Randy Moore is new board chairperson at the Community Foundation

Whenever Randy Moore is faced with a task, especially if it’s a challenging one, he always asks himself, “How can I do a good thing differently to make it better?”

This forward-thinking attitude is what Moore has brought to every organization he’s been a part of throughout his 40-year career in the water and wastewater industry—and one that he’s now bringing to the Quad Cities Community Foundation as its new board chairperson.

“This is one of the best run boards that I’ve ever been a part of,” he said, beaming. “I see huge opportunities for extending our focus to cultivating new partnerships and helping marginalized organizations and people across the Quad Cities.”

Moore, an Indiana native and former member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Drinking Water Advisory Council, is deeply dedicated to affecting positive change on the local level—a mindset that he’s brought to numerous leadership positions throughout his career, including his role as president of Iowa American Water, where he champions for equal access to clean water.

Moore is also a steadfast supporter of developing others, particularly minorities and disenfranchised individuals. “This past year, we’ve seen major cultural changes across America,” he said. “All kinds of things happened that brought race to the forefront of everything that we do. That woke me up to the incredible opportunity we have right here in the Quad Cities to help marginalized organizations and people who call this region home.”

With his tenure as board chairperson, the Community Foundation hopes to kick off 2021 with a positive vision for the future that directly addresses systemic issues within the Quad Cities bi-state region—all in an effort to meet the Community Foundation’s mission to transform the region through the generosity of others.

“I’ve seen firsthand that this organization, and everything that comes out of it, is based on generosity,” said Moore, who is eager to start working on intentional ways of balancing funding allocations throughout the community and bringing marginalized areas into clearer focus. “We’re going to reach into areas that we haven’t reached into before,” he said. “We’ll bring certain things to the front of the table that have typically been at the back.”

Alongside national cultural change, Moore’s appointment also comes on the heels of additional changes on the board. Jill McLaughlin will be stepping down from the Community Foundation board after decades of leadership—including a stint as chairperson. With her exuberant character and extremely effective fundraising style, McLaughlin worked tirelessly to support her fellow Quad Citizens through work informed by generosity.

Moore’s predecessor, Jean Moran, has also been an exemplary leader who laid the groundwork for transformative change within the organization and community at large. She will continue serving on the board, as past-chair. “Both Jill and Jean have been instrumental to bringing positive change to the people of our community and the organizations that serve them,” said Sherry Ristau, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “I have no doubt that Randy is perfectly positioned to continue their legacy as our chair in this critical moment in time.”  

With an emphasis Moore is placing on growing support for the Black and Brown communities in the Quad Cities in a variety of different ways, he will offer leadership that’s rooted in a belief that having strong diversity, equity, and inclusion in a community holds the potential to spark positive growth that’s never happened before. “We’re going to build our community to a level that’s even beyond what we can imagine today,” Moore said. “I’m really excited to be a part of that.”