Leadership of the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund has passed to its second generation through the recent election of a new board chair and executive committee. Bill McGowan of Kansas City, Kansas, was named chair and succeeds former president Sue Gin-McGowan who passed away on September 26, 2014. Other new officers are Leo McGowan, a resident of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who will serve as president; Brian McGowan of Kansas City, Kansas, as treasurer, and Dan Rosica of Rochester, New York, as secretary. Five board members were also elected: Marianne Brand of Rochester, New York; Sherilyn Kingsbury of Aurora, Illinois; Gertrude C. McGowan, Esq., of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Mary McGowan-Swartz of Kansas City, Kansas, and John Worthington of Reno, Nevada.
“The McGowan Fund is inspired by the creativity and perseverance of two successful and charitable individuals, William and Sue Gin-McGowan,” said new chair Bill McGowan. “As William McGowan’s nephew, and a board director who worked closely with Sue, I am deeply committed to further expanding the outreach of the McGowan Fund. We are dedicated to improving lives in America, one community and one person at a time.”
”While I am deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Sue Gin-McGowan, I am heartened as the second-generation leadership takes the helm,” said Diana Spencer, executive director of the Fund. “The Fund has never been in better hands, and the future for grant-making in our communities is bright.”
Founded in 1993, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund is a philanthropic family foundation established to honor William G. McGowan, the former CEO of MCI. His commitment to ethical leadership and the betterment of society has shaped the Fund’s mission to impact lives, create sustainable change and empower future generations to achieve their greatest potential. Since its founding, the Fund has distributed more than $120 million in grants in the areas of human services, education, and healthcare and medical research.