“It was time to make two more places at the table,” she said. She had worked at Toale Brothers from 1979 through 2006. For 24 of those years she was also the Florida executive director for Trust 100, a national network of independent and family-owned funeral homes.
During their last 10 years with Toale, the couple commuted to Sarasota from their home in Holmes Beach—about an hour each way. Over the years Kathleen had participated in Leadership Florida–Class XV, served as director of a bank and assisted numerous charities and associations as a trustee. Fortunately for Caldwell Trust Company, the Argus Foundation was one of them. R. G. “Kelly” Caldwell Jr., CEO and president, was also an Argus director (and later president). He and Kathleen got acquainted.
After retirement, driving to Sarasota for meetings became cumbersome for the Toales. “I resigned,” she said. “When we retired, we totally retired. We wanted a chance to enjoy each other and spend time with our daughter and grandchildren.”
Kelly invited Kathleen to join the board. “I was very honored to be asked, and to assist in the growth of the company,” she said. “Caldwell Trust is a respected, locally owned and locally operated business and that is important to me, coming from a family business.” She enjoys serving on the audit committee. “I keep up with financial information and the stock market personally, and
this committee is a good fit for me.”
She is also working on a special committee chaired by director J. Mack Reid. “We were so pleased when Kelly said he would like the board to do something for the community.” They decided on a scholarship program, which they implemented with State College of Florida (as reported in the July 2014 newsletter). The board officially met the three scholarship recipients on October 9 during a luncheon at Renaissance on 9th, Bradenton.
Kathleen finds satisfaction in doing needlework learned at her grandmother’s knee. She and David travel extensively—Florence is their favorite city—and everywhere they go, she collects yarn, beads and the like for her creations, especially baby blankets and shawls. The Toales also delight in spending time with their daughter Jaclyn and her children, Collin, 17, a senior at Bradenton Christian School, and Hannah, 14, an eighth-grade student at Center Montessori School in Bradenton.
She is also pleased to serve Caldwell. “What impresses me about Caldwell are the strong, independent voices of the outside directors, the competent and caring staff, and especially the relationships the trust officers have with their clients,” she said. “I know Caldwell’s goals are the same as mine—to grow and protect my investments, for me, my family and our future.”
About Caldwell Trust Company
Caldwell Trust Company is an independent trust company with offices in Venice and Sarasota, Florida. Established in 1993, the firm currently manages over $800 million in assets for clients throughout the United States. The company offers a full range of fiduciary services to individuals, including services as trustee, custodian, investment adviser, financial manager and personal representative. Additionally, Caldwell manages 401(k) and 403(b) qualified retirement plans for employers.