The Community Foundation of St. Clair County recently announced the election of two new board members and one returning board member for terms beginning January 1^st.

Kathy Hayman and Lesley Murphy, both from Marysville, will be joining the Foundation board for the first time. Hale Walker, a long-time Foundation Board member and past Board Chair is the returning member.

Hayman has a long history of community involvement and has served as the Mayor of Marysville since 2022. “I love being a part of the larger community,” she said. “And our local Community Foundation provides me the chance to increase my impact by working with like-minded friends, partners and donors.”

She was first elected to Marysville City Council in 2015 and has prior experience with SEMCOG, St. Clair County Child Abuse & Neglect Council and the St. Clair County Land Bank Authority, among other organizations. When she isn’t volunteering her time she is the General Manager and Controller at Electrex Industrial Solutions. At the Community Foundation she also serves on the Foundation’s main Grants Committee as well as the Marysville Community Fund.

Lesley Murphy is the Director of Career Technical Education at St. Clair County RESA, as well as the Principal at St. Clair County Technical Education Center. She also serves with Kathy Hayman on the board of the Marysville Community Fund and is active in the Marysville Rotary. She is also likely to be the first Foundation Board member to ever win a Michigan Emmy Award, having won 3 in her previous life and career in journalism. She and her husband have two young daughters.

Hale Walker first joined the Foundation board in 2013 and was the Board Chair in 2022 and 2023. He has a long history of community involvement and is currently Co-Chair of the Blue Meets Green Coalition with Sheri Faust. Hale will also begin a new term as Chair of the Foundation’s Finance & Investment Committee which oversees the Foundation’s assets that now total approximately $125 million. 

“Being involved in local philanthropy is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Walker said. “I can’t think of a more impactful way to give back and support the growth and prosperity of our region than through my local community foundation.”

The Community Foundation has a long and rich 80+ year history of increasing philanthropy in St. Clair County, with a focus on community growth and prosperity. In addition to the 24 board members, the Foundation involves more than 100 other volunteers annually, hundreds of donors and a growing staff that plans to add three more in 2026.