A Keen Eye
The twelve individuals who make up Friendship Haven’s Board of Directors come with various backgrounds, careers and personalities, allowing each of them to bring a valuable perspective to the table. Together, the board has made impactful decisions to continuously keep Friendship Haven moving forward and up. Without these unique insights, we could potentially be missing out on opportunities and advancements for our residents and campus.
One such unique perspective that is brought to the table comes from one of our newest board members, Bill McAnally. Joining the board in early 2017, Bill may be new, but it is already apparent he will bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to campus. With an extensive background in construction, having once traveled the United States consulting on construction projects for safety and energy efficiency, Bill brings a truly invaluable viewpoint to the board and to campus. “Although I am always assessing my surroundings, it will be hard to find any discrepancies with Friendship Haven’s Operations Manager, Mel Smith, running such a tight ship,” explains Bill.
Now “retired”, Bill spends a great deal of his time consulting for utility companies, Iowa State University and Iowa Economic Authority in Iowa and Minnesota. As another component to his retirement, Bill often speaks at conferences and seminars on proper building practices and previous building failures. “I think it is important to make every process better and more efficient, learning from past mistakes,” says Bill. “We need to always own up to our mistakes and improve upon them.” During his working career, he was employed at Iowa Central Community College as an instructor for the Carpentry Program and also ran the Industrial Technology Program for some time. When Bill wasn’t working at Iowa Central or traveling the country, he was running McAnally Construction.
No stranger to Friendship Haven, Bill is a Fort Dodge native and has worked on past campus construction projects, both through his own construction business and from a consulting standpoint. Although Bill was already on the board when the new Journeys building was completed, he knew the project was in great hands between the contractor, Jensen Builders, and the architect, Tom Vogt. “Even though I wasn’t hands-on from a consulting standpoint on the Journeys building, I still wanted to ensure residents felt safe and the building ran as efficiently as possible,” explained Bill. “Tom and Jensen Builders did an excellent job designing and executing the unique space.”
It is clear Bill has a passion for what he does, and he is constantly striving to ensure better practices wherever he goes. He will fit right into Friendship Haven’s mentality of continuously improving and moving forward. As Bill walks the halls of Friendship Haven, he says he always has his eyes peeled for how to make a process better or a room more efficient. “The buildings are all so meticulously constructed and well taken care of, it is hard to find areas for improvement- but I am always looking!” Bills explains. One thing is for certain, Bill and Friendship Haven are dedicated to creating the best possible environment for residents and community members alike.