Susan Hart
Chair
Susan HartX
Susan is Vice President/Partner of Huebert Builders, Inc, a commercial general contracting business located in Central Missouri. She is part of CFCM because she values how the foundation reduces barriers to donors so that they are able to make an impact on those organizations they care most about in an efficient and uncomplicated matter. Susan is past chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Rotary District 6080 grants subcommittee chair, and board member of Central Missouri Community Action Center. She dedicates her time to giving back and to serving all members of her community.
Rebecca Jones
Vice Chair
Rebecca JonesX
Rebecca and her husband, Greg, are both active in the community and enjoy helping organizations through board service. They both seek to make central Missouri a better place to live for all. Greg was a founding member of CFCM's board of directors, and Rebecca is now filling her own important roles and functions on the board as she tries to help CFCM grow and impact more lives.
The Joneses practice giving and know its importance to communities. Rebecca feels that Columbia and its surrounding areas are great places to live. Rebecca brings to the board experience in governance, strategic planning, and workforce/human performance skills.
Amy Watson
Treasurer
Amy WatsonX
Since September 2018, Amy has worked as the Director of Individual Philanthropy for the Heart of Missouri United Way. She previously served at Commerce Bank and also as Senior Director of the NASPA Foundation, the nation's leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. A strategic thinker and problem solver, when she moved to Columbia in early 2016, Amy specifically sought out CFCM's Executive Director, John Baker, to express her interest in the philanthropic landscape of Central Missouri. Amy will bring her broad perspective to the CFCM Board.Amy Watson is a partner in Gerding, Korte & Chitwood CPAs. She has been with the company since 2005 and a partner since 2014. Amy performs several functions, with a primary focus in nonprofit organizations and government entities. One of Amy's favorite aspects of her job is to assist clients through the creation of a nonprofit organization. Amy is a founding member of a local nonprofit focusing on developing youth leaders through youth sports and is currently serving as the board treasurer.
Amy joined CFCM because she "saw it as an opportunity to broaden my impact on Mid-Missouri's nonprofits; CFCM has the ability to provide opportunities and resources to such a large variety of causes. I'm a huge fan of CoMoGives and I admire the sense of philanthropy it brings out of mid-Missouri." Amy has learned that CFCM is much more than CoMoGives, and that it provides resources to NPOs both through grants and the opportunity to establish dedicated funds to invest in their future. Feeling great joy in helping others, Amy is passionate about her family, too. She and her husband enjoy raising their two boys in Columbia, and as an avid sports-fan, Amy loves to cheer on their sons in various sporting activities.
Amy is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Missouri Society of CPAs, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Women's Network, and currently serves on the Not-for-Profit Committee of the Missouri Society of CPAs.
Scott Miniea
Secretary
Scott MinieaX
D. Scott Miniea, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), is currently the Executive Director of Missouri Connections for Health and of the Missouri CLAIM Program. Scott’s wide-ranging background includes entrepreneurship, fundraising, community health, K-12 teaching and administration, higher education administration, and volunteer and nonprofit management. Scott brings to the Board his great expertise in marketing, fundraising, and social media, along with active engagement in local and regional community activities.
Eric Sappington
Executive Director
Eric SappingtonX
Eric joined CFCM as its Executive Director in April of 2024, having come from 15 years' experience as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Missouri Valley College in Marshall. There he led successful capital campaigns and enriched the institution in many ways, such as through mentoring the Alumni Advisory Board and overseeing the offices of alumni, development and marketing during his tenure. As our E.D., Eric looks forward to building on the Foundation’s successes while discerning and reaching for his own unique vision for CFCM. He comes to us having witnessed firsthand the transformative power of philanthropy, and is deeply aligned with our mission to inspire and nurture giving for the public good.
Eric is an avid sports fan and he and his wife, Heather enjoy spending time with their children Ethan, Evan and Faith.
