Community Foundation of Pulaski County Appoints New, Full-Term Board Members
The Community Foundation of Pulaski County, Inc. (CFPC)—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Winamac, Indiana, that serves donors, awards grants, and provides leadership toward greater community engagement and growth—announced the appointment of six new, full-term board members to its 2024 Board of Directors. The new, full-term board members were appointed to serve three-year terms, and can serve a maximum of three terms.
New board members Brandy Goble, Joey Schlatter, Megan Wegner, and Peter Zahrt were appointed to begin their first three-year terms in 2024, and Christian Smith and Bill Peppers—after completing terms for former board members in 2023—also were added to the CFPC board in 2024 as full-fledged three-year term members.
Schlatter and Wegner were appointed to serve on the board’s 2024 Grants Committee, Smith and Zahrt on the Finance Committee, Goble on the Scholarship Committee, and Peppers—who served the CFPC for many years as a non-board committee member—was appointed to serve on the Chair, Nominating, and Governance Committee.
“I am pleased that we were able to add such outstanding community leaders to our board in 2024,” said CFPC Executive Director Leeann Wright. “We have a lot of work to do. The next several years our focus is on addressing substance misuse, working to address our shortage of childcare options, and continuing our longstanding mission to serve as Pulaski County’s philanthropic leader. The addition of six capable and committed full-term board members is going to strengthen our foundation and help us in our mission. We have deep gratitude for outgoing board members Missy Culp, Rhonda Lower, and Shane Pilarski—who did great work over the years—and in 2024 our board will continue the important work of shaping a great future for Pulaski County.”
Officers for the 2024 CFPC Board of Directors were unchanged from 2023; Kaye Beall serves as Board President, Jill Kasten as Vice-President, Kurt Dickey as Treasurer, and past president Vicki Overmyer serves as Board Secretary in 2024.
CFPC New Full-Term Board Members — 2024
Christian Smith - Finance Committee
Christian, a Business Banker with 1st Source Bank, is a graduate of John Glenn High School and Indiana University South Bend, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Christian previously worked as a Political Director for former Indiana State Rep. Steve Braun, and served as a campaign intern and constituent services representative for current U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana. A seven-year resident of Pulaski County, Christian—who lives in Winamac with his wife—served on the CFPC board in 2023 to complete the term of a former board member.
“Completing a partial term on the board was advantageous, as I was able to get a feel for the board and the way it operates,” said Smith, “and I look forward to beginning my first full term. Given my occupation, I spend the majority of my days reviewing, analyzing, and discussing company financials with both clients and colleagues. I sit on one other non-profit finance committee, and my experience helps me find ways to contribute. I feel we all have some degree of responsibility for the community that we reside in, and I hope to aid the Finance Committee—and the greater organization—in continuing the great work they have done in Pulaski County.”
Bill Peppers - Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee
Bill, who serves on the Chair, Nominating, and Governance Committee, has significant experience with the Community Foundation, having completed the term of a former board member in 2023, and having also previously served for six years as a non-board committee member. A graduate of Ball State University, Bill has a background in farming and has worked in finance as a regional director for the State of Indiana. Bill lives in Star City with his wife, Sue.
“I have been involved with the Community Foundation for quite a long time,” said Peppers. “My wife and I have lived in Pulaski County for 14 years, and I—for one—feel it is important for people to give back to their community. This will be my first three-year term as a full-fledged board member, and I look forward to working with my fellow community members to continue the good work of the foundation, and to make Pulaski County an even better place to live.”
Brandy Goble - Scholarship Committee
Brandy, a bookkeeper for Goble Farms and a rental property manager, is a graduate of Winamac Community high School (2000) and Purdue University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision in 2004. Brandy previously worked in corporate treasury management for PNC Bank in Indianapolis, and also has experience in the automotive industry and as an office manager. Brandy lives in Winamac with her partner, Kyle, and their son Scout.
“As a new board member, it is my hope to see Pulaski County be the best it can be,” said Goble. “I am honored to serve on the Scholarship Committee—education is something that is very important to me. I think it is imperative that we do all we can to support and encourage the youth of Pulaski County to excel in learning and further their education. I think if we help our kids determine a better future, that will result in a better future for Pulaski County.”
Megan Wegner - Grants Committee
Megan, the Director of Brand and Communications at BraunAbility—a global leader in mobility transportation solutions—is a lifelong Pulaski County resident who lives in Winamac with her husband, Chris, and their three teenage children. Megan graduated from Winamac Community High School in 1998, and then from Butler University in 2002 with a major in English and a minor in Marketing. Megan has experience with the CFPC, having—many years ago—worked as a part-time communications coordinator for the foundation.
“My previous experience with the Community Foundation, back when my children were very young, gave me a deep appreciation for the people, programs, and organizations that sustain this community,” said Wegner. “Wherever I look in Pulaski County I see the significant impact the Community Foundation has made over the past two decades, and counting. The foundation has grown from an entity best known for awarding scholarships to becoming the philanthropic heart, and strategic mind, of Pulaski County. Serving on the Grants Committee offers a firsthand look at the challenges facing our community, and I am proud to have the opportunity to contribute and collaborate toward the betterment of the place I call home.”
Peter Zahrt - Finance Committee
Peter is a resident of Winamac and a Purdue University graduate who—in his former work as a federal law enforcement officer with the National Parks Service—patrolled national parks throughout the U.S. Now the CEO of Winamac-based Tippecanoe Tech, Inc., Zahrt is the inventor of a field sobriety testing device intended to significantly increase field testing safety for law enforcement officers in Indiana and throughout the country.
“I am proud to be appointed to the Community Foundation’s board,” said Zahrt. “There is a lot of potential in Pulaski County, and while serving on the Finance Committee it will be my objective to do anything and everything I can do to further the Community Foundation’s good work, which has led to so much growth and positive change in Pulaski County over the years.”
Joey Schlatter - Grants Committee
A West Central High School graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kentucky Christian University (2004), Joey works for his family business, Schlatter’s Inc., and lives south of Francesville with his wife, Joy, and their three children. In his work, Joey focuses on GPS Machine control systems and designing drainage systems, and—as an expert and guest lecturer in his field—Joey has been invited to speak at Purdue University, The Ohio State University, the Overholt Drainage School, and the Illinois LICA Drainage workshop.
“I love our community and I want to help make it better any way I am able to,” said Schlatter. “I have been serving our community as a junior high youth leader at the First Christian Church since 2006, and I have served as a volunteer firefighter for the Francesville Volunteer Fire Department since 2007. Now, in serving on the Community Foundation’s Grants Committee, I hope to play a part in a direct and positive impact to the many organizations the Community Foundation benefits.”