PEOPLE WHO LEAD US
When the community foundation movement began in Indiana back in the early 1990’s as a Lilly Endowment initiative, local leaders took a giant step and committed themselves to building assets for the future. The work was long and hard as the concept was new and sometimes difficult to explain. Those early leaders persevered and their efforts have built an organization that is now celebrating 16 years of giving back to the community.
At the Community Foundation, our giving back takes on many different shapes. We may be asked to give resources, leadership, or to be conveners or partners in projects that benefit the community. The tasks may be short in duration or at times, spread over several years. It is at times a difficult balance between the needs of today and the hopes and dreams for tomorrow.
As a board, our work at times may be centered on many different ideas and topics throughout a single year. As you view this site, you will find some thoughts from our board members about the importance and impact of these ideas and topics. Thank you for continuing to support the Cass County Community Foundation.
|
Deanna Crispen - Executive Director
Thinking Globally: "Creating the community we want means recognizing that our community does not exist in a vacuum and always considering our decision making in the context of the greater good. Thinking globally means that as our community continues to become more diverse, we also must become more diverse and inclusive in our approaches to serving the community through arts, music, and cultural exchange.”
Email: dcrispen@casscountycf.org
Jesse Robinson - Board President
Having a vision: “Creating the community we want requires a Shared Vision. Without a Shared Vision, everyone is in the river making noise and splashing about but no progress is being made against the current. By having a shared vision and working together we can make progress up the river towards creating the community we desire.”
Joyce Eshelman - Board Vice President
Acting Locally: “Creating the community we want means acting locally. When the Community Foundation partnered with the small towns of Galveston, Royal Center and Walton to show case local musical talent and raise awareness of community issues we developed stronger bonds with these hard-working, committed communities. Besides that…those concerts and community hog roasts were just plain fun for everyone!”
Tom Heckard - Board Treasurer
Giving your Heart: “We can create the community we want when people give from the heart and do more than what is expected. It is not always the largest gift that matters most. Sometimes it is the small gestures of kindness or the time spent listening from the heart that has the most lasting impact of all.”
Susan Platt - Board Secretary
Inspiring others: "Seeing is believing. Look around. So many Cass County citizens gain a lot--or even a little, whether they are participants or recipients or donors connected with the Cass County Community Foundation's varied activities. It is fruitful, fun, and forever to keep on caring.”
Kevin Crook - Past President
Leadership "As individual board members of the Foundation, we constantly strive to stay connected to community issues and look for ways to help our local non-profits be successful and build their own capacity to serve. As a group, we are vigilant watchdogs of our community’s enduring assets to help the next generation create the community they want.”
Barrie McClain
Scholarships: “Scholarships to non-traditional students is so important to me because today’s society changes so rapidly that adults will need to retrain often to keep up with the changing times.”
Dick Rusk
Ethical Decision-Making: “Creating the Community we want means working hard to continue to be in compliance with the National Standards for Community Foundations. These rigorous standards give our donors, grant recipients, and the community the assurance that our policies and procedures are benchmarks of the very highest standards for operating.”
Dr. Herb Price
Grant making: “I believe that when the Community Foundation makes grants to local organizations that we must always strive to make certain that the money has a positive impact on a larger number of citizens.”
Dr. Sue Ridlen
Lilly Scholarships: “Lilly scholarships are our community’s most prestigious way of honoring the extraordinary achievements of our local students. Our recipients are our community’s ambassadors as well as our future leaders.”
Dan Layman
Embracing Our Roots: "Creating the community we want means respecting our past and the sacrifices made by others before us to help our community grow and prosper. It is an understanding that many of the opportunities we have today were made possible because someone in the past cared.”
Carol Sue Hayworth
Stewardship: "The Cass County Community Foundation is committed to being good stewards of all monies received. We are conscientious in the way dollars are spent and invested, bearing in mind, always, that gifts to the Foundation are from folks who have entrusted the community’s future with us and believe that we will be good stewards of their gifts."
Keith Cole
Compassion: "Creating the community we want means that we all should be compassionate to those in need and respectful with our help. It means sometimes, really putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to see the world through their eyes. It is then that we all can experience true kindness and compassion for all the things that we have in common and for all those things that make each of us different."
Paul Kroeger
Partnering: “Creating the community we want means partnering and joining forces with another local group to make an improvement in the community, more than either of us could have accomplished working alone.”
Randy Head
Being Proactive: "Creating the community we want means focusing on the future and identifying opportunities before they arise. It means having thoughtful discussions about how best to utilize our resources and developing strategies for funding so that when the Community Foundation gets involved in a project, good things happen!”
Elizabeth Billman
Building for the future: “ I like the permanence associated with the Community Foundation. It is rewarding to know that both monetary donations and the results of our labor will continue to benefit Cass County for years to come.”
STAFF
Sara Walthery, Part-time Financial Assistant
|
STAFF
Mandy Pugh, Executive Assistant
|
|
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
07-27-2010 GRANTS RECEPTION
We will host a press conference on August 26th to announce the recipients of the 2010 Competitive Grants Program![more]
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What type of gifts can be made to the Foundation? [answer]
CREATING THE COMMUNITY WE WANT
|
