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. Before 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 organization through an organizational restructuring that has energized her board and local donors and resurrected the local Meals on Wheels program. She is a 2021 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute 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 has also served on the board for United Way Northwest Indiana since 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, and 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.

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.

Since becoming CEO of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) in July 2023, she has led the launch of CICF’s first strategic plan and helped formalize the CICF Collaborative, a $1 billion partnership across five organizations: Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana.

Jennifer previously spent 10 years at CICF as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing operations for CICF and multiple supporting entities. She also co-founded and continues to co-lead IMPACT Central Indiana, which facilitates low-interest, social-impact investments.

Earlier in her career, Jennifer worked at Toyota Motor Manufacturing and in public accounting at BKD, LLP (now Forvis), focusing on not-for-profit and governmental clients. She also held leadership roles at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields), including CFO and interim CEO.

She holds a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Evansville and a master of business administration from Ball State University. Jennifer is active in community service and education, and currently serves on the executive committee of Indiana Sports Corp as Treasurer, in addition to serving on other local nonprofit and civic boards and committees.

David has served as the James Kirby Risk Endowed president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette since January 2020. The Foundation holds over $101 million in assets residing in 367 funds.

Prior to his current role, he spent 6 years as senior associate vice president for advancement with the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) and University Development Office where he was responsible for overseeing the fundraising operations run by the chief development officers in the College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, Libraries and School of Information Studies, Daniels School of Management, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Student Life, University Initiatives, College of Veterinary Medicine, WBAA Radio, and the PRF Scholarship program.

Before PRF, he was with Purdue University for 12 years, holding a variety of positions ranging from special assistant to the president to leading the fundraising efforts on behalf of the Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, and the Daniels School of Business.

David currently serves as a trustee of the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society Foundation, board member of the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, board member and secretary of The James Shook Sr. Family Foundation, member of the Corporate Board and Board Secretary of North Central Health Services, member of the Local Advisory Council for the Indiana University School of Medicine – West Lafayette and co-founder and vice president of Future 57 Ventures LLC. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University and his M.A. from the University of Michigan. His undergraduate degree is from Ball State University, where he also served as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Laura Macknick serves as the president and CEO of the Don Wood Foundation, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She has been involved with the foundation since its creation. Laura has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including roles in nonprofit management, fundraising, grant writing, marketing, and communications. She is an alumna of Purdue University for her bachelor’s degree and completed her master’s degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and O’Neill School of Environmental and Public Affairs.

Laura is also pursuing her doctoral degree with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

She currently serves on the board of directors for NEI, a regional economic development organization, the advisory council for Ohio Northern University’s College of Engineering, and on her parish finance council. Additionally, she is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette.

Keylee M. Wright, M.A., is the executive director of the Kendrick Foundation, where she leads strategic health investments to improve outcomes in Morgan County. Her previous 15 years at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) included directing multi-million-dollar cancer control programs and major public health initiatives. She holds degrees in wellness management, gerontology, and agricultural journalism from Ball State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Recognized for her visionary, collaborative leadership, she has earned awards such as the 2024 Stability First Heart of the Community and Boys & Girls Club of Morgan County Visionary Hero honors, 2015 Indiana Cancer Consortium Outstanding Contributions to Cancer Control award, and the 2014 Indiana Public Health Association (IPHA) Public Health Hero award.

Wright is actively involved with several community coalitions and advisory boards and is a graduate of the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute, Morgan County Leadership Academy, and ISDH Leadership at All Levels.

As of October 2025, she also serves on the IPHA Board of Directors.