Abigail Anderson
Abigail AndersonX
Abigail is the newly minted CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, leading overall planning and operation of the organization, including leadership, direction, and support to staff and board members. Previously Abigail served as Executive Director of the American Red Cross in central Missouri, where she helped lead her team to goal achievement and best-practices recognition for a pilot program that combined volunteer recruitment, fundraising, community partnerships, and blood collection. While at ARC, Abigail managed a portfolio of strategic relationships with local elected officials, community partners, and stakeholders. Before that, Abigail served as Senior Director of Advancement for the State Historical Society of Missouri here in Columbia, overseeing the capital campaign that resulted in both a new building in downtown Columbia and an endowment to sustain the building in perpetuity.
Sarah Dubbert
Sarah DubbertX
Sarah is a mid-Missouri native who has been in banking for over 15 years and joined Commerce Bank in 2008 as VP Treasury Service Manager. Her current responsibilities include managing the Commercial Line of Business for the Central and Southeast Missouri Region as well as overseeing Commercial Payments and Small Business Banking in Central Missouri and ensuring customer satisfaction levels. Her primary focus is on public entities, large and small corporations. Sarah is a member of the AFP and has her CTP designation. She is currently a board member of Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation, and Girls On The Run, as well as serving as the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Dean of Counselors, and the Co-Director of Chapter Accounting Specialists nationally for Kappa Delta Sorority. She has a B.S. in Secondary Education and Mathematics from the University of Missouri.
Marsha Fifer
Marsha FiferX
Marsha is a financial advisor and CFP® Professional with LPL Financial, located at Central Bank of Boone County and has been part of Central Bancompany for 39 years. When invited to join CFCM, Marsha felt it was a "Perfect opportunity to give back to our Central Missouri Community." Marsha learned CFCM allows donors to establish fund(s) to give to their favorite charities when and as they choose to do so and also leave a legacy that will continue making an impact on their favorite charity(ies). She began serving as a Board Member in 2016 and currently serves on the Finance Committee and as the liaison for the Boonville Community Foundation, an affiliate of CFCM. Marsha and her husband, Tom, reside in Boonville and are the parents of three daughters. Grandparenting has become their favorite hobby.
Connie Haden
Connie HadenX
Connie S. Haden is a partner at the Law Firm of Haden & Colbert where she practices in the areas of estate and business planning, trust and probate administration, elder law, and tax-exempt and non-profit organizations – all with a passion is to assist clients in developing and implementing the best possible plan to achieve their goals. Ms. Haden received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the UMKC Law Review and was a member of the Christian Legal Society, the Federalist Society, the Student Bar Association, and the Order of the Bench and Robe. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia with degrees in Agriculture Business Management and Business Economics. Having grown up on a farm near King City, Missouri, where her parents continue raising cattle and farming row crops, she now lives outside Columbia with her husband and their three young sons, where she stays busy keeping up with her family and participating in their church and community.
Sarah Hanneken
Sarah HannekenX
Raised in Washington, MO., Sarah moved to Columbia in 2012, and fell in love with the community, residents, and gorgeous landscapes. Sarah graduated from Missouri State University, with her B.S. in Interpersonal Communication focusing on Human Development and Family Science. She acquired her certificate in mediation training through the Washington University School of Law Alternative Dispute Resolution, and earned her Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation through the Cannon Institute Trust School.
Sarah currently serves as a Vice President and Private Client Advisor at Commerce Trust. She oversees the administration of trusts and estates, retirement accounts, as well as Corporations, Foundations, and Endowments. Prior to Commerce Trust, Sarah served as VP and relationship manager with Central Trust Company for over 10 years. She previously served on the Board of Directors for Cradle to Career Alliance, and is a member of the Mid-Missouri Estate Planning Council and Women’s Network. She is passionate about financial literacy, and has volunteered her time teaching those wanting to learn about investments and financial planning.
