Prettyman Named Foundation’s Next President

May 2024 — Our Board of Directors recently named Julie Prettyman as the incoming President and CEO of the Marion Community Foundation. After serving ten years, Dean Jacob will retire June 30, 2024, from the community foundation’s leadership position.

“While our strong preference was always to find someone local to fill the position, our primary goal was to find the very best person to lead Marion Community Foundation,” said Dr. Charles Speelman, Superintendent of Tri-River Career Center and Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. To achieve this goal, the Board retained the services of Ohio-based executive search firm Finding Leaders to conduct a nationwide search.

“This leadership announcement continues Marion Community Foundation’s commitment to serve our community,” said Speelman. “Despite our due diligence and a dynamic and competitive search, we didn’t have to look beyond our own walls. Julie is everything we were hoping for, including love of our community, a passion for philanthropy, and vision for advancing Marion Community Foundation’s impact and growth.”

“Julie has been a major key to the extraordinary success of the Foundation over the last 10 years,” says Jacob. “She has all the skills necessary to be the chief executive of the Foundation and she has earned the respect of the staff, our committees and Board, the community’s nonprofit organizations, and the community at large. I can’t think of a better person to continue the legacy of this institution.”

Prettyman currently serves as Vice President and Director of Programs. She works closely with volunteers to administer Marion Community Foundation’s nine grant programs, resulting in $2.5 million in annual grant dollars assisting local charities and nonprofits, including more than $500,000 in scholarships for area high school seniors and college students. Prettyman has led the Foundation’s Youth Engaged in Philanthropy program and was instrumental in the development of two of the Foundation’s newest grant programs, the Racial Equity & Justice Grants Program and the TEACH Grants Program.

According to Speelman, “We were fortunate to have a strong pool of candidates. Our Board was fully engaged in the process. We could not be more thrilled with the result, as Julie brings a deep knowledge of the organization and community, as well as passion and enthusiasm for the capacity of local philanthropy to meet community needs.”

Established 25 years ago, Marion Community Foundation has grown from one endowment fund to more than 500 that support local charities and student’s higher education. The endowment pool has grown to $65 million in assets. This is thanks to generous donors — caring individuals, families, and organizations that share a passion for the people in the Marion area.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Marion Community Foundation and to continue the legacy of community impact that Dean Jacob and other leaders have accomplished,” said Prettyman. “Generous donors believe in our community. They look at how they can help today and beyond their lifetimes. I’m proud to be a part of this community philanthropy leader.”

Over the next three months, retiring President Jacob and incoming President Prettyman will work closely together—and with the Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff—to ensure a seamless transition and look forward to conversations with the Foundation’s donors and community partners.

Read More: Julie Prettyman’s Bio