When you ask Bill Finke what he does as Lakeview Ministries’ new Director of Capital Development, he’ll tell you simply: “I help turn a sketch on a napkin into a finished project.”
Bill’s role at Lakeview is all about transforming God’s blessings and resources into physical improvements across our properties. As we continue our 7 million dollar capital campaign (“For Generations to Come”) and continue to plan and prepare for the next 60 years at camp, Bill will be helping to make sure our capital projects and plans move forward effectively and efficiently.
As the main contact for subcontractors, county commissioners, and county councils, he will help manage every detail—from drawings for excavation crews to plumbing and electrical plans—so that new facilities can move from concept to completion. His role is being completely funded with a planning grant to South Central Lutheran Camp Association of Indiana from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Capital Project Initiative for Residential Youth Camps.
It’s a job that allows the rest of the team to focus on what they do best: creating incredible camp experiences for kids, families, and churches alike. Bill will help make keep projects on track to ensure people coming out to camp have the facilities needed to make those Christ-centered experiences happen—today and for generations to come.
Bill’s journey to Lakeview began in the U.S. Army, where he served as a mechanized infantry combat veteran. After earning his industrial engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati (including time in Germany through its pioneering international cooperative education program), he built a career in the automotive industry, managing as many as 15 projects at once in roles spanning design engineering, purchasing, project management, and sales.
By coincidence, Bill and his wife, Nikki, settled just four miles from camp nineteen years ago. Their children, Amanda and Nathan, fell in love with Camp Lakeview through their connection with St. John’s Lutheran Church and White Creek Lutheran School. Bill built friendships with Dave Vandercar and other leaders through these church and school connections, and when the opportunity arose to join the team, he knew it was the right move.
“I’m excited to be working in a faith-based organization after years in the corporate world,” Bill said. “Here, we pray at meetings. We’re working toward something bigger than profit—spreading God’s Word to children and families in a way that’s fun and keeps them coming back.”
With Bill’s project management expertise and heart for ministry, Lakeview is ready to take those big ideas—whether sketched on a napkin or dreamed up in a meeting—and make them a reality.