Roger & Kathryn Bland Community Impact Fund
A lifelong commitment to living things, science, service, and Mt. Pleasant
Roger Bland grew up in North Hollywood, California, and discovered early on that tending to plants brought him enjoyment. He cared for his parents’ yard and garden from junior high through college, studied horticulture at the University of California, Davis, and never lost his curiosity about the natural world, especially insect life. After serving on active duty with the Army Reserves, Roger attended Oregon State University and later pursued doctoral studies in entomology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. His path also included military service across branches, as he was recruited from a private in the Army to a lieutenant j.g. in the Navy Reserves due to his science background.
Kathryn (“Kathy”) Bland grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. She earned a business degree from Oregon State University and moved to San Francisco just before Roger started at Oregon State. But fate was persistent, and Kathy’s friends insisted they should meet. Roger drove to San Francisco over spring break, the first of many visits before they were engaged in 1964.
After graduation, the Blands searched the country for a place where Roger could apply his training and where they could build a life grounded in community. They found it in Mt. Pleasant. In 1967, Roger accepted a faculty position at Central Michigan University. He taught insect biology, scanning electron microscopy, natural resource conservation and other courses as well as doing research in CMU’s Department of Biology for 33 years.
Kathy worked in CMU’s Physical Education Department before focusing on raising their two children. Later, she became the respected and popular librarian at McGuire Elementary, where her warmth and care shaped generations of students until her retirement in 2000.
The Blands have long believed in investing in education and science. They established an endowment at Oregon State University for its insect collection and another at CMU to support student research in biology. Still, they felt called to do more for the community that embraced them.
“We had no idea that there was an organization with such diverse scholarships, and support for community needs,” Roger said after discovering MPACF’s broad impact through the annual Legacy magazine. “This year when our Legacy magazine arrived I said, ‘Let’s do it!’”
Roger and Kathryn chose a Community Impact Fund because they value thoughtful stewardship. A committee reviews requests and directs grants where they’ll do the most good which helps organizations best respond to the ever-changing needs across Mt. Pleasant and Isabella County.
Because of the Blands’ vision and kindness, the Mt. Pleasant community will continue to grow and thrive for years to come. Their fund honors a lifetime of learning and service and invites others to invest in the place we call home.
Join Roger and Kathryn in strengthening local students, families, and nonprofits. Your gift of any size helps meet the community’s most pressing needs, today and tomorrow.