BMH community.
“That’s been another one of the big blessings about this job, we’ve been able to work together,” Tom said of his wife. “She’s behind the scenes getting everything done. For a lot of years, when we took the kids on retreats, I would handle the preparation for the guys and she would take care of the girls.”
Their presence on the campus allowed the Campbells to share special moments with the children.
“Cheryl made sure we were there to celebrate birthdays, and she knew how to make it special for the children,” Tom said. “And every year, for Christmas, the community comes together to support us and make sure these kids have something special on Christmas morning. Cheryl coordinated all of that.”
‘These kids deserve a future’
Children from the Black Mountain Home for Children perform during a June 5 retirement ceremony for Tom and Cheryl Campbell. Photo by Fred McCormick
While the scope of Tom’s vision has been vast throughout his tenure as president of BMH, its focus has consistently been on the future of the families and children served by BMH, and that of the organization itself.
“These kids deserve a future,” he said. “This ministry is committed to helping each of them create one.”
BMH opened its Mountain Home Thrift Store and Thirteen Pennies Cafe in 2019, creating job opportunities for residents and long-term revenue sources for the nonprofit organization. The adjacent businesses on Lake Eden Road, staffed by BMH residents and employees, were constructed primarily with funding and in-kind donations from a diverse range of community partnerships.
The retail operations are far more than a creative approach to generating income, according to BMH West Campus and Workforce Development Coordinator Elodie Covert. They represent the vision and stewardship of the retiring president.
“The beautiful thing about it is that his vision has always been rooted in the needs of the kids,” said Covert, who started her career at the home as a house parent in 2006. “Not only does he look at the current needs, he does an amazing job of anticipating what they will need in the future.”
Tom’s ability to “step back and see the bigger picture,” was epitomized with the 2019 launch of the home’s Apprenticeship Program, which provides career training in culinary arts, hospitality, automotive repair and outdoor leadership, according to Covert.
“The educational piece is something that Tom has seen as a big need for many years,” she said. “It gives our students an alternative educational track, for those who are not interested in going to college, but want to enter the workforce. This gives them the skills they need to do that, successfully.”
BMH students enrolled in the program receive training at the West Campus, situated on the grounds of the former Swannanoa 4-H Youth Camp. The home signed a 60-year lease with N.C. State University in 2016 to operate the property, which is now a donation-based venue for retreats, family reunions, wedding and other gatherings.
“The West Campus raises awareness of what we do, and it generates funding for BMH,” Covert said. “Another neat piece of it is that our culinary arts program is based out of the dining hall, and it provides hands-on learning experiences for our students in the indepent living program. All of the baked goods sold at Thirteen Pennies Cafe are made there.”
The program provides young adults, many of whom have limited or no family support, a path to a living wage.
“We have a partnership with Ridgecrest Conference Center that provides an internship for students in our Apprenticeship Program,” Tom said. “Then, when students complete the program, if Ridgecrest has employment opportunities, they’ll hire them at a living wage.”
A well-earned rest
Family and friends gather around Tom and Cheryl Campbell, as the couple retires after leading the Black Mountain Children’s Home for 17 years. Photo by Fred McCormick
Thirty-eight years is a long time in any profession, but caring for children in a residential setting requires an enhanced level of attentiveness.
“It’s a 24/7 job, because you’re tucking in 91 kids, and you’re responsible for all of them,” Tom said. “Then there are 49 foster families and staff that need support. It’s a lot, and I always wanted to get out and live life with my family. So, this felt like the right time.”
Succeeding Tom is Jimmy Harmon, who has served as the program director for BMH for three years.
“I truly feel that what we’ve been blessed to be a part of is nothing compared to what that ministry could be in the years to come,” Tom said. “Jimmy will provide great leadership.”
The strong foundation on which BMH will continue to build is largely the result of the support from its partners in the community, according to Tom.
“That has been incredible,” he said. “The schools have been amazing to work with, and people and businesses in this community have really stepped up and embraced this ministry. We have a lot to be grateful for.”
While the retirement of the Campbells feels like “the end of an era” for Covert, the legacy they leave will continue to propel BMH into the future.
“Tom has always placed a priority on relationships, with the students we serve, but also with staff,” she said. “We all work together toward a practical goal, and he has really built a community and culture around relationships, and having fun together.”
Saying goodbye to his mentor is “bittersweet” for Windmiller, but he believes Tom’s leadership has created an environment in which BMH will continue to thrive.
“Some of us have been around most of his 17 years,” he said. “We’re in line with his values of honoring God, serving kids and giving them the best experience possible. It’s exciting to know we work at a place that’s going to continue doing that with excellence.”
Tom and Cheryl will finally “take time, and rest,” as they adjust to a new way of life, but the home’s work will continue well into its second century.
“It’s important to give these children the stability and consistency they need to be successful,” Tom said. “We’ve been blessed with a community, staff and volunteers who have given us the opportunity to do that. That support will continue to play a vital role in the future of BMH.”