Chairman of the Board
John led one of the largest food banks in the US and the largest social service charity in Indiana, distributing more than 105 million meals per year, growing 6-fold to $200 million in revenue, 115 employees, 35,000 donors and 20,000 volunteers. Gleaners supported hundreds of partner organizations and operated a regional natural disaster hub and a perishable food cooperative with USDA clean room supporting more than 50 network food banks. John chaired the state food bank association, helped lead Indy Hunger Network and national Feeding America network, served on two pandemic task forces, the National Academies of Sciences Engineering & Medicine’s pandemic resilience task force and the White House Conference on Hunger. Prior to Gleaners, John led public affairs and served as media spokesman for The Kroger Co., distributing resources to hundreds of charities and representing the company on 9 industry association and other boards. Prior to Kroger, John owned a private consultancy focused on strategic planning and organizational effectiveness for non-profits, government, higher-ed and business. John helped found and was inaugural Executive Director of Hanover College’s Center for Business Preparation, transforming how business is taught in a liberal arts environment. John served 10 years as a diplomat with the Department of State in Washington DC, Burma, Taiwan, Thailand and in United Nations meetings. He later served on the US Department of Commerce’s Export Council. John then led Asian business development and international operations for Inland Paperboard & Packaging. He developed Inland’s market entry strategy for Asia, expansion in Latin America and worked with the company’s European partner, then led 8 mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, business process redesign, business intelligence and e-commerce projects. John has deep passion for community service and has served on more than 25 community boards and organizations and has founded multiple non-profits. John is a graduate of Hanover College, Butler University and the US Foreign Service Institute in Washington. John and his wife Karen, a school guidance counselor, are the proud parents of son George and daughters Katie and Jessica.
Erika is the Senior Director of Major and Principal Giving at St. Jude/ALSAC, where she has dedicated the last decade to driving philanthropic success. Under her leadership, the major gifts team navigated a significant organizational restructuring, achieving remarkable growth in high-wealth revenue from $80 million to over $290 million. Erika’s strategic vision and commitment to impactful giving have been pivotal in advancing the mission of St. Jude. Ms. Albert has served on the strategic planning committee and the grants committee for the Brown County Community Foundation as well.
Shaely grew up in Amarillo, TX with his two sisters. From there, he went on to complete both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. In 1996, he left Texas for Steilacoom, WA where he started a 20+ year career in business development and sales with various Contract Research Organizations. He has worked with some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to help them bring new medicines to the market, as well as implement projects for these companies to market and monitor the molecules effectiveness once approved. He has been twice awarded The Presidents Cup Award and The Outstanding Business Development Achievement Award for his achievements in sales and performance. In 2016, Shaely acted as a consultant for a Japanese company where he helped them conduct Phase I clinical trials in the Philippines.
Shaely married Wendy Cook in August of 2007 in Port Hadlock, WA. Soon after, they moved to Zionsville, IN to be closer to family. In 2015, they decided to make Brown County their home. They bought a custom built log cabin where they have two dogs, Bandon and Luna, and a cat named Sophie. In March of 2023, he started a new business/career in real estate.
Shaely has been involved with the American Cancer Society’s “Road to Recovery” program, where he drove patients in need of transportation both to and from their treatments and other medical appointments. He has also served as a volunteer for the Brown County Humane Society and Mother’s Cupboard. In June of 2023, Shaely joined the Advancement Committee of the Brown County Community Foundation and currently serves on the Sub-Committee that is leading the way for the BCCF’s 30th Annual Report to the Community event.
Kerry Ridge was raised on the far west side of Indianapolis. He met his wife at IU and upon her graduation in 1971 she accepted a teaching position at Brown County School Corporation. They were married in Brown County State Park in 1972 and have raised three sons in this beautiful part of Indiana. Most of his career has been in industrial sales. He worked for a distribution company headquartered in Indianapolis that marketed industrial batteries and charging equipment in support of the material handling industry and standby power equipment for telecommunications and utilities. He became president of the company in 2003 and retired in 2016.
