Hudson Community Fund elects officers, three new board members

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The Hudson Community Fund elected new officers and three new board members and honored four charter members at its annual meeting Sept. 16.

Jay Griggs was elected president, succeeding Susie Gilbert, a charter member of the board who led the organization for the past four years. Tricia Christiansen was elected vice president/communications, replacing Griggs.

Re-elected officers include Vice President/Development Dick Whitcomb, Secretary Joel Skinner and Treasurer Steve Schroeder. Kevin Vance was re-elected deputy treasurer. Annette Cook was elected deputy secretary, replacing Mark Gherty, who is leaving the board, having served the maximum of three consecutive three-year terms.

Newly elected to three-year terms on the board were Ryan Cari, Stew Erickson and Duane Swanson, all of Hudson.

Cari, an attorney with Heywood, Cari and Andersen, S.C., also serves on the boards of Skits Outreach Services (secretary), Community Action (treasurer), Big Brothers Big Sisters, First American Bank and Hudson Rotary. He is married to Camille.

Erickson is a self-employed investor. He and his wife, Vicky, have two children, Luke and Christina.

Swanson is a financial planner with Bridge Investment Group. His wife is Beth.

The board also honored and thanked Gherty and another founding member, Sam Cari, who completed their third and final three-year term. Cari was also recognized for his service as president from 2000 to 2004, as was Ken Heiser, another founder and past board member who served as the organization’s first president from 1999 through 2000.

Gilbert, also a founding member and president since 2004, will remain on the board and executive committee as past president.

The board also accepted the resignation of Jack Breault and thanked him for his service over the past years.

Other board members of the community fund include Dr. Kevin Helmen, Kevin Vance, Tom O’Connell, John Schommer and St. Croix Valley Community Foundation representative Jane Stevenson.

Hudson Community Fund is an operating division of the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation. It was formed nine years ago and has grown to more than $1.3 million in total assets. This includes 16 donor advised funds, four designated funds, two scholarship funds and the unrestricted endowment fund of more than $200,000.

Grants totaling about $10,000 were distributed from the unrestricted endowment fund during the past year to a number of local causes and non-profit organizations. Two $500 scholarships are also awarded each year to Hudson High School graduates.

The goal of the fund is to increase its assets, particularly the unrestricted endowment, to the point at which $100,000 can be distributed each year.

Information about the fund and the various options for giving is available from any board member and on the Web page, www.HudsonCommunityFund.org.

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