We can thank Pat Davis, a longtime member, for Margie Bunten joining SIHB in September, 2002.
Margie said she joined SIHB “because of the women who were involved and the hands-on community involvement” and giving back to the community seems to be what Margie Bunten does best!
Margie & her husband of 49 years, Charlie, have resided in Huntington Beach since 1975 and, as well as her current membership and involvement with Soroptimist International Huntington Beach she has served on the Huntington Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Project Self-Sufficiency and the El Viento Foundation. She was also a director on the Advisory Boards for the Huntington Beach Assistance League and the HB Council on Aging.
In 2011, the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce honored Margie as the Huntington Beach Outstanding Citizen of the Year. In her nomination letter, Norma Brandel-Gibbs wrote, “Her tireless enthusiasm in support of those in need is an inspiration to us all. Our community has benefited from her dedication, and her visionary leadership has opened doors for many disadvantaged individuals and organizations.”
Margie was also the recipient of the Athena International Award from the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, which is presented to a woman, or man, who is honored for attaining professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their achievement of professional excellence and leadership skills.
Prior to retiring, Margie spent over 20 years as a member of the Golden West College Community and for 18 years, she was the Executive Director of the GWC Foundation, Public Information Officer and Community Liaison. In that position, she was on many boards including those mentioned above and also the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center Governing Board and the Golden West College Patrons. As the Foundations’s Executive Director, she oversaw the operations of the Foundation office, its scholarship program and its fundraising events as well as community relations.
Margie’s position was made for her. She graduated from Chapman University and went on to achieve a certificate in fundraising from UC Irvine and complete the Fund Raising School from Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy.
And speaking of Chapman University…and Charlie…As I mentioned earlier Margie & Charlie have been married 49 years. They began dating as seniors in high school, dated through Chapman University and then got married. In Margie’s words, “We are still crazy about each other!”
Margie & Charlie are proud parents to two grown sons: Dave, a Family Medicine Doctor in Irvine who is married to Jen and father to Allyson, 8, and Josh, 4, and Tom, a Senior Sales Executive, who is married to Sheila, a Spanish teacher who teaches at her alma mater, Fountain Valley High School, and father to Katie, 8, and Michael, 6.
These days, Margie is trying to limit her community work (to SIHB, Golden West College Patrons & Fountain Valley Regional Hospital) to allow time to travel the globe for fun and spend more time golfing at their Palm Springs condo “retreat”.
Last year, Margie & Charlie, cruised from Venice to Barcelona and took many road trips, the most recent was to Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Paso Robles and back home, but their true passion is being “Grammy and Gramps” to their four grandchildren.
And, when Margie isn’t traveling, spending time with her grandchildren or doing community work, she enjoys “having fun with good friends…walking and golf, lots of golf.”
I asked Margie to describe herself in one word and she replied with, “an optimist who enjoys being around people….that was not one word.”
Thank you for making Soroptimist International Huntington Beach special, Margie Bunten. We love you!