The work of the Community Foundation is a joint effort of friends, partners, staff, board members and multiple grantmaking committees. These individuals come from all walks of life throughout St. Clair County, and use their unique experiences and perspectives to shape the work that we do every day.
“Our boards and committees are not recruited based on status, title or position,” said Mike Wendling, chair of the Governance Committee which oversees the selection of new board and committee members. “Each person has demonstrated a commitment to serving others and creating significant impact for good in the community, on behalf of the Foundation as well as in their personal lives.”
As we kick off a new year of doing great things, we want to take a moment to recognize some of these individuals- those that are moving on, just joining us or taking on new roles.
Leaving the board this year is Dr. Randa Jundi-Samman. She has served on the board since 2012, and helped guide the board through COVID as board chair in 2020 and 2021. Randa has also made valuable contributions on multiple committees including Blue Water Land Fund, Community Renaissance and Executive Committees, and helped lead events and projects such as the Foundation’s Big Give event, and Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund events like the Crosstown Showdown. She is a founding member of the Women’s Initiative and she will continue serving on the Women’s Initiative Steering Committee.
The Blue Water Arts Committee will be continuing their support of arts and culture in the region with help from two new Gen Z members. After serving as project manager and lead artist on the mixed-media wave mosaic and fish mosaic projects, Ren Senkmajer experienced firsthand the relationship between philanthropy and a local arts movement. Now, as part of the Arts Committee, he will have an opportunity to continue supporting that work that he is so passionate about. Joining him is Port Huron High School junior Aven Campau. Though still in high school, Aven has already developed an extensive resume in the arts world, acting in theater and films throughout the country as well as creating and selling his own spray painted art pieces.
Our main Grants Committee will welcome new member, Maggie Toole. You might remember Maggie as the business development officer for Michigan Women Forward overseeing local efforts for the Foundation’s microlending investment. She has a passion for helping small business owners and entrepreneurs and for enjoying and exploring her culture and history. A second-generation Mexican-American, Maggie participated in recent listening circles, helping to educate and guide Foundation staff in a better understanding of cultural experiences and local community needs. Another listening circle participant, Iris Santillano, will be the newest member of the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Born in Puerto Rico, Iris has spent the last 30 years in Port Huron, heavily engaged in the community- giving her time and talents to her children’s schools and her church, and supporting the local Hispanic community.
Though Nick Beaudry got his start with the Marysville Community Fund Committee last year, this year he will be tapping into his college readiness experience as he joins the Foundation’s Complete Your Degree Committee. As a former Academic Coordinator for Marysville Schools and current Supervisor of Career and College Programs for RESA’s Blue Water College Access Network program, he will bring valuable insight to the committee as they award scholarships to students attending SC4.
Finally, taking the helm as chair and vice-chair of the St. Clair Endowment Funds will be two familiar faces- chair Will Oldford and vice chair Jessica Guyor. Jessica has been a valuable part of the Foundation’s St. Clair based grantmaking since 2017, while Will is one of the Foundation’s longest-serving board members and has a lengthy history of community service and involvement.
These individuals join a lengthy and impressive list of committee and board members. These change makers and public servants are ready to grow and learn, listen to community members, and strive to find ways to use Foundation assets to maximize community impact.