Bill received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in park administration from the University of Illinois. Following graduation, he worked for 23 years for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in a variety of capacities, including the last 12 years as director of state parks. He worked for the National Park Service for 15 years before retiring as chief of staff to the director in 2002. Bill and his wife Ann have owned property in Brown County since 1970 and have two children, and two grandchildren. They are active locally in the Nashville United Methodist Church, serve on the board of the We Care Gang. He has been on the board of Habitat for Humanity and in retirement served on the Secretary of Interior’s Advisory Board to the National Park Service.
Sonia was born in Indiana and graduated from Franklin Community High School in Franklin, IN. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Slavic Languages and Literature and Social Studies and later obtained her law degree from Indiana University, Indianapolis. Sonia and her family (two sons and one daughter) lived in Hamilton County for 35 years where she served as the elected Prosecuting Attorney for sixteen years. During her tenure as Prosecutor, Sonia handled many high profile cases, helped establish a child advocacy center, served as
President of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Association, helped establish the Child First training program for child abuse investigators in Indiana and trained for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina.
After retiring from full time prosecution on December 31st, 2010, Sunny continued to serve as a Special Prosecutor in various counties throughout the State until 2024. She moved to Brown County in 2012 to the Cordry Sweetwater Conservancy District, where she served for ten years on the Ecology Commission, as well as volunteering for other community activities. Since moving to Brown County, Sunny has continued to serve on the Board of Horizon International, an organization that serves children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, as well as serving on the Board of Women of Worth International which does women’s conferences in Africa and India. She has served on short term mission trips to both countries – 10 in Africa and 3 in India. Sunny also serves as Vice-President of the Brown County League of Women Voters, and has served on the Advancement Committee for the Foundation since September of 2023.
Sunny enjoys reading, walking and spending time with her family, including her 99 year old
mother who lives in Franklin.
Linda Welty has lived in Brown County since 1984 with her husband Steve. They have a large extended family 6 children and 14 Grandchildren. Linda has been the Brown County Coordinator with South Central Community Action Program for the past 36 years. She is very passionate about the programs her agency provides for our community and continues to serve on several committees advocating for at risk populations. Linda was one of the founding members of Brown County Habitat for Humanity and Brown County Access . She served previously on the Brown County Community Foundation Board from 2007-2011. She is a proud member of Tri Kappa Zeta Phi, Fabulous 50 Women’s Giving Circle, Brown County Lions Club and a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church
Terran Marks is a community-focused professional with 14+ years of leadership, strategic planning, and data-driven decision-making experience. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees, as Scholarship Committee Chair and Grants Committee member for the Brown County Community Foundation, collaborating to maximize community impact. Terran’s background spans fighting wildfires for the U.S. Forest Service, entrepreneurship at Brown County Forge, and board governance for the Lilly Scholars Network.
A native of Brown County and 2003 recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, Terran is passionate about improving Hoosier lives through education, environmental protection, and equitable housing.
Volunteer Legal Counsel
Click on the section to learn about each of our committees and its members.
The purpose of the Advancement Committee shall be: 1) To facilitate the orderly acquisition of qualified assets for the Brown County Community Foundation. 2) To improve the public image of the Brown County Community Foundation (BCCF) through public relations and education activities.
The Finance & Investment Review Committee strives to manage the financial affairs of the Foundation in order to: 1) provide income sufficient for charitable distributions and Foundation operations; 2) promote long-term appreciation of capital; 3) ensure accountability to fund holders and the community; and 4) provide for compliance with IRS requirements and national standards for community foundations.
The Governance Committee ensures organizational structure and function that protects the public interest and is in compliance with the most current version of Ethical and Operational Standards for Indiana Community Foundations.
The Grants Committee enhances the opportunities of Brown County citizens through the granting of financial support for charitable projects/programs that address priority community needs.
The Scholarship Committee enhances the opportunities of Brown County residents by providing financial assistance for post-secondary education.
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 191
Nashville, IN 47448
Street Address
209 Van Buren Street North
Nashville, IN 47448 (do not mail anything to this address)
