COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

Hilda Burns to retire and Greg Aaron named president

June 22, 2017 -- Hilda Burns, president of the Community Foundation of Howard County, has announced her plans to retire.

Burns began working as a finance/accounting administrator for the Community Foundation and the United Way of Howard County in 1994. At that time, the Foundation served Howard County and had eighteen funds with total assets of approximately $500,000.  In 1998, Burns became the vice president of the Foundation and was named president in 2012. She also serves as president of the Carroll County Community Foundation and the Clinton County Community Foundation.

Currently, the Foundation serves the three counties and has a total of more than 450 funds with assets of $63.6 million.

“Hilda’s dedication is shown through the growth of the Foundation’s role as a non-profit in the three counties we serve,” said Rick Smith, chairman of the board of directors for the Community Foundation of Howard County.  “Her ability to relate to our donors, non-profit partners and community leaders has brought a focus to the Foundation as a catalyst for improving the quality of life for people now and for future generations. On behalf of the board of directors, we thank Hilda for her many years of service and wish her great enjoyment in her retirement.”

“It has been a quite an experience to be connected with the Foundation almost since its beginning,” said Burns.  “With the celebration of the Community Foundation of Howard County’s 25th anniversary last year, we are well on our way to being here forever.  Our growth and sustainability has been rewarding to see.  I’m glad I had the opportunity to participate in the Foundation’s way of philanthropy and look forward to seeing what the next phase of my life brings.  I especially look forward to spending more time with my family.”

Prior to her work in the not-for-profit sector, Burns worked in several accounting and office management positions for a variety of businesses in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Her educational studies include accounting and financial management at West Tennessee Business College, Jackson, Tenn., and Indiana University at Kokomo.

The Foundation Board of Directors has announced that Greg Aaron has been named president of the Community Foundation Serving Howard, Carroll and Clinton Counties, beginning July 1, 2017.  Burns will remain on staff until the end of the year to support the transition.

Aaron has served as the Foundation’s executive vice president for eight months.  Prior to joining the Foundation, he was Ivy Tech Community College’s executive director of the Kokomo Event and Conference Center. 

In 2015, Aaron was named Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Region executive director of Finance.  He was named Ivy Tech’s executive director of Resource Development in 2007.  Aaron became the president of the Kokomo/Howard County Development Corporation in 2000, where he spearheaded the creation of the Inventrek Technology Park business incubator.  In 1997, Aaron was named the City of Kokomo’s director of the Department of Development, a position that culminated from his service with the City of Kokomo that started in 1973.

Aaron graduated from Indiana Vocational Technical College Region 5 (now Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region) in 1979 with an occupational certificate in Architectural Drafting. He went on to Indiana University Kokomo, earning an associate degree in General Studies in 1990, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1996. In 1998, Greg received a Public Administration Graduate Certificate from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Over the years, his community service has included the following organizations:  Kokomo Downtown Association, Howard County Partners in Education, Mayor’s Advisory Council, IUK School of Public and Environmental Affairs Advisory Board, St. Joseph Hospital Community Advisory Council, Kokomo Noon Rotary Club, Very Early Childhood Education Center, Ivy Tech’s Regional Trustees and the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance. 

“Greg has deep roots in the community and this region,” said Smith. “This knowledge and experience will translate well into the vision of the Foundation as we move forward.”

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Clinton County Community Foundation was established in 1996 and the Carroll County Community Foundation was established in 1997.  Each Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to improve the quality of life in Howard, Clinton and Carroll counties. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Greg Aaron at 765-454-7298 or greg@cfhoward.org.  Information about making gifts to endowment funds, scholarships and grantmaking can be found at cfhoward.org, cfcarroll.org or cfclinton.org.