Board of Trustees
Leading our Community, Leading our Community Foundation
The members of the CFNIL Board of Trustees represent communities across the foundation's service area, numerous professional backgrounds, and have a variety of community engagement and volunteer experience. Every trustee volunteered as a CFNIL scholarship or grant advisor before becoming a member of the Board of Trustees.


Kathy Kwiat-Hess – Vice Chair
Retired – Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Retired – Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Dayton Smith, III – Treasurer
DBS Accounting
DBS Accounting


Cheryl Balsam
Retired – Hyzer, Hyzer & Jacobs
Retired – Hyzer, Hyzer & Jacobs

Judith Barnard
Market Works
Market Works

Edward Clift - Assistant Treasurer
Remax Professional Advantage
Remax Professional Advantage

Russ Dennis
Leading Edge Hydraulics
Leading Edge Hydraulics

Derek Dreier
SPX Flow Inc.
SPX Flow Inc.

Sherry Gaumond
Larson & Darby Group
Larson & Darby Group

Joyce D. Higgins
African American Resource Center at Booker
African American Resource Center at Booker

Beth S. Howard
Friends of the Coronado / Rockford Coronado Concert Association
Friends of the Coronado / Rockford Coronado Concert Association

John Kehoe
Retired – Mercyhealth
Retired – Mercyhealth

Rebecca Kendall
Rockford Health Council
Rockford Health Council

Joanna Mladic
Rockford University
Rockford University

William Reilly II
Reilly Law Offices
Reilly Law Offices


Karen Schiller
Winnebago County CASA
Winnebago County CASA

Stephen Schmeling
Schmeling Construction, Co.
Schmeling Construction, Co.

M. Beth Thacker
Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual

Richard T. Leighton
Trustee Emeritus
Trustee Emeritus