Sahba Jalali (OD)
Sahba Jalali (OD)X
Raised in Columbia, Sahba Jalali graduated from Hickman High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and his Doctor of Optometry from University of Missouri-St. Louis. He interned at Washington University and Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Dr. Jalali has extensive post-graduate training and experience in the areas of laser vision correction from the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Jalali founded Advanced Vision in 2003, which has grown to one of the largest solo practices in central Missouri. His commitment to service in the community and dedication to an equitable and inclusive work environment that promotes just relationships within the workplace earned Dr. Jalali the Stephen’s College Dr. Martin Luther King community service award in 2009. To refresh and renew, Dr. Jalali enjoys cycling and spending time with his family.
Nathan Jones
Nathan JonesX
As an estate and business attorney, Nathan's drivers in life are helping people achieve peace of mind by getting their estate planning in place, assisting families as they navigate through legal issues after losing a loved one, and working with business owners as they start, buy, and sell their companies. Nathan also believes strongly in local leadership and being a giver in the community.
He joined the CFCM board to help make central Missouri a better place to live by spreading the idea of philanthropy and to share the word of the unique role the Community Foundation holds as it helps hundreds of organizations and thousands of donors in our service area. Nathan has also learned from board service that anyone can start giving now.
Marcus Jones
Marcus JonesX
Marcus Jones serves as Branch manager of The Broadway Group. Whether helping people achieve their dreams of owning a home, fundraising to help rebuild communities after disasters strike, or coaching basketball for Columbia’s youth, Marcus’ life prioritizes his community. He currently serves as a safety and facilities committee member for the Boys and Girls Club. Marcus likes to ensure that finances do not limit a kid’s opportunities, and to give youth hope that with perseverance they can attain any of their goals. By sharing his positivity and giving his time to various parts of the community, Marcus aims to enhance the lives of those around him.
Dan Joyce
Dan JoyceX
Dan is a retired attorney and communications professional who lives in Jefferson City. He worked for 32 years with several agencies of the state of Missouri in budget, policy and legal positions, retiring from the state Public Service Commission in 2011, where he first worked as general counsel and later as director of administration and regulatory policy. He most recently was employed by the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City--from January 2011-July 2018 as director of communications, and for the 2018-2019 school year as president of Fr. Augustus Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia. Dan has a journalism degree from Marquette University (WI) and a Juris Doctor degree from the St. Louis University School of Law. He has extensive communications and public sector legal and administrative experience, an interest in the nonprofit sector, and has many community connections in the Jefferson City area.
Rick Means
Rick MeansX
Rick Means, retired CEO and Chairman of Shelter Insurance Companies, enjoyed a long and lustrous career at Shelter, starting in 1977 as a claims adjuster. Rick’s involvement with professional organizations includes service on the boards of several entities here and abroad, including Central Bank of Boone County; and with numerous civic organizations, including service on the board of REDI and Easter Seals of Missouri. Rick was named Kingdom of Callaway Person of the Year in 2016, and named one of the “50 Missourians You Should Know” by Ingram’s (Kansas City Business Publication) in February 2015. Rick was also added to the Fulton High School Wall of Fame in 2015.
Jack Pletz
Jack PletzX
John S. (Jack) Pletz grew up in Jefferson City. Following college, the Peace Corps, the USAF and law school, he returned to his home town to practice law. He began by working for the Missouri Elections Commission (becoming its Executive Director) and as Deputy Secretary of State before joining a small firm in which he practiced for many years , concentrating in governmental, probate, estate planning, real estate, banking and commercial law. He retired from practice in 2020. Jack has also served on the governing boards of a number of community and health care organizations.
