A Responsibility to Give Back

Gary (at right) and Connie Adamson have been married for 48 years. In December 2016, Gary retired as CEO of Dicor Corporation, a leading supplier of component products to RV manufacturers and other industries since 1983. He began his career in retail sales management and advanced to the executive level (as president of a drapery company, president of a metal fabricating firm and finally as president and later CEO of Dicor). In addition to managing the Adamson household, Connie spent 12 years working at Smucker Drugs in Middlebury, Ind., where she retired as assistant manager. She has also served as a hospice volunteer. Together, the couple raised three children: Lori Aul, a counselor; Susan Adamson, sales manager for United Shade’s contract division; and Gary E. Adamson, II, a research chemist at Merck Pharmaceuticals. In retirement, the Adamsons are enjoying traveling and look forward to spending more time with family and friends.

As the retired CEO of Dicor Corporation, Gary Adamson has had many opportunities to support various nonprofit organizations over the years. He and his partners built Dicor from less than 10 employees in 1983 to more than 130 employees operating four facilities — Dicor Products, United Shade, Vixen Composites and Seal Design.

The success of his business has made it possible for him to give back in ways that naturally fit the areas he and his wife, Connie, value most in life.

Helping Others Prosper

One of Gary’s proudest career accomplishments has been seeing Dicor advance and improve to a level where shareholders and other key employees have been able to prosper, build new homes and educate their children.

“That has been very rewarding to me,” he says.

Making Education Possible

Gary and Connie place great value on education. 

They first became acquainted with Bethel through accounting firm Hamil, Lehman and England (Brian Hamil ’82 is the chairman of Bethel’s Board of Trustees), which served Dicor. Through that association, Gary was invited to a golf outing and shared a cart with then President Steve Cramer, Ph.D. ’75. Later, on a campus tour, he met Pete McCown, then vice president for institutional advancement, and learned more about Bethel and its students.

“To see young adults be educated in a faith-based, nonpolitical environment is rare in this day and age. I was impressed with that … I still am!” Gary says.

Raising a Family

The Adamsons consider their greatest success to be their family.

“To see our three children and our three grandchildren become successful, caring individuals … and to have had the ability to assist in their education … has been our proudest accomplishment,” he says.

Giving for the Future

Gary and Connie have a deep desire to contribute toward higher education for the next generation. They have continued their faithful support of Bethel College because they believe in its mission and values. They have focused their giving primarily on the Annual Fund, which supports student scholarships and areas of greatest need.

“It’s a natural thing to want to give. If we’ve been fortunate, we have a responsibility to give back,” Gary says.