Cheryl Taylor, former President of Foellinger Foundation, Receives Sagamore of the Wabash Award
At the conclusion of today’s Foellinger Foundation board of directors meeting, State Representative Dennis Zent (R, District 51) and State Senator Justin Busch (R, District 16) on behalf of Governor Eric Holcomb, recognized Cheryl Taylor with the Sagamore of the Wabash award.
Taylor is the former President and CEO of Foellinger Foundation, and currently serves on the organization’s board of directors. She retired from the President role on July 31, 2020.
The Sagamore of the Wabash is one of Indiana’s highest honors. The award states that the honoree is “distinguished by her (his) humanity in living, her loyalty in friendship, her wisdom in council, and her inspiration in leadership.”
Additionally, recognizing Taylor’s three decades of service to the foundation, Foellinger Foundation made a $100,000 gift to the Ralph E. Taylor Conservation Fund at the Steuben County Community Foundation. This is a donor-advised fund established in Cheryl’s late husband’s honor and memory. Cheryl makes grants from the fund to support many outdoor conservation projects in the region.
Ralph E. Taylor was a retired Conservation Lieutenant and Area Commander for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division. He passed away May 11, 2009.
Ralph received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 2003, making the Taylors one of the few couples with each spouse recognized by the honor.
“We are grateful for Cheryl Taylor’s unparalleled leadership in our pursuit of philanthropic excellence,” said Michael Moellering, chair, Foellinger Foundation board of directors. “As a tireless champion of organizational effectiveness and strong leadership, she has made an incredible and lasting difference in our community.”
Cheryl served as President and CEO of Foellinger Foundation for twenty years. In the decade prior to that, she served as Program Manager under the leadership of Barbara Burt, her mentor.