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About
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Mission Statement
History
Staff
Officers, Trustees and Members
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Bryan Area Foundation is to enhance the quality of
life for all citizens of our area now and for generations to come by
building community endowment, addressing needs through grant making, and
serving as a leader, catalyst and resource for charitable giving.
To further this mission, the Bryan Area Foundation will...
• Honor the spirit and intent of each donor’s gift
• Meet emerging community needs through effective, visionary and
sensitive grant-making
• Assist donors by serving as a permanent resource for receiving and
administering charitable gifts
• Perform as a responsible and prudent manager of the assets entrusted
to our care
• Exercise leadership and promote partnerships that build better
communities and enhance the quality of life
• Develop, promote and encourage philanthropy
History:
In 1969, two men conceived the idea of a community foundation that would
serve the Bryan area. Lemuel L. Hawk, director and senior vice
president of The Aro Corporation, and John B. Dwyer, III, attorney and
president of Citizens National Bank, called together a close group of
associates and formed what would become the Bryan Area Foundation.
Prior to 1969, there was a need for a community
foundation in the Bryan,
Ohio area. As the
county seat of Williams
County, located in the northwest corner of
Ohio,
Bryan
has a strong agricultural and industrial base. It is the home of
several large, privately held companies that do business worldwide.
Early in 1969, the Bryan Chamber of Commerce
appointed a committee of citizens to determine whether or not a
community foundation was feasible for the Bryan area and, if feasible,
the best way to effect such a community foundation. This committee
met on a number of occasions; contacted the Council on Foundations,
Inc., talked with many persons familiar with community foundations;
wrote to other community foundations; and visited the nearby city of Van
Wert, Ohio, which had operated a community foundation since 1925.
This committee reported that a community foundation for the Bryan area
was feasible, and suggested that it be effected through a non-profit
corporation. The attorneys of the community prepared and approved
the Articles of Incorporation and a Code of Regulations for the “Bryan
Area Foundation.”
The Articles of Incorporation of the Bryan Area
Foundation, a non-profit corporation under the Law of Ohio, were
executed on December 9, 1969, and were filed with the Secretary of State
(Corporation Number 391919) on December 12, 1969. The
member-trustees held their first meeting on December 18, 1969 and
elected officers and an executive committee. On the same day, the
foundation filed an application with the District Director of Internal
Revenue applying for an exemption from federal tax under Section
501(c)(3) as an organization to be operated exclusively for charitable
purposes.
On February 27, 1970, the District Director of
Internal Revenue determined that the foundation was exempt from Federal
Income Tax under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
He further stated that contributions made to the foundation are
deductible by donors as provided in Section 170 of the Internal Revenue
Code. Gifts for the use of the foundation are deductible for
Federal and Estate Gift Tax purposes under the provisions of Sections
2055, 2106, and 2522 of the Code.
On December 14, 1971, the Internal Revenue Service
classified the Bryan Area Foundation as a public charity. This
classification allows donors to the foundation to take the maximum
charitable deductions for their gifts.
The Bryan Area Foundation provides services to
donors and charitable organizations. Donors give through, not to,
the foundation. Donors may establish named funds within the
foundation to meet their philanthropic goals. These funds may be
restricted in nature or unrestricted. There are various types of funds
within the foundation: Community Funds, Field of Interest Funds,
Designated Funds, Endowment Funds, Scholarship Funds, Project Funds, and
Donor Advised Funds. There are over 280 named funds in the
foundation. The Bryan Area Foundation also serves as the
administrator of the Edon,
Montpelier
and Millcreek-West Unity area foundations.
During the foundation's history, the following
people served as Chairman of the Board: Lemuel Hawk, 1969-1975, Theodore
Spangler, 1975-1981, Bruce Benedict, 1981-1986, Richard Reed, 1986-1991,
Wayne Shaffer, 1991-1996, Thomas Herman, 1996-2001, C. Gregory Spangler,
2001-2004, Kay Jackson, 2004-2006, James Bard, 2006-2008, Julie A.
Brown, 2008-2010 and Dean L. Spangler, 2011-2013. The Bryan Area
Foundation is governed by a board of trustees and has a professional
staff including its President/CEO Mitchell S. Owens.
The foundation regularly accepts gifts of cash,
publicly traded securities, and insurance policies. Donors may
make bequests to the foundation through their wills. Special types
of gifts such as Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts,
gifts of closely held stock or real estate require special attention.
Donors are encouraged to contact the foundation when contemplating gifts
of these types.
The trustees made the first deposit of $200 in the
name of the Bryan Area Foundation on December 24, 1969.
Staff:
Mitchell S. Owens, President/CEO
A native of Bryan, Mitchell has spent over 20years serving the
nonprofit sector. After a lengthy career in arts management,
Mitchell was serving as the President/CEO of NOCK, a national
organization dedicated to providing assistive technology to special
needs kids, before taking his current position as the foundation’s
President/CEO.
Dedicated to the community in which he grew up, Mitchell is
actively involved in a variety of community efforts that benefit and
enhance the Bryan
area.
Mitchell and his wife Rhonda have a daughter, Autumn Faith.
Pamela R. “Pam” Lanius
Pam joined the foundation staff on April 1, 2004.
She serves as the foundation’s data management assistant.
Her background includes service in the United States Army and human
resource work with the L.E. Smith Company. She is a graduate of Bryan
High School and holds an associates degree from Northwest State
Community College. Pam also has a certificate in accounting and tax
preparation.
Pam and her husband Frank currently reside in
Bryan.
Jody A. Freeman
Jody joined the foundation staff in February of 2006.
She serves as the foundation’s administrative assistant.
Jody’s background includes over 18 years as a medical
secretary for the Archbold Medical Group in
Archbold,
Ohio. She received
an A.A. in childhood education from
Siena
Heights
University. Jody currently resides
with her husband Michael in
Stryker.
Officers, Trustees, Members
Term Expires in 2013
Dean L. Spangler, Chairman
Ralph W. Gallagher, Vice Chairman
Michael A. Shaffer, Secretary
George H. Gardner, Treasurer
Mitchell S. Owens, President/CEO
Trustees
Trustees are elected to three-year terms and may serve no more than
two consecutive terms. Trustees are also members of the Foundation.
Term Expires 2012rm
Expires 2012
Ralph W. Gallagher
Beth Hollabaugh
William Pepple
Term Expires 2013
Michael Culler
Christopher Cullis
Emily Ebaugh
Term Expires 2014
Jack
E. Brace
Glen L. Newcomer
James C. Wood, III
Members
| James R. Bard |
Stephen Hess |
Pam B. Steel |
| Bruce O. Benedict |
Albert Horn |
William Steel |
| Kevin Bock |
Jason Kunsman |
George E. Stockman |
| David B. Brown |
Bruce Manett |
Mary Thaman |
| George Brown |
William G. Martin |
Constance M. Tipton |
| Julie A. Brown |
Nancy Merillat |
John G. Toner |
| Wayne Carlin |
Mark Miller |
Kirkland Vashaw |
| Allen Dean |
David C. Newcomer |
Thomas A. Voigt |
| Carolyn
Sharrock-Dorsten |
E. Clifford Oberlin,
III |
Richard C. Wright |
| Laura Eckhardt |
Richard L. Reed |
|
| Philip L. Ennen |
Carol Schreder |
|
| Diana Moore-Eschhofen |
David Schumm |
|
|
Betty Franks |
C. Gregory Spangler |
|
| Karen K. Gallagher |
Art Spletzer, Jr. |
|
| Thomas M. Herman |
|
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