About Us

The Mission of the Community Foundation for Ocala / Marion County is connecting the charitable interest of the donor to build a strong community.

The Foundation:

Serves as a conduit between donors, charitable organizations and community leaders
Provides financial and leadership frameworks to consistently grow Ocala/Marion County resources
Works proactively with public/private partners to identify issues that impact Ocala/Marion County
Convenes leadership from public/private/nonprofit partners to explore solutions to community issues
Manages assets ethically and effectively to allow maximum growth of funds
Responsibly honors donor’s intent in perpetuity
Operates under established standards of the Council on Foundations

Board of Directors

Batsel, Rob	Gilligan, Gooding, Batsel, Anderson, & Phelan, P.A.
Boyd, Thad	Boyd Development
Branson, Rusty	SouthState Bank
Chambers, Bill	Merrill Lynch
Fontaine, Jane	Ameriprise Financial – EIS Wealth Management
Hennessey, Frank	Hennessey Arabians
Hillebrandt, Jim	Retired Manufacturing Executive
Ingram, Tom	Mainstreet Community Bank
Kurtz, Jon	Banking
Lee, Steven	Purvis Gray & Company
Midgett, David	Elder Law Attorney
Reilly, Robert "Bob"	Director Emeritus, Retired
Schneider, Jim	Director Emeritus, Saratoga Chips
Siboni, Michael	Siboni & Buchannan, PLLC
Ulmer, Jamie	Heart of Florida Health Center
Weber, Chester	Live Oak Farm

Our History

In 2007, Frank and Carol Hennessey moved to Ocala and learned there was no local community foundation. Hennessey saw his local giving purpose – the formation of a community foundation. Hennessey reached out to his friend, Robert Reilly, and together they created a local foundation, the Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County, incorporated in 2011, to attract other philanthropists to help build a stronger community.

Founding Board Members:

William Chambers, Jr.
Frank M. Hennessey
Col. Edward Johnson, Jr.
Robert Reilly

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Special Thanks to Our Partners

Our Staff

Lauren Deiorio

President & Executive Director

In her current role as President & Executive Director of the Community Foundation, she helps to build and cultivate the relationships between potential donors and the community. Originally a Louisville, Kentucky native, Lauren graduated from the University of Louisville College of Business with a degree in Finance. She worked 8 years in public accounting…

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Dixie Maloney

Administrative Specialist

As the Administrative Specialist for the Community Foundation, she maintains all administrative responsibilities for the Foundation and the Nonprofit Resource Center. While she’ll tell you she’s just a girl from Pittsburgh, Dixie has lived in Ocala for nearly 21 years where she raised her two daughters. With more than 35 years of experience as an…

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Thomas J. Harrington, CNM, MA

Director of Grant Services

As the Director of Grant Services for the Community Foundation, Harrington works to connect our community with grants and other resources through identifying and facilitating new and recurring opportunities for addressing the wide array of community needs in Ocala/Marion County. Harrington holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Masters in Political Science from the…

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Allison B. Campbell, APR, CPRC

Director of Strategic Communications

As Director of Strategic Communications at the Community Foundation, she manages all internal and external communication strategies from research to implementation. Originally from Southeast Tennessee, Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication from Lee University, a master’s degree in political communication from Regent University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in strategic communication from Regent.…

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Chris D’Avanzo

Communications Specialist

As the Communication Specialist for the Community Foundation, he works to produce high quality content and messaging for the Foundation and its nonprofit partners that help them clearly communicate with the community. He uses his skills a writer and video producer to help the Foundation achieve our goals in the digital space. Raised in Ocala, Chris graduated from the IB Program…

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Lisa Patterson

Account Manager

As the Account Manager for the Community Foundation, she works to keep track of the daily financial transactions of the Foundation regarding both internal spending and the allocation of grants to local nonprofits. Born and raised in Marion County, she received her A.S. degree from Central Florida Community College (now College of Central Florida). Throughout…

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Jesse Brock, Ed.D.

Grant Research Associate

As the Community Foundation’s Director of Donor Services, Jim meets and interacts with both potential and current fund holders at the Community Foundation. His role is to help businesses and individuals with philanthropic interests establish ways to grow their means of giving back. An alumnus of Minnesota State University, Jim brings more than 40 years of executive experience to…

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