Supporting Schools A Top Priority For Long Time Realtor

When it comes to government budget cuts it seems like public education is one of the first areas that come under the ax. As a result, local schools are forced to fill in funding gaps in innovative ways, raising much-needed money with bake sales, gift wrap, gala events or jog-a-thons. They usually bring in thousands of dollars to pay for enrichment programs that are often overlooked: art, science, physical education and media studies. But then there are other ways to raise funds.

John Lefferdink, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, offers his simple solution. He donates cash directly to the Parent Teacher Organization to help bridge this educational funding gap. "I give $1,000 for each home on the market that I close," explained Lefferdink, a limited partner principal in Prudential. The cash "comes straight off the top," he said. When a home sale transaction closes, Lefferdink writes a check and his wife, Kelley, takes it into the school offices.

To date that amounts to $10,000 that 100 percent directly benefits the Solana Beach School District and other area schools. By the time school resumes on Aug. 27, Lefferdink expects that amount to be $15,000. It’s his way of giving back into a community that he says he is blessed to be a part of, "I feel so fortunate to live in this great community; it’s such a wonderful place to raise a family and I want to give back."

By the end of Aug., four of the six Lefferdink children – who range in age from 1 to 11 years old – will be attending Solana Santa Fe Elementary School. Part of the Solana Beach School District, the school serves Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch and Solana Beach. Lefferdink’s wife, Kelley, helps the school by volunteering many hours in the classroom, donating her time to assist teachers who have lost teaching aids due to funding cuts. Like many Rancho Santa Fe parents, she is directly involved in her children’s education. "It’s incredible how the parents all pitch in," said Lefferdink, "their priorities, like ours, are with their kids."

Lefferdink became a parent later in life than most. At age 48 he married for the first time. "I’ll be in my 80s when my youngest is in college," he quipped. His wife, Kelley was working for him when their relationship blossomed. "As a single guy I had partied and lived the high life. When I met Kelley I realized that there was more to life than that," Lefferdink said. Now he divides his time between his professional life in residential and commercial real estate sales and being a devoted husband and a dad, who volunteers his time to coaching baseball, basketball and soccer for the Rancho Santa Fe Recreation Center.

Growing up in Colorado – the middle child in a family with five – Lefferdink moved to San Francisco when he was 13. "I hated it for about a week, because I had left all my friends behind in Boulder. Then I grew to love it," he recalled about his relocation to the Bay Area. He went to city college in San Francisco, then San Francisco State. He then signed up to serve in the United States Marine Corps. "I served in the Vietnam War, then when I was shot, I received an honorable discharge."

When Lefferdink’s parents – who were educators turned entrepreneurs – got into the 24-hour banking business in the early 1970s, he joined the family business. "They were the first to pioneer automatic teller machines," said Lefferdink. For 10 years he traveled extensively placing ATMs in banks, Savings and Loans and other locations. He spent time in Europe in these sales. "There was a problem though. The machines did not always work right," cringed Lefferdink. The business ultimately failed and by the age of 33 Lefferdink had to reinvent himself. It was then that he became a real estate broker, primarily in commercial. The Mohawk car wash in Solana Beach, which he owns, was one of his first acquisitions. For 32 years Lefferdink has offered his professional services in real estate.

Lefferdink feels passionately about his role in the community and gives of his time freely, despite the demands of home and business. His family is active in the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, and he is active in the Rotary Club, the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club and the Crosby Country Club. "Like so many families in Rancho Santa Fe we feel very blessed to be a part of this community. We feel that this is not an entitlement but a privilege."

Courtesy Diane Welch