I came to the Foundation just days before my 43rd birthday. My son was entering his senior year in high school and I was ready to accept a new role that would offer me an opportunity to grow in service to our community.
Andy Bell was the President of the Foundation and over the next three years, he taught me a great deal about philanthropy, community foundations and grantmaking. And he recommended me to be his successor when he retired in 2004.
During my 20 years at TCF, we have celebrated many milestone moments and we have weathered many storms. And as the saying goes, the days have passed slowly but the years have flown by much too quickly.
As I write this, I am getting ready to board a plane to Atlanta to celebrate my grandson’s second birthday and cuddle his baby sister. While my own family has grown, so too has our TCF family of fundholders. As a result of their generosity and trust over the past 58 years, we have launched new initiatives, significantly increased our annual grantmaking, grown our assets and seeded important community institutions.
In years like this, the important role a community foundation plays is clear and we are listening, learning and acting on behalf of our sector.
And while I don’t quite know what the next 20 years will hold for me or TCF, I do know that it will pass in the blink of an eye. And truth be told, I am hopeful that there will be a few more grand babies to spoil.
