Board of Directors

Jeff Small joined the Trust in September 2014 after working with nonprofit groups in Indianapolis for more than a decade. Small served as a writer and project manager at Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA), a philanthropic consulting firm in Indianapolis specializing in strategic planning, development planning, feasibility studies and capital campaign counsel. Prior to his time with JGA, he held positions in the Research Department of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. In addition, he holds a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University.

In his current position, Small oversees the Trust’s giving areas, sets grantmaking standards, designs grantmaking infrastructure, directs the program staff and evaluates the impact of various Trust programs on grantees, beneficiaries and the communities of metropolitan Phoenix and Indianapolis.

Brienne Hooker is the executive director of Jasper Newton Foundation. During her seven years with the Jasper Newton Foundation, she has navigated the Jasper Newton Foundation through an organizational restructuring that has energized her board and local donors and resurrected the local Meals on Wheels program. She is a Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute 2021 Graduate and Strosacker Early Learning Fellow. With the community leadership of the Foundation, JNF has supported the creation of nearly 100 early learning seats in Jasper and Newton Counties since 2020. Brienne currently serves on the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance Board and will be joining the United Way Northwest Indiana Board in 2023. She lives in Rensselaer with her family.

Patti Hays is CEO of AWS Foundation in Fort Wayne, IN. Funding primarily in northeast Indiana, this public foundation serves to provide a more inclusive NEI for those with disabilities. ​Patti is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan and LSU Medical Center. With over 40 years of experience in nursing education, clinical nursing, and hospital administration, she has been an active servant leader in the community since moving to Fort Wayne in 1990. She serves as vice chair of the Executive Board of the Allen County Department of Health, co-founder of AVOW, and an active member of the boards of Greater Fort Wayne, Arts United, FW Philharmonic. She has been actively involved with other health and arts-related organizations, as well as local politics. Patti and her husband, cardiologist Peter Hanley, have three adult children and eight grandchildren.

Charlotte Hawthorne is the director of social impact of Eli Lilly & Company and vice president of the Lilly Foundation. In these roles, she leads Lilly’s volunteerism programs and STEM education portfolio. She is a diversity thought leader and develops strategies to deliver on Lilly’s diversity and inclusion objectives. She received a BS Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Hawthorne is a professional development coach, leadership trainer, consultant, and organizational effectiveness expert. She is active in her community and serves on the boards of Girls Inc. and Enroll Indy. Hawthorne is a passionate advocate for policies and practices that create equity and inclusion for all.

Amy is the Executive Director of The Ripley County Community Foundation, a charitable foundation with a mission to improve the quality of life in Ripley County, Indiana by inspiring generosity. Amy holds a Juris Doctor degree from DePaul College of Law – Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University-Bloomington. She practiced law for 14 years with Kellerman Law Office. Passionate about giving back to the community, while in the private practice of law, Amy worked as pauper counsel in three counties ensuring that every individual regardless of their station in life had access to qualified legal counsel. Putting into practice her personal motto of “give back to the community in the way best suited for you”, she represented the Eagle Fire Co., the Town of Sunman and the Town of Oldenburg on a “pro bono” basis. Amy’s move to the Ripley County Community Foundation in 2015 has allowed her to expand her passion for philanthropy and the Hoosier State. Amy’s work centers on, assisting donors and charitable organizations in fulfilling their charitable dreams and, providing leadership to address critical needs through effective grant-making, with a focus on maintaining vibrant communities and a high quality of life in rural America. Over the last 27 years the Ripley County Community Foundation has granted over $20 million back into Ripley County while building up over $20 million in endowed funds for future grant making.