Change is good

By Sherry Ristau / President and CEO

We all learn, from an early age, the importance of saying thank you when we receive something from another person, whether it be a compliment, a gift, an opportunity, or some other kindness. And yet this morning, as I bring my time at the Quad Cities Community Foundation to a close, those two small words hardly begin to express the enormous gratitude I feel toward each and every donor, community leader, and Quad Citizen who has been committed, alongside the Community Foundation, to transforming our region these past seven years.  

When I arrived in the Quad Cities, I was welcomed as the new leader of this organization with overwhelming warmth and openness. That’s a testament to the good will of this community, but it speaks to something else equally important for our future: our willingness to embrace change and the chance to improve—to transform ourselves for the better. 

This drive to challenge the status quo has inspired me from the start. I saw it in the preparations for the I-74 bridge connecting our two states—how we were willing to invest not only resources but also energy and patience, how we were willing to make necessary sacrifices for the sake of the greater good and the longer-term future. Construction may still be under way, but when the bridge is completed, it will stand as proof that we can transform our region in ways that bring us all closer together.

Our work at the Community Foundation embodies these same principles. From Transformation Grants to scholarships, we have sought out new and better ways to improve life for every Quad Citizen today and in the generations to come. By truly putting ourselves out in the community and listening, we have earned the trust of leaders and donors to guide generosity at the intersection of individual and community philanthropic goals and the most pressing needs and promising opportunities, which keep evolving as we do.

Personally, I am ending my time as the leader of the Quad Cities Community Foundation changed for the better. The many new relationships I’ve made have expanded how I see the world and ignited my passion for the Quad Cities. As a member of this community, I look forward to learning how I might continue to contribute, and I hope my path will continue to cross with many of yours as the Quad Cities grows—in ways that can only be done with what I think of as the five C’s. It starts with care for each other and progresses from there to connection, cooperation, and collaboration. Finally, we must remember to celebrate each other’s successes together. Let’s stay focused and inspired, just as we did with the bridge, so we can continue transforming our region together.

Thank you, once again, for supporting me and this organization along that journey.