Meckes joins Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations board of directors

QUINCY — Catherine Bocke Meckes, CEO of the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri, recently was elected to the board of directors of the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations (AICF) at its annual meeting in Galesburg in September.

The AICF was formed in 2005 to strengthen and support community foundations serving Illinois. Community foundations are grantmaking public charities dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined geographic area. There are 33 community foundation members of the Alliance.

In a press release, Meckes said, “Community foundations play a unique role in advancing local philanthropy. While each member of the alliance is dedicated to improving the quality of life in their own backyard, we share common goals of strengthening local nonprofits and ultimately, building thriving communities throughout Illinois. I am honored to represent West Central Illinois as the alliance works together to create a more prosperous future for our state.”

Meckes joined the Community Foundation in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO in 2019. She works with donors, nonprofits and community partners to grow our region’s charitable endowment, deploy impactful grants and advance local opportunities through collaboration.

“I am thrilled that Catherine accepted the invitation to join the AICF Board. The longstanding good work at Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri has long been known throughout the state,” said Josh Gibb, Chair, AICF board of directors. “Under Catherine’s leadership that work continues and progresses, providing examples and models of how philanthropy enables rural communities to be their very best. Catherine’s insights and leadership will shape the work of our association but also influence the work of our members throughout the state.”

Meckers joins the following members of the AICF board of directors:

• Dan Templin, DeKalb County Community Foundation
• John Stremsterfer, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln
• Josh Gibb, Galesburg Community Foundation
• Scott Witzig, Morton Community Foundation
• Nicole Smolkovich, Community Foundation of the Kankakee River Valley
• Tony Martinez, Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
• Anne Calder, Quad Cities Community Foundation on the AICF Board of Directors

For more information about the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to www.mycommunityfoundation.org.