Demeanor, sense of humor make Greg Gaffke a natural and valuable community commodity

Always with a smile is Greg Gaffke, wearing a uniform of the Cole County Sheriff's Posse, one of the numerous volunteer duties he holds.
Always with a smile is Greg Gaffke, wearing a uniform of the Cole County Sheriff's Posse, one of the numerous volunteer duties he holds.

Greg Gaffke has an uncanny knack for disarming people with his gentle sense of humor, and over the years that quality had led to a long list of successes as a community volunteer.

Currently he serves on Lincoln University's Board of Curators, the Salute to America Foundation's advisory board, the Convention and Visitors Bureau's athletic events committee and as a team leader on the Cole County Sheriff's Posse.

He's also a 37-year member of the Jefferson City Rotary West Club and a member Jefferson City Public Schools Long Range Facilities Planning Committee. He is the vice president of board of directors for the United Way of Central Missouri, leading that organization's fundraising campaign in 2008.

And still the list of his community involvement isn't exhausted.

Neither is Gaffke.

"It keeps me young," he said of his prodigious volunteer work.

His first big job in the volunteer community was serving as a manager for Little League Baseball.

As a leader of the United Way, he said he sometimes gets calls from people in need of financial assistance. They might be looking for a new home, or a job or a bag of groceries to last the week.

"They will tell me, "I feel like every door has been shut. Can you help me?' And, I thoroughly enjoy being able to open that door," he said. "I really derive a lot of satisfaction in helping people."

Linda McAnany, a friend and former CEO for the United Way, said Gaffke often uses humor to work through knotty problems.

"I think Greg has a wonderful sense of humor, in addition to a wonderful sense of dedication to the community," she said. "He marries these two ideas well. He has a way of making people comfortable."

McAnany said many times the issues the United Way struggled with were serious. "But he never got overly dramatic. He just would face them with humor," she said. "To know him is to respect him."

At Lincoln University, Gaffke - a 1969 graduate - said finding adequate operating revenues and maintaining infrastructure has been challenges.

"We want to maintain the best faculty as possible," he said. "And we have to be mindful to recruit students who are going to graduate, and we do everything within our power to assist those students."

Gaffke is one of about 80 men and women who help with the Cole County Sheriff's Posse, a group that provides extra staff to help with parade routes, fairs, large-scale events, DWI checkpoints and jail visitations.

"Kids who come to the jail are upset. The adults are very upset. And I just try to have a calming approach. We do things to alleviate manpower shortages and help save the county money," Gaffke said.

He said the job can be tough at times. Once he watched as a young woman shook with fear as she was arrested on a minor-in-possession charge. Other times he comforts the young children of people who have been booked into the county's jail.

"You get a chance to have a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement," he said.

Gaffke said he's never minded the time he's given to volunteer activities.

"I think when you enjoy doing something, it's not work," he said. "My feeling is, if you're going to join, you need to contribute. Don't be a member in name only."

As a boy, Gaffke relied on the help of volunteers.

"I received a lot of help in youth sports and in Scouts. And I wanted to give back and do the same for others. I love interacting with people. And volunteers are an integral part of the community."

In his work life, Gaffke's last job, before he retired, was as market development and public relations manager for CenturyLink, the area phone company. Gaffke is proud of the fact that, during his tenure as president/CEO of the Midwest Automotive Industry Association, he earned the designation "Certified Association Executive."

A helpful, willing spirit informed his work ethic.

"If at all possible, don't say, "no.' Instead, I would say, "I'm not sure, but I will try to see if I can help you.' Even if I already thought I knew the answer, I would double-check again," Gaffke said. "And as a leader, I hated to hear, "It's not my job.'"