“The Community Foundation has such a great impact on the needs of our communities, I am honored to have the opportunity to help continue the mission of the Foundation,” Akin said. “It’s a honor to be appointed, and it’s also good for the Piedmont community to be represented.”
Akin replaces Piedmont School Board member Leon Garrett as a trustee at the foundation. Garrett served as chairman of the foundation last year.
The Foundation, established in October 1999, is comprised of over 110 funds with more than $25 million and awards $15 million in grants and scholarships.
The organization was originally called the Community Foundation of Calhoun County. It has since broadened its scope and changed its name to the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama.
Last month, it was announced that, along with matching funds from The Patterson Foundation of Sarasota, Fla., by the end of October the foundation had raised $500,000 for nonprofit groups in the state to help with long-term disaster relief for Alabama after the April 27 tornadoes.
“They’re really expanding what they’re doing,” Akin said. “They’ve done a lot with tornado relief last spring, and so I’m just really excited to be a part of it.”
Along with Akin, retired founder of Nolen Oil Co., James Nolan, was appointed as a trustee to the foundation.
“We are honored to have Mr. Akin and Mr. Nolen join the Foundation Board of Trustees,” said Jack Swift, Board of Trustees Chairman. “Both have made significant impact on their respective communities and we plan to leverage their experience and knowledge to further the mission of the Foundation in our expanded service area.”