Garrett Rucinski
Garrett RucinskiX
As father to a 6 year old boy and 5 year old girl, and husband to a PhD candidate scientist wife, Garrett feels utterly blessed, and wants to use his agency and blessings to help lift others up. Raised in a bilingual home packed with hosted international students, Garrett earned his Eagle Scout, then deferred a year to study in Chile with Rotary youth exchange. Time abroad, followed by a minor in Spanish, helped him achieve fluency. While working in International Programs at Mizzou, he created a program that helped fundraise to grow outreach and welcome events for international scholars and students and their families. Garrett then worked at Central Bank as a Relationship Manager for a time, utilizing his local networks to advance not-for-profits, minority-owned businesses, and advocacy efforts in general. These efforts included organizing a community roundtable on welcoming Afghan refugees to Columbia via collaboration, not competition. In his spare time, Garrett is involved with the Crossing’s worship team, and is the Lion’s Den Leader for Cub Scout Pack 2.
Dean Runyan
Dean RunyanX
Dean Runyan brings many areas of interest to the CFCM Board of Directors and serves on multiple committees. He joined the Foundation out of a strong desire to give back to the community and is excited about how CFCM can make focused charitable giving more accessible to individuals.
Passionate about issues surrounding animal welfare, he spends his own charitable efforts focused on supporting animal rescue and advocacy organizations. Runyan works as the Web Programming Manager at Columbia Insurance Group, where he has worked since 2001.
Dawn Shellabarger
Dawn ShellabargerX
Dawn comes to us with a great history in banking, starting from a position of Senior Loan Review Analyst and growing into her role as Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking with Central Bank of Boone County. Among other things, she has built and managed diverse, challenging clientele from small town businesses, farms, non-profits, and home construction to multi-million-dollar businesses and construction projects. In her work, she has fostered an environment of collaboration and respect by sharing ideas, building innovative solutions, and connecting clients with the bank’s strengths. She earned Central Bank’s Presidential Caring Award in 2021. Dawn’s educational experiences are diverse, with degrees from the University of Missouri, the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin, and the Sustainable Futures Institute in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Dawn’s community involvement is also diverse, including her work with the Rotary Club, Missouri Court Appointed Special Advocates, P.E.O, Audrain County 4-H programs, St. Brendan’s School Home & School Club, and the Miss Missouri Organization. Dawn enjoys spending her free time on the family’s farm with husband Jacob and children Eric and Audrey.
Bruce Smith
Bruce SmithX
Bruce joined the Columbia community in August 2022, serving as Mizzou’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Development. Working in a team-driven environment, he leads a comprehensive fundraising program that includes school/college giving, regional major gifts, corporate engagement, foundation relations, principal gifts, planned giving, and campaign planning. With other key partners, he is tasked with building a culture of philanthropy and developing inspirational giving opportunities for donors. Bruce came to this role after an extensive career in fundraising, including his involvement with Dartmouth College’s $1.3 billion Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience and their current $3 billion Call to Lead campaign. Bruce has a BA in history and an MS in communication from Cornell University.
He and his wife Amy enjoy music, art, and theater. They met at Cornell through their respective choral ensembles and a cappella groups. Bruce continues to serve on the alumni advisory council for the Cornell Glee Club. Both have held leadership roles in their New Hampshire church, have been long-standing church choir members, and participate in community ensembles. A life-long creative, Bruce enjoys landscape painting when time and inspiration align. They look forward to becoming more involved with the arts community in Columbia and beyond.
Amy Susán
Amy SusánX
Amy is the Director of Public Relations and Communications for EquipmentShare, a Columbia-based construction tech company employing over 4,000 team members nationwide. Amy is passionate about bringing people together to accomplish big things and serve others. At EquipmentShare, Amy helped establish the company’s first-ever non-profit organization, The EquipmentShare Foundation, as well as a program where all employees receive 16 hours of annual volunteer time off to make a difference in their communities. Amy’s experience includes communications and marketing for the state’s Manufacturing Extension Program, PR work at various government departments and offices including the Secretary of State’s Office and the Department of Economic Development, and investigative reporting and anchoring for NBC and CBS affiliates. Amy and her husband proudly hold the record for raising the most money as King and Queen for The Rainbow House. You may find Amy on a tennis court with her daughter or friends, at the gym watching her son play basketball or on the MKT trail near her home. She is an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish.