Footsteps can be hard to follow...

By Sherry Ristau / President & CEO

Footsteps can be hard to follow.

But let me tell you, we have leaders rising up in the Quad Cities who are not only filling the shoes of those Quad Citizens who came before them, but confidently forging new paths of their own. This moment, my friends, is a transformative one in the Quad Cities.
 
Our community’s leaders are truly too numerous to name (though I want to name some right now). Tyson Danner at River Music Experience comes to mind. So, too, do Zenaida Landeros at the Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Rene Gellerman at the United Way of the Quad Cities, Dave Herrell at Visit Quad Cities, and Todd Gipple at QCR Holdings—people with not only energy and passion, but drive to create a more inclusive, welcoming community.
 
I also think of Rachael Mullins Steiner at the Putnam Museum, Kevin Maynard at Quad City Arts, Ben Leischner at the Quad City International Airport, and soon, a new executive director at the Figge Art Museum.
 
All of these people have stepped into new roles in the past year and a half, not only bringing big ideas to the table, but implementing them.
 
Some faces are familiar—people who have invested their lives in the Quad Cities and planted roots that demonstrate a deep commitment and desire to making this community prosperous. And then there are fresh faces and voices, including our new Vice President of Finance Sherry Ann Woolfolk, who have come to make their mark here. How lucky we are to welcome incredibly smart, talented people whose lives and work will seamlessly be grafted into ours.
 
We’re creating a beautiful blend of Quad Cities leaders who have committed their life to the community and their organizations. At the Community Foundation, we are finding the smart ways to connect with each of them—and learn from each other—to create the cool, creative, connected and prosperous Quad Cities that our community envisions. We apply the best ideas and learn from the mistakes to help transform a region that is as diverse in thought as it is in the people who live here.
 
As I meet those leading, I learn that each new leader is laser-focused on collaborating with one another to celebrate and enhance the things we love best about living here. Our network of leaders is a group of people inspired by each other’s work, consistently moving toward a common goal.
 
Change is inevitable, and it brings the opportunity for new thinking, new priorities and new relationships. We are energized—wanting all our leaders to succeed for the benefit of the Quad Cities. And we can feel the momentum.
 
How will you engage with our new leaders?