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The Darr Family Foundation restructured its board, adding only its second president since inception in 2002.
Erin Danastasio, who serves as corporate communications manager for Bill Darr’s American Dehydrated Foods LLC and International Dehydrated Foods LLC, was elected board president on Sept. 30. She succeeds Thomas Slaight, the founding board president, said Heather Zoromski, executive director of the foundation. Slaight remains on the board.
With the switch, the board added staggered two-year term limits, Zoromski said.
“From just an organizational governance standpoint, we felt like we needed to take some action to strengthen our governance structure and give everybody an opportunity,” she said. “It’s best practice throughout all of the nonprofit world but also family foundations.”
The daughter of ADF board Chairman Kurt Hellweg, Danastasio now leads the 11-member foundation board that is 100% comprised of Darr’s family members. Also on Sept. 30, the board elected Tara Chitwood as vice president, Tim Chitwood as treasurer and Kate Hellweg as secretary. Tara, Darr’s granddaughter, is married to Tim, Zoromski said.
Other board members, in alphabetical order, are:
• Cody Danastasio;
• Kurt Hellweg;
• Sherry Hellweg;
• Tyler Hellweg;
• Marsha Slaight; and
• Zachary Slaight.
Zoromski said the foundation, which contributes to causes that empower at-risk youth, is on track to contribute $400,000 in grant funding this year.
“We expect growth in the future,” she said, noting $400,000 is on par with previous years.
Separate from the foundation, ADF and IDF are under contract to be purchased for $900 million by Germany-based Symrise AG. Zoromski said the deal should close in the near future.
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