2025 Annual Review

When I look back on 2025, my overwhelming feeling is gratitude for the people I get to work with every day.

In 2025, we welcomed two new staff to our team: Ashi Guiles of Portland, Oregon as a full-time Financial Advisor; and Chivi Crookes of Sitka, Alaska as a part-time Executive Assistant and Board Administrator. They've each made huge positive impacts already, and I'm looking forward to fruitful collaboration in years to come. Heidi, our Chief Financial Officer, stuck the landing on another perfect audit, and continued to delight us all with her llamas. Sara's role as Operations Manager has expanded to include some communication and data security responsibilities. (But don't worry, you can still reach her on the phone. We know she's the one you really want to talk to!)

On the Board side, Dr. LaVerne Lewis served as an extraordinary Board President for two years. She facilitated our transition from a Sitting Board to an Active Board by creating and empowering committees; led the charge on updating the majority of our policies to align with current best practices; guided us through politically sensitive situations like church disaffiliations and divestment pressure; and set a high bar for Board conduct and engagement. As if all that weren't enough, she mentored me into my new role.

At the close of 2025, LaVerne passed the Board President baton to attorney Em Rigler of Portland, Oregon. Em is equal parts brilliant and curious, and she brings policy and legal expertise to the role. I could not be more excited about her leadership. LaVerne remains on the Board as our Past President, now mentoring Em.

Also at the close of 2025, Rev. Lynn Rabenstein passed the Board Treasurer baton to Barbara Dadd Shaffer. I count both of these extraordinary women among my role models. Lynn helped us rebrand, divest from fossil fuels, revise key policies, and improve our nominations process as chair of our Nominations Committee. As soon as she announced her intention to step back from the Board, we nominated her for Emeritus status, which she richly deserves, and we're grateful that she remains on our Nominations Committee in this capacity. Our incoming Treasurer, Barbara, chairs our Investment Committee and has been involved in every major initiative of the Foundation since I first joined the team in 2018. It's hard to imagine anyone more qualified for the role.

In 2025, longtime Board member Nik Halladay transitioned to Emeritus status after an astonishing 36 continuous years of board service, during which he spent two years as Treasurer, sixteen years as Vice President, and five years as President. WOW! Nik still participates in our Loan Committee in his emeritus role, and we are so grateful for him!

Throughout 2025 we welcomed my predecessor Tom Wilson back to our board meetings, this time as an Emeritus member of the Board. Tom is enjoying life as a full-time grandpa, and our staff still visits with him and his wife Denise whenever we gather in Cashmere. We love having him back on the Loan Committee, and we give thanks for his painstaking handwritten notes every time we crack open a file folder!

The Board made one other addition to its Emeritus membership in 2025 with the posthumous nomination of Darrell Lowe. Darrell served on the Board for a remarkable 26 years. His tenure with us included 12 years as Board President, during which time the Oregon-Idaho foundation and Pacific Northwest foundation merged to become the organization we are today. Our calculations suggest that he either moved or seconded the corporate resolution almost a hundred times. We love him and miss him.

In short, the Foundation is in good hands, and we stand on the shoulders of giants.