Gifts from Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation drive change in communities

In our hometown community, engines have been a big part of the Bachman name.

Five automobile dealerships. An impressive collection of Ferraris.

But not all engines are found on four wheels.

The Bachman name has itself been a driver of positive change in the Northeast Tennessee region, the place that both Phil and Martha Bachman always called home.

Phil Bachman was a native of Bristol, and Martha hailed from Chuckey. Together, they made Greeneville their hometown.  

“They built their lives and their businesses here,” said Suzanne Stouffer, who began working for the Bachmans some 40 years ago. “They ultimately owned five automotive dealerships in the area, and their businesses became a significant part of the community. They were entrepreneurs, but they were also very connected to the people and the communities where they lived and worked.

“They also understood the importance of opportunity,” she added.

Today, Stouffer is president of the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation, a responsibility that is very near and dear to her.  

“It was more than just a working relationship. Phil and Martha became very close friends, and I was fortunate to be part of their lives and their family for a very long time," Stouffer said. “So, being president of the foundation today is very personal to me. I knew them. I knew what was important to them. I saw the businesses they built, the way they lived their lives, and their connection to this community.

“And because of that, I feel a real responsibility to make sure that the foundation reflects who they were and what they cared about.”

The Bachmans understood that education creates opportunity.  

“If you give someone an education, you're not just helping that person at that particular moment,” Stouffer said. “You're giving them tools they can use for the rest of their life.

“They can build a career. They can support a family. They can become a leader. And they can give back to their community. So, when we invest in education, we really are investing in the future of Northeast Tennessee.”

On Friday, Sept. 11, the ETSU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences. The naming and recognition follow a $15 million gift from the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation.

The gift includes $10 million for new scholarships in the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Technology, and the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development.  

In addition, it provides $3 million to support two major capital projects on campus – the new Academic Building and the renovation of Brown Hall – as well as a $2 million dean’s discretionary account.

The Bachman family had a personal connection with ETSU because of Martha. She was a graduate of ETSU, as were her parents.

“But beyond that deep connection, ETSU is so important to this region. It educates people who live here, people who want to stay here, and people who will ultimately become leaders and professionals throughout Northeast Tennessee,” Stouffer said. “We want to help make sure that talented students have the opportunity to get that education, regardless of their financial circumstances.”

Stouffer said the dream of the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation is for these scholarships to open doors and to hopefully remove some of the obstacles that stand in the way of pursuing an education.

“Maybe they'll become a doctor. Maybe they'll become a teacher or a business owner or a healthcare professional. But whatever they do, they will hopefully take what they've learned and contribute back to their families and their communities,” Stouffer said.  

“That's the ripple effect we’re seeking.”

Some would say the ripple is already picking up momentum.

In addition to the ETSU gift, the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation also made a gift to support an automotive training building at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Greeneville.

“This is not just about a building; it is about giving young people the skills and training they need to have a future,” she said. “We can take something that was a big part of Phil’s life and use it to help train the next generation. And I think Phil would be very proud of that.”

Believing that opportunities need to start early, the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation has provided funding to the Boys & Girls Club in Greeneville. The program gives young people a place where they can learn, develop confidence, have positive influences around them, and begin thinking about what they can accomplish in their lives.

What does Stouffer hope the legacy of the Bachmans will be?

“Phil and Martha built successful businesses and had extraordinary lives, but I think the most meaningful thing we can do with that success now is to turn it into opportunities for other people. Their success helped build the foundation. Now the foundation can help build futures. And that is what I hope people remember about Phil and Martha,” Stouffer said.

“It is not simply what they owned or what they accomplished, but what they made possible for the next generation.”