CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – July 15, 2010 – Les Garner, Jr. joined the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF) today as president and CEO, completing the leadership transition that began in March with the departure of Dan Baldwin. Garner is a widely recognized expert in higher education, public policy, and leadership.
"The foundation and this community is fortunate that we did not have to look far from home to find the right CEO," said Ron Olson, GCRCF board chair. "Les Garner fit the mold for the ideal candidate and he came to us as a locally well known and proven community leader of the highest integrity. His leadership and passion are sure to guide the foundation to new opportunities to benefit our donors, fund holders, grant recipients and the community."
"I’m excited about leading the Community Foundation as we continue to build a better community through grant making and by helping donors achieve their philanthropic goals," said Garner. "Thanks to the leadership of Dan Baldwin, the foundation has built considerable momentum to meet future opportunities and challenges."
"The board of directors commends Karla Twedt-Ball, vice president of programs, for her leadership as she served as the interim president and CEO since March," said Olson.
The Community Foundation is hosting a welcome reception to introduce Les to the community and an open house for the new home of the GCRCF at the Torch Press building. The welcome reception and open house will be held Tuesday, August 31 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Community Foundation office at 324 3rd Street SE in downtown Cedar Rapids. Remarks will be made at 5:30 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, please call 319.366.2862 or email amber.mulnik@gcrcf.org.
Garner most recently served as president of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, for the past 16 years. During his tenure, Garner created a strategic plan for the college's future that resulted in innovative opportunities for students. Garner launched several interdisciplinary initiatives including Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare, and The Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy.
The college welcomed the Cornell Fellows Program and the Program For Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility to give students unique ways for learning and contributing beyond the classroom.
New facilities were constructed to provide state-of-the-art learning environments. Renovations and redesigns turned historic and treasured buildings into modernized centers for learning and living.
These and many other campus improvements came during a time when Cornell's endowment more than doubled in size. Garner was key in leading a five-year, $92 million effort to enhance the college's endowment and upgrade its facilities. The campaign has raised more than $97 million to date.
From 1987 to 1994, Garner was president of North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C. Prior to this appointment, he served as assistant professor of business administration and director of the Young Executives Institute at the University of North Carolina. Between 1974 and 1977, he served as special assistant to the director at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburge, Austria.
He has published numerous articles and publications, including his book Leadership in Human Services published in 1989.
Garner earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, a Master’s in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.
He served on the boards of a number of organizations, including the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and Educational & Institutional Insurance Administrators (EIIA).
He is the former chair of the ACM, the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges, the Iowa College Foundation and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He has also headed the boards for the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Cedar Rapids Symphony in recent years, in addition to a number of other civic and community leadership roles.
Garner and his wife, Katrina, have two sons in their 20s: Brantley and William.
The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is a critical resource for Linn County, Iowa, funding nonprofit activities in four essential areas: Arts and Culture, Community Development and the Environment, Education and Health and Human Services. With total assets of $95 million as of Dec. 31, 2009, the mission of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is to connect donors to the priorities they care about and to the needs of the community, to increase charitable giving and to provide leadership on important community issues. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at www.gcrcf.org. For good. For ever.
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Media Contact:
Amber Mulnik, director of Communications
amber.mulnik@gcrcf.org
319.366.2862
