Civic Leaders Named to Middle Keys Advisory Council; Ten Charter Members Will Serve as Ambassadors, Advisors

Ten Middle Keys business and community leaders are the Charter Members of a new Regional Advisory Council for the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK). The new Middle Keys Advisory Council will help the Keys-wide charitable foundation broaden its mission, grantmaking, donor base, and public awareness in the Marathon area.

“The new Middle Keys Advisory Council will work closely with the Community Foundation to help expand its impact and outreach in our area, including serving more of our local nonprofits and increasing philanthropy here,” said Marian Buccafurni, CFFK Board Member and Chair of the Middle Keys Advisory Council. “The council is committed to the Community Foundation’s mission and to helping our Middle Keys communities.”

The founding community leaders of the Middle Keys Advisory Council are:

  • Marian Buccafurni, Chair, Civic Leader and Retired Business Professional
  • Sarah Adams, Assistant Principal, Stanley Switlick Elementary
  • M. Bishop, Retired Educator and Community Volunteer
  • Sarah Brawer, Counselor, Sarah Brawer, M.A.
  • Leigha Fox, Radio Personality, Florida Keys Media
  • Kathleen Hendrickson, Estate Attorney, Kathleen Hendrickson, Attorney at Law
  • Katalin Koler, Owner, Sweet Savannah’s Bake Shop and Ice Cream Café
  • Mallory Pinto, Real Estate Professional, Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty
  • Daniel Samess, CEO, Marathon Chamber of Commerce
  • Lavarski Smith, District Manager, Coca Cola Florida

More information on each of the new council members is attached and also available at cffk.org/middlekeys.

The Community Foundation is committed to building a strong presence throughout Monroe County. The Community Foundation created the Middle Keys Advisory Council in conjunction with its 25th anniversary this year. Advisory Council members, who will meet quarterly throughout the year, will specifically help build philanthropy in the Middle Keys, raise awareness and advocate for the Community Foundation, advise CFFK on local needs and initiatives, identify potential nonprofits as grant applicants, and advise the CFFK Grants Committee on funding recommendations.

“These new council members bring local knowledge from the Middle Keys and vast experience from their professional and volunteer work,” said Jennifer McComb, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “They play an important role as Community Foundation ambassadors to help increase our grantmaking in the Middle Keys and help increase our donor base and donor funds from the Middle Keys.”

A new granting fund was recently established at the Community Foundation to support nonprofits in the Middle Keys for community needs. Right now, contributions to the Middle Keys Future Fund are being matched dollar-for-dollar up to the first $25,000 by the Community Foundation to provide grants to nonprofits based in and serving Marathon and surrounding Middle Keys communities. Contributions to the Middle Keys Future Fund can be made online at cffk.org/middlekeys.

More information about the Community Foundation and its programs and services is available at cffk.org.

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Your Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, In Paradise for Good, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since 1996, the Community Foundation has been connecting people, resources and needs through philanthropy. CFFK helps individuals and families leave a legacy in the Keys by inspiring giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every resident from Key Largo to Key West. Over $30 million in grants have been made to student scholarships, arts and culture, beautification and preservation of the Keys, health and human services, hurricane relief, and youth programs. The Community Foundation is known for its signature “Unsung Heroes” event which honors nonprofit volunteers. For more information, call (305) 292-1502 or visit cffk.org.

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