Granville Community Foundation board seeking new members as 3 members retire

Three Granville Community Foundation board members will leave the board this year, allowing for three new community members to serve on the foundation's board of directors.

After a collective 13 years of service, Jay Snyder, Tom Martin and Gary Yaekle will leave the board in December.

Snyder joined the board in 2019 and served two consecutive three-year terms. During his time on the board, Snyder served as the Marketing and Development Committee chair as well as vice president from January 2020 to December 2021, president from January 2021 to December 2023, and he is currently serving as the immediate past president and as a co-chair of the Nominations and Board Development Committee. Snyder has been instrumental in restoring the foundation to normal operations after the COVID-19 pandemic and led the digitization of the foundation’s record keeping and online donation platforms.

“Jay has tackled some of the biggest jobs that we needed to get done. His efforts have put the organization on a solid foundation that will last for years to come," said current President Dave Ball.

New Board Member Cipriano Martinez also praised Snyder’s service. “During committee and general meetings, Jay is able to encourage members to engage in robust dialogue, fosters a spirit of collaboration and builds consensus on complex and contentious issues. From his on-boarding orientation through nomination committee reforms, Jay’s leadership has been a calming and stabilizing influence during my first year with GCF,” Martinez said.

Martin began his service as a board member in 2020 and served as the Development Committee chair from January 2022 to April 2024 and as the vice president from September 2022 until December 2023. Although, Martin officially stepped down from the board earlier this year due to health reasons, he continues to serve as a co-chair of the Nominations and Board Development Committee with Snyder this year. Martin has worked hard in all of hisroles to recruit the best and brightest Granville citizens to the board.

“Tom's inquisitive nature and transparency made a lasting impression on me from our very first conversation,” said Board Member Whitney Crane, who first met with Martin as part of the foundation’s interview process. “His warmth and encouragement were invaluable as I joined the Board and the Development Committee. I’m deeply grateful for his guidance and enthusiasm, which helped shape my early experiences with the foundation.”

Mr. Martin will continue to serve as an ad hoc committee member on the Nominations and Board Development Committee.

Yaekle joined the board in January 2022 and has served as the chair of the Marketing Committee since January 2023. He will complete his three-year term this December and plans to continue to serve as an ad hoc committee member on the Development Committee and in a consulting role to the foundation’s marketing team. During his time on the board, Mr. Yaekle has worked extensively on increasing visibility and recognition of the foundation in the Granville community.

“We are doing a lot of good things for Granville citizens,” Yaekle said, “and we need to make sure that everyone is aware that we can make a real difference for the people here.”

Reflecting on the impact Mr. Yaekle has made to the board, Ball said, "Thanks to Gary's forward-thinking leadership, the foundation is now poised to set our sights on new and exciting possibilities for Granville. Under his leadership, the board has adopted the theme of 'Building Community,' and that theme will guide us going forward."

Granville residents interested in serving on the Granville Community Foundation board can find applications online at www.granvillecommunityfoundation.org/applications or may contact Jill Young, director of operations at granvillecommunityfoundation@gmail.com. Applications for terms beginning in January 2025 are due by Oct. 25.

Information submitted by the Granville Community Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Community Foundation board seeking new members as 3 members retire