May 17, 2022 6:07 PM

Bartles leaves a legacy of leadership

Posted May 17, 2022 6:07 PM
Carol and Bob Bartles are enjoying more time for personal pursuits after Bob's retirement from Hope Haven earlier this year. (Tracey Lamm/for The Burlington Beacon)
Carol and Bob Bartles are enjoying more time for personal pursuits after Bob's retirement from Hope Haven earlier this year. (Tracey Lamm/for The Burlington Beacon)

By Tracey Lamm
for The Beacon

The pandemic offered Bob and Carol Bartles a rare opportunity — the chance to see what life as retirees and spending most of their time together would be like. So far, it’s worked out.

Bob Bartles retired as executive director of Hope Haven earlier this year.

“It was time. The organization is solid. I think Cheryl (Plank) is a good fit for the community,” Bartles said.

Plank took over as Hope Haven CEO in January with the retirement of Bartles.

Hope Haven Development provides vocational, residential, employment, community living, and respite services to its developmentally disabled clients.

Hope Haven has operated in this area for the past 70 years, and Bartles has been the executive director for the past 12 years.

His trajectory toward his final spot at Hope Haven in Burlington included positions in disability services management and operations, including a multi-state role based in Nebraska; lobbyist responsibilities for the disability community; and a service provider CEO role in Illinois.

Although not native to Burlington, Bob and Carol plan to stay here — when they aren’t traveling and tending to their century farm in Missouri, that is.

Their involvement with the developmentally disabled community stretches back to the early years of their marriage when they were house parents for a Lutheran organization that provided services to this community.

While Bob’s background is in the vein of Hope Haven, Carol’s is in agriculture. She was formerly a soil scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture. If you garden in this area, you may very well know her.

She has been involved in the development and cultivation of many public garden spaces.

Bob Bartles said organizations such as Hope Haven are mission-driven, but funding sources for these types of services aren’t always on the same page.

“Sometimes, the government doesn’t want to pay for these services, or they have a quota, and, for example, 400 may need services, but there is only money available for 100,” Bartles said.

Bartles pointed out that dealing with government agencies, especially in the past few years, has been challenging. However, current government officials are on board with the mission of organizations like Hope Haven.

“The government in Iowa is really mission-minded themselves,” Bartles said.

In addition to navigating the government to receive adequate funding for services, Bartles said the pandemic was particularly challenging for the entire Hope Haven organization.

He is pleased with the fact that the organization did not lose any of its clients to the coronavirus.

“My God, what an existential threat that was. People with developmental disabilities are a high-risk population,” Bartles said.

The organization has rebounded and is taking advantage of the wealth of jobs available locally.

One of Hope Haven’s services is supported employment in the community.

“With the way things are now, Hope Haven is doing great,” Bartles said. “Clients are getting jobs out in the community. The workforce crisis means there are a lot of jobs available, and there are opportunities with that.”

Carol has many plans for their retirement, including some renovations of the farmhouse built in 1903, and a return to in-home entertaining.

“We used to be extremely social and had parties with 20 to 30 people. We had one person last week,” Carol said with a laugh.

Bob and Carol met as students at Northwest Missouri State University in Marysville, Mo., about 20 minutes from the farm.

The couple has traveled internationally and has one son who resides in Germany.

Carol likens retirement to changing your clothes from workwear to everyday wear.

“When you change your clothes, you look completely different, because you are completely different,” she said.