By Pat Smith, TFN President and CEO
We’re excited to announce three new additions to our TFN Board of Directors: Michael Coffey, Eric Muschler and Karla Twedt-Ball.
Please join me in congratulating our newest members of the TFN Board of Directors, as well as welcoming back members who were up for reelection this voting cycle. Additional congrats to our board members who will be serving as board officers, including our new Board Chairman Craig Martinez.
TFN Board of Directors Class of 2020-2022 and Board Officers
At a meeting held Jan. 24, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla., TFN’s Board of Directors approved the following slate for the class of 2020-2022 and recommended a vote in favor of election. TFN members cast ballots in March approving the 2020-2022 slate. (Our board serves staggered terms, so not everyone is up for reelection at the same time.)
Please note that Michael Coffey, Eric Muschler and Karla Twedt-Ball are being elected to their first terms of office. The remainder pictured below are current directors whose terms of office were renewed during this voting cycle.
Jessica Boehland
Senior Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation
(Renewed for 2020-2022 term.)
Michael Coffey
Senior Program Officer, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
(New member for 2020-2022 term.)
Shawn Escoffery
Executive Director, Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation
(Renewed for 2020-2022 term.)
Don Hickman, Vice Chair
Vice President for Community and Workforce Development, Initiative Foundation
(Renewed for 2020-2022 term. Board officer position is for one year.)
Elizabeth Love, SecretarySenior Program Officer, Houston Endowment
(Renewed for 2020-2022 term. Board officer position is for one year.)
Eric Muschler
Program Officer, McKnight Foundation
(New member for 2020-2022 term.)
Karla Twedt-Ball
Senior Vice President, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
(New member for 2020-2022 term.)
New TFN Board Chairman
Craig Martinez, Chairman
Program Officer, The California Endowment
We are thrilled to share the news that Craig Martinez was elected to serve a two-year term as chairman of TFN’s Board of Directors. He was first elected to the TFN Board of Directors in 2015 and is currently co-chair of TFN’s Smart Growth California Steering Committee.
He is a proud alum of TFN’s equity-focused PLACES Fellowship’s 2013 cohort, and is the first PLACES alum to serve as chairperson of the TFN Board of Directors!
(We should also note that Craig was one of the co-chairs of our 2020 Annual Conference in San Diego. Although our conference was ultimately cancelled, it’s only fitting we acknowledge the hard work that went into the planning of the conference.)
Remaining Board Members
TFN Board of Directors whose terms were not up for renewal this year are:
C.J. Eisenbarth Hager
Director, Healthy Communities, Vitalyst Health Foundation
Michelle Knapik
President, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation
Scot Spencer
Associate Director, Local Policy, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Kellie Terry
Program Officer for Sustainable Environments, Surdna Foundation
Continuity of our board and its duties is an essential component in ensuring our work moves forward as seamlessly as possible, especially as we navigate the days and weeks ahead.
We sent virtual ballots to the primary contacts for organizations that are members in good standing as of March 31, 2020. (For more information about the annual election of TFN directors, please see the Election Information Guide.)
Thank you everyone who took the time to cast their ballots.
And thank you to the TFN Board of Directors for their ongoing support of the network and commitment to creating communities that are equitable, sustainable and prosperous.