MOUNT VERNON — After nearly 18 years as executive director, Sam Barone will be retiring from the Knox County Foundation in June of this year. Barone said that the decision came after years of deliberation over a number of factors, but a desire to spend more time with his family, specifically his wife Paula and their growing number of grandchildren, was at the heart of his final decision.
In his 47 years as a professional, Barone has a long list of accomplishments to be proud of, but being executive director of the foundation remains at the top.
In 2002, Barone was named the first director of the organization, after it shifted from a trust to a community foundation. In the last 18 years, the foundation has thrived and grown remarkably. Barone is confident that the foundation will continue to thrive even without him at the reins, especially now that it has grown from a one-man job to a full fledged staff.
“I have no reservations that the foundation will be in good hands with out me,” Barone said. “I’m sure the board will search carefully for a new executive director to take it to new heights.”
The growth in the foundation’s endowment alone in the last few years is notable, considering it nearly quadrupled from $21 million to $80 million. Barone said that this growth has made it possible to accomplish projects and give in an even greater way thanks to a variety of new community partners and founders.
Amongst a sea of grants and other philanthropic initiatives, Barone believes their scholarship program stands out the most. “We give out over $1 million alone for our scholarship program, I believe it’s unparalleled in the state of Ohio among foundations our size,” Barone said.
He believes the foundation is poised for even greater success in the years to come, and he credits much of that future success to Marc Odenweller, financial director of the foundation, and Lisa Lloyd, program director.
“Their success is a big part of why I feel okay to leave the foundation in June, and I know the organization will not miss a beat, and it’ll only get better,” Barone said.
As the board starts its search for a new executive director, Barone plans to be involved in the process in order to make the transition into office as smooth as possible for him or her.
“I’m not going to disappear, I want to make myself available in whatever way I can, while respecting the new director and whatever objectives he or she might have,” Barone said. Barone plans to still be a part of the unfolding story of the foundation, but this time as a volunteer.
“It has been a remarkable journey that I hope to still be a part of, but in a different way,” he said.
