This year Peter Alpaugh and Dave Wallace, two passionate, dedicated parents will be stepping down from the Beech Acres Parenting Center Board of Directors. Combined, Peter and Dave have served Beech Acres for nearly 20 years! Each of them possesses a real passion for service and for parenting which led them to serve on the board. Their individual strengths, wisdom, and leadership provided tremendous insight and value over their years of service. Peter A. Alpaugh Peter Alpaugh has been involved with Beech Acres Parenting Center for nearly 40 years. Peter is passionate about investing in the future of our community and strongly believes that means investing in parents, families, and children. Peter and his wife Vicki raised two daughters, Abigail and Amelia together. Peter was an active father to his daughters while they were growing up. He believes engaged, knowledgeable parents and open communications are the first lines of defense to counteracting the many challenges of raising kids today. This philosophy was a perfect fit for Peter’s tenure on the Beech Acres Board. It has also been a touchstone for him as he enjoys the role of grandfather to 9-year old Dyer and 4-year old Emeret (Abigail and Drew’s daughters) and 4-month-old Finnegan (Amelia and Matt’s son). During his tenure on the board, Peter has been instrumental to the success of our organization. He has invested his valuable time, financial resources, and most importantly, his insight and leadership into making our organization stronger. Peter understands the value and importance of parenting. He envisions a better community made stronger by equipping parents with the skills they need to become the best parents they can. “Kids need good life skills and parents are an important part of that,” Alpaugh said in a 2017 interview. He views the drug epidemic and bullying as two of the biggest problems we are facing as a community. “Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to their kids turning to drugs,” said Alpaugh. Teaching parents to understand their strengths and be intentionally involved in their child’s life is our approach to improving the circumstances for families and helping them address the challenging issues they face each day. Peter Alpaugh’s generous donations of time, insight, and money have and will continue to be tremendous assets to Beech Acres Parenting Center. Despite exiting the Board of Directors, Peter Alpaugh’s legacy will be felt in the community now, and for many years to come. Thank you, Peter, for your kind and selfless generosity. You have certainly impacted many lives. David T. Wallace, Esq. After serving on the Board of Directors at Beech Acres Parenting Center for a decade Dave Wallace is stepping down to focus on family and pursue other interests. Dave was drawn to Beech Acres Parenting Center after meeting Jim Mason soon after the transition to the modern parenting center had been completed. “I already had an appreciation for the importance of parenting,” Dave said. “I had a great set of parents myself and appreciated the impact parents have on their children.” Impressed with the work Beech Acres Parenting Center was doing in the community, Dave joined the outreach committee and eventually became a board member. “One thing that grabbed me about Beech Acres was that it was an organization devoted to parenting,” Dave said. “That focus gets us upstream of many of the problems we have in society.” During his tenure as a board member at Beech Acres Parenting Center Dave was most impressed with a proactive approach championed by Jim Mason. “Social services are usually in a position where they are cleaning up a problem,” Dave observed. “One of Beech Acres goals has been to be proactive about preventing problems before they manifest.” Dave was particularly impressed with the introduction of Natural Strength Parenting™, Beech Acres Parenting Center’s unique approach to parenting. “I have been a fan and advocate of Natural Strength Parenting™,” Dave said. “strength-based approach mingled with intentionality and mindfulness strikes me as really intuitive and has really resonated with me.” Dave has high hopes for the future of the organization. “I hope the organization continues to thrive,” Dave said. “The more people we can help and educate about Natural Strength Parenting™ the better for the community.” As impressive as Dave’s impact and legacy is at Beech Acres Parenting Center, his proudest legacy is his three daughters. Dave and his wife Shelly have three daughters, Laura, Becca, and Susan. “I’m lucky to have three wonderful daughters,” Dave reflected. “Shelly is the best mother I have ever seen. We’re really fortunate.” On parenting, Dave said, “Good parenting is equal amount good luck and hard work.” His and Shelly’s hard work clearly paid off. Here is Dave’s true legacy, as told straight from his daughters. Laura Wallace: A pop culture connoisseur, my dad recommended much of the media that comprised my formative years: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, The His Dark Materials Trilogy, and Harry Potter, each of which feature a spunky, too-smart-for-her-own- good heroine. When we pointed out this “coincidence” recently, he admitted that, unbeknownst to us, he had intentionally cultivated media recommendations with strong female role models for us. Of course, he did – this is just one of the many ways my dad thoughtfully inspired us to be our best selves. Becca Wallace: My dad is the golden example of showing your love for your family and your community through service. When we were growing up, my mom had to travel for work every once in a while, and anytime that happened, led by dad, we completed surprise home improvement projects so that my mom would return and know how much she was loved. Similarly, every time I came home from college, I would find homemade cookies and applesauce waiting for me and know how much my dad missed me and loved me. It has been truly incredible to see him show this same type of love to the Cincinnati community through his service on non-profit boards. Susan
