AAF elects three new directors at 18th annual meeting

Austin Area Foundation is pleased to announce three new directors were elected to the Board of Directors at the 18th Annual AAF meeting held in January. The board thanked outgoing and first executive director Jeff Baldus, and board members Mark Coffey, Mayor Steve King, Jennifer Lawhead and Allen Williams.

Newly elected to the board are Karem Salas Ramirez (Community Impact Coordinator for United Way of Mower County), Lee Bjorndal (Attorney at Baudler, Maus, Forman & King, Inc., practicing in Government and Municipal Law, Non-Profits, Wills and Trusts), and Pierre Lilly (Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Hormel Foods, responsible for compliance and internal audit functions).

The Executive Director of Austin Area Foundation, Steve Barrett, began his leadership role on June 1 and the AAF Executive Board is Taggert Medgaarden, Chair, George Brophy, Vice Chair, Peggy Benzkofer, Secretary, Ron Walth, Treasurer, Lee Bjorndal, At-Large, and Mike Ruzek Immediate Past Chair.

A new statement on Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity was also approved and available at austinareafoundation.org.

Austin Area Foundation (AAF) seeks to enhance the community through charitable giving and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors whose members live in Austin and the greater Mower County Area.

In 2020 total distributions from all AAF funds was $46,746 given to area nonprofits to serve the community.