John Dautel

Jack Dautel has been a faithful volunteer with the Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM) program for more than 12 years. He has served as Treasurer, board chairman and has put in countless hours of his time to make sure the organization runs smoothly.

AIM was in need of better structure and Jack stepped up to make sure the organization ran smoothly and more efficiently, making it better able to work towards its mission.

When Jack came to AIM as treasurer, the finances were in disarray. The previous Executive Director had neglected to pay the payroll taxes for several years. The IRS was levying frightening fines on the organization. Jack took on the enormous task of negotiating with the IRS and settling the organization's debt with them.

Not many people could have negotiated a settlement in the skillful way that Jack did. He convinced them that AIM sincerely wanted to pay the debts and persuaded them to cut many of the fines to a minimum, so that the organization saved thousands of dollars in penalties. Without his help, the organization might have gone bankrupt.

Not only did he fix the problems with the accounts, he stepped in to help make work environment better. The offices were in poor condition—Jack helped paint the office. Wherever there was carpentry to be done around the office, Jack brought in his tools and got to work. He took staff to lunch at Christmas time and his wife brought them small gifts of encouragement.

Since that time he has become a core member of the Board of Directors. As Board Chairman, he led the organization for three years as they began to expand. He attended meetings with grantors and took responsibility for submitting financial reports each month. He has assisted the Executive Committee in developing a budget every year.

In addition he balanced the bank account every month and saw to it that we had a line of credit in case it was needed. He continues to do the payroll and helped rewrite financial policies. He found a good auditor and each year helps prepare the books for audit.

Without Jack Dautel, AIM would not be as successful an agency as it is today; much of the work that Jack has done has been behind the scenes, but is invaluable. When Jack commits to helping, he means it—and you can be sure he will go above and beyond the call of duty. He is truly a man of his word.

In addition to his dedication to AIM, Jack is also a faithful member of First United Methodist Church of Montgomery where he volunteers his time and resources to the Missions Society and the Society Work Areas. He provides leadership through Care Construction projects, Habitat for Humanity and their annual Great Day of Service.