Wellington Community Foundation Honors In Ken And Arle Adams Naming New Scholarship

Wellington The Magazine’s “Salute To Our Heroes” issue can feature many amazing people, yet most will agree that it is hard to think of Wellington without thinking of our pioneers, such as Ken and Arle Adams.

The Wellington Community Foundation is going to ensure that their legacy lives on by naming the Wellington Community Foundation’s first scholarship program the “Ken and Arle Adams Scholarship” in honor of all they have contributed to the village.

Ken proudly served his country in the United States Air Force and was recently honored at the Village of Wellington’s Memorial Day ceremony, held in conjunction with the American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 on Monday, May 28. Ken could be seen in his Air Force uniform where he proudly stood during the solemn ceremony.

Ken and Arle Adams made Wellington their home in 1978, back when the fledgling community was just getting started. They introduced their hobbies of horses and fox hounds, and eventually started a fox hunt in the Binks Forest area, named in honor of Ken’s good friend A.W. “Bink” Glisson, another key Wellington pioneer responsible for New York accounting magnate C. Oliver Wellington’s decision to buy the land in the 1950s. Ken is well known for helping to name many of the streets here in Wellington, including coming up with the “Binks Forest” nickname for the area that was once their fox hunting grounds.

Glisson spearheaded the creation of the Acme Improvement District, Wellington’s pre-incorporation government, and then managed the land for the Wellington family for decades. It was a conversation with Glisson that would change the trajectory of Ken’s life, from a retirement of fox hunting to a career in politics. This eventually landed him with a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission during the boom years of the 1980s. Ken later became a key advocate for Wellington’s incorporation.

With one eye on the budget and the other eye on the future, Ken wanted to make sure that Wellington was in control of its own destiny. In 1995, with a unanimous vote of the Florida Legislature, Wellington’s incorporation bill passed and was later approved by a voter referendum. Ken is often quoted as saying that this was one of his proudest moments, along with everyone else who participated in making it happen.

Not only was Ken involved in writing Wellington’s original charter, in 2014, he came out of retirement to help lead Wellington’s efforts to update the document. Protections for Wellington’s unique Equestrian Preserve Area were always near and dear to his heart.

Ken also had the vision to build a unique business center, today known as the Lake Wellington Professional Centre, which he later sold to the Village of Wellington for $5 million, donating back to the village $1 million of that for future projects.

Ken’s service to community far outreached all business, political or developer thresholds in his long and successful career. Ken truly believes that Wellington has accomplished great things because of the great people and great leaders who care deeply and continue to do things for their children and their children’s children.

When the Wellington Community Foundation became a privately functioning nonprofit organization benefiting the seniors, children and veterans of Wellington, the board of directors immediately thought to invite Ken to take a seat on the board, and without hesitation, Ken jumped right in. Although in recent months, Ken has moved to a board member emeritus status, it is with great honor that the foundation has developed a scholarship in both his name and the name of his beloved late wife.

The Ken and Arle Adams Scholarship will look to serve those in need who can benefit by a hand up in creating tomorrow’s leaders, to which Ken and Arle would be very proud.

In 2019, the foundation will be scouting for individuals that fit the criteria, accepting applications and awarding the first of many future scholarships in their honor.

For more information on how to become involved or make a donation to the Ken and Arle Adams Scholarship program, call (561) 333-9843 or visit www.wellingtoncommunity

foundation.org.