Community Foundation elects Grady as new board chair; Palmer, Shepard added as board members

QUINCY — The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri recently elected Lance Grady as its new board chair and welcomed Douglas Palmer and Julie Shepard to its Board of Directors at its annual meeting.

Palmer is the president of Culver-Stockton College.

“I am excited to join with a group of community-minded and service oriented leaders as a trustee of the Community Foundation,” Palmer said in a press release. “The capacity-building work of the foundation is truly inspiring.”

Shepard is the administrative coordinator of community health innovation at Blessing Corporate Services.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to serve on the Community Foundation Board of Directors,” said Shepard said in the release. “I am excited to be a part of an organization that is an important partner in providing support and leadership to address complex community issues in our region both today and into the future.”

Grady has served on the board of directors since 2015 and was elected as vice-chair in 2020. He is the owner of L. Grady Realty and The Grady Agency in Mount Sterling. 

“I am humbled to serve as the board chair for The Community Foundation,” Grady said in the release. “As we implement our new strategic plan, I am excited to see the continued and strengthened impact we can have on the 12 counties we serve.  The work that our organization gets to be a part of is such a vital component of making our region a better place. I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of it.”

The Board of Directors thanked four retiring board members for their service:

• Lydia Ahrens of Hannibal, Mo., who retires after serving since 2013, most recently serving as chair from 2020-2022;
• Michael Costigan of Quincy, who retires after serving since 2019;
• David Fox of Carthage, who retires after serving since 2016;
• Gordon Ipson of Hannibal, who retires after serving since 2016.

With the additions of Shepard and Palmer, the Board of Directors is comprised of:

• Pat Benson of Hannibal, Mo., founder of Benson Financial Group
• Bill Durall of Pittsfield, retired Air Force
• Chelsea Fellinger of Canton, Mo., Lewis County assistant prosecutor
• Amy Graham of Carthage, director of the Carthage Community Development Corporation
• James Hansen of Quincy, partner at Schmiedeskamp Robertson Neu & Mitchell LLP
• Dave Hetzler of Quincy, Interim Dean of Career and Technical Education at John Wood Community College
• Amy Lehenbauer of Palmyra, Mo., office & cattle operations manager at Lehenbauer Farms
• Corey Moon (vice chair) of Edina, Mo., associate circuit judge for Missouri’s 2nd Judicial Circuit
• Brian Nation of Barry, vice president at Central State Bank
• Debbie Niederhauser of Quincy, retired educator
• Lyle Paben of Bowen, bank president of Bank of Advance
• Kamryn Schrepfer (treasurer) of Quincy, certified public accountant at Gray Hunter Stenn LLP
• Kristin Spear of Quincy, owner of Paws at Home

The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. Its mission, “connecting people who care with causes that matter,” is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.   

The Community Foundation has made more than $12 million in grants since 1997. It serves 12 counties — Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois, and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri.  The Community Foundation has IRS 501(c)(3) status. Contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes. 

For more information, contact the Community Foundation at 217-222-1237 or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.