There is a lot happening here at The Dayton Foundation. Read what’s new on this page, or check out our News & Publications page, where you will find recent press releases, a calendar of events or highlights about the Foundation in the news.

The Dayton Foundation recently partnered with local organizations and individuals to provide educational development and operational support for nonprofit organizations. One of the partnerships is with the University of Dayton's Center for Leadership and Executive Development to offer executive-level training at a reduced rate for nonprofit leaders.

Established 11 years ago, the Center's educational programs for executive and mid-level managers typically cost $870 to $970 per one-day session and cover a variety of business and leadership topics. Thanks to the Center, which drastically reduced their rates, and to The Dayton Foundation, which awarded discretionary grants to help sponsor the program, nonprofit executives are able to attend for only $49 per one-day session.

"The quality of the training cannot be beat," said Carmen Gooden, program director for Linda Vista, a local nonprofit that provides housing and educational services for homeless women. "It has empowered me and opened the door to numerous networking opportunities, which will help Linda Vista better serve our clients."

The Dayton Foundation has named Sarah Hippensteel Hall as executive director of the Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment. An initiative launched by the Foundation in 2009, the Partners is an alliance of environmental, government and civic organizations, and public and private educational institutions working to preserve and promote the region's natural resources, including the Great Miami River and Little Miami River watersheds.

For the seventh consecutive year, The Dayton Foundation has been named an award winner for excellence in communications by the national Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program, sponsored by the Council on Foundations.

Competing against the largest of more than 700 community foundations in the U.S. and abroad, The Dayton Foundation received a 2010 Silver Award for Good News, the Foundation’s general newsletter.

The Foundation also received a Bronze Quill Award from the Dayton and Greater Cincinnati chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for the Foundation's brand development and communications implementation process, which focuses on the brand positioning, We help you help others^SM.

The Dayton Foundation has named Gary L. LeRoy, M.D., the new chair of the Foundation's Governing Board. Dr. LeRoy will serve a two-year term as chair, succeeding Charles A. Jones, retired chief operating officer/assistant city manager (deputy city manager) for the City of Dayton and Foundation Board chair for the past two years.

A Governing Board member since 2004, Dr. LeRoy chaired the Foundation’s Grants and Programs Committee and most recently has served as Board vice chair and a member of the Executive Committee. Dr. LeRoy is a practicing family physician and associate dean of Student Affairs and Admissions and associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. He is the former medical director of the East Dayton Health Center.

Over the past several years, Dr. LeRoy has held numerous prominent leadership positions throughout Greater Dayton, including serving as the Chief Medical Consultant for the City of Dayton Schools. He currently serves on the boards of Hospice of Dayton and Mound Street Academy and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the Ohio State Medical Association, as well as a fellow in the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. LeRoy previously served on the boards for The American Red Cross Dayton Area Chapter, Dayton Gem Special Needs Center, Miami Valley Academy of Family Physicians, Miami Valley Hospital, Reach Out of Montgomery County and the Wright State University Alumni Association. He also served as the president of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians in 2004 and 2005 and has held leadership positions with the American Academy of Family Physicians and Phi Rho Sigma Medical Society.

The Dayton Foundation has appointed Anita J. Moore and Charles G. Schroeder as new members to its Governing Board, which provides stewardship for the Foundation and its charitable activities.

Anita Moore is the retired vice president of Human Resources for The Berry Company/AT&T and serves on the boards of County Corp and Miami Valley Hospital. She is a founding member and president of the Dayton Diversity and Inclusion Partners and is a member of the Dayton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Premier Health Partners Cultural Diversity Board, Dayton Area Recruiting Alliance Program Committee and the Victoria Theatre Association Marketing Advisory Committee. She previously served on the Dayton Diversity Task Force.

Charles Schroeder is the president and owner of Dayton Wire Wheel, which has been designing and manufacturing specialized wire automobile wheels since 1916. He has served on the Board of Directors of The Muse Machine and as Racquets chairman of Moraine Country Club. He also has co-chaired the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s Concours d’ Elegance and has been of service to Citizens Motorcar Company – America’s Packard Museum – and to the Asian Arts Center.

Angela Clements, C.P.A. and senior development officer of The Dayton Foundation, has been elected to the Ohio Grantmakers Forum (OGF) Board of Trustees. OGF is an association of foundations, corporate contributions programs and other grantmaking organizations that provides leadership for organized philanthropy in Ohio to help fulfill their members’ charitable goals. Together, OGF’s more than 200 member organizations provide over $1 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations yearly.

Dayton Foundation President Michael M. Parks, who just concluded his term on the OGF Board, continues to chair OGF’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Channon Lemon, director of the Minority Economic Development Council (MEDC), created in part by The Dayton Foundation, was named Advocate of the Year for 2009 by the South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council. Since joining MEDC in 2007, Ms. Lemon has helped to forge greater collaboration and support for minority businesses in the Greater Dayton Region, particularly in the construction and building services industries, and to develop stronger supplier inclusion programs.

Thomas J. Lasley, III, has stepped down as dean of the School of Allied Professions at the University of Dayton to become the executive director of EDvention. EDvention, which is located within The Dayton Foundation’s offices, is a collaborative effort dedicated to accelerating science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) talent to grow the workforce for the Greater Dayton Region. Said Dr. Lasley, “The capacity for innovation and the ability to leverage the assets of the region to enhance talent development — that's what excites me."