Two community members join Quad Cities Community Foundation board
Suresh Balakrishnan & Jerry Jones
The Quad Cities Community Foundation is welcoming two new members to its board of directors. With unique perspectives, professional expertise, and connections in the community, the new members will be important leaders in the Community Foundation’s efforts to transform the region through the generosity of donors this year.
“We are so fortunate to have a board of directors that doesn’t just believe in our mission but has an ambitious vision for our Quad Cities community,” said Sue Hafkemeyer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “I’m grateful that members of our community continue to step up to help move our work forward.”
The two new members of the Community Foundation board are:
Suresh Balakrishnan, senior financial analyst at Deere & Company
Jerry Jones, executive director of the Martin Luther King Center in Rock Island
Balakrishnan has worked for Deere for 18 years, with experience in treasury, risk management, pensions and investments, and more. He has developed strategic asset allocations for the Canadian John Deere Foundation and the John Deere Classic Corpus Fund. For the past year and a half, Balakrishnan has also served on the Community Foundation’s Investment Committee, a group of local professionals that guide the organization’s investment policy and strategy.
“I have closely witnessed how the Community Foundation serves our community and makes a real impact on thousands of peoples’ lives, and I wanted to play a bigger part in it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the Community Foundation’s leadership team to explore more actively partnering with local manufacturing companies, services industries, and other businesses that shape our region.”
Jerry Jones has been with the MLK Center for more than two decades, serving as executive director until 2012, before joining United Way of the Quad Cities as chief operating officer. He returned to the MLK Center in 2016 and is active on nonprofit boards throughout the community.
As it welcomes Balakrishnan and Jones to the board, the Community Foundation recognizes three outgoing members for their service: Jeff Trahan of Deere & Company, Denise Garrett of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Randy Moore of Iowa American Water. Moore most recently served as board chairperson and acted as the Community Foundation’s interim president and CEO from September 2021 through May 2022.