6
Foundation Officers
Jan M . Hayden Chair
Vincent E . Lazar Vice Chair
Lisa M . Schweitzer Secretary
Marjorie Kaufman Treasurer
Paul E . Harner Past Chair
Foundation Directors Jay Bender Steven N . Berger Leyza F . Blanco Christopher M . Candon Kathyrn A . Coleman Christine E . Devine Jay M . Goffman Hon . John Hoffman Eric L . Johnson Michael R . Johnson Laura Davis Jones Julio ( Rick ) E . Mendoza Dwayne Murray Felicia Gerber Perlman Caroline A . Reckler Mark Shinderman Lynn Lewis Tavenner Julie B . Teicher Travis Torrence Warren A . Usatine Scott Wolfson
Senior Director Robert J . Rosenberg
Ex Officio Patricia A . Redmond Norman L . Pernick
Executive Director Shari A . Bedker
From the Foundation
Jan Hayden , Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz , PC Chair , American College of Bankruptcy Foundation
As I sit down to write this month ’ s Columns article , it occurs to me that I have nothing but good news to share with the College . From another recordbreaking year of donations to a recordbreaking level of grants , to attending this Spring meeting in Washington DC during the peak of a stunning cherry blossom season , the Foundation had a great end to 2023 and began 2024 with wonderful results under its belt and a renewed commitment to keep on trucking ! So let me fill you in .
Each year , the Foundation Board sets out to raise the money needed to fund the grants that Norm Pernick and his Grants Committee hand out each year . This year we kicked off our fundraising campaign on November 1 , 2023 , by celebrating “ 20 Years of Impactful Giving ”. We try to stretch a bit beyond where we were the year before and we are happy to report we were able to do that again . The 2023 campaign raised a total of $ 476,654 . These results exceeded our 2022 total of $ 459,178.15 , by 4 %, and our 2021 total $ 412,554 ( the previous record ) by $ 64,000 or 15 %. We also exceeded our announced stretch goal of $ 475,000 .
I personally must thank every member of the fundraising team for this result . During our fundraising season ending with the ringing in the New Year , Jenny Cudahy , our amazing staff member , keeps the team composed of the board members and various volunteers from each circuit in line and informed weekly about our progress . It is hard to single out any one or two of the directors for their efforts , but I do have to thank Vince Lazar who moved from circuit to circuit as needed to help - we couldn ’ t have done what we did without his help . I especially want to thank the volunteers Chris Candon , John Monaghan , Chad Dale , Katie Coleman , Annette Jarvis , and of course the “ Eveready Battery of Fund Raising ” Richard Carmody . They stepped in and helped our board exceed its goals once again . Most of all , we need to thank the fellows who participate year in and year out . Overall , 89 % of contributing fellows matched or exceeded their prior-year donations in 2023 ( This