ASHLAND – Ashland County Community Foundation has announced the promotion of two staff members and the addition of a new employee to fulfill needs spurred by its continuous growth.
With this growth, these changes help the foundation meet its strategic priorities and maximize the skills of the staff to most efficiently meet the needs of a growing number of donors and nonprofit partners, ensuring organizational stability.
This realignment is also part of a succession plan to see that there is a smooth transition of duties at ACCF upon Jim Cutright’s retirement in June 2027. Effective July 1, as Cutright remains CEO, previous Chief Operating Officer Kristin Aspin assumes the role of President.
Cutright will continue to focus on vision and strategy, overarching governance and developing donors, while Aspin focuses on overseeing internal operations, staff leadership and program execution. Aspin’s role is the culmination of 28 years at ACCF, serving in just about every capacity throughout her tenure.
“We have been quite strategic and intentional about aligning staff responsibilities with associated skill sets to ensure the highest quality of service and community outreach,” said Cutright. “We are building our staff capacity to best manage the growth in our funds and gifts.
“Kristin’s organizational skills and attention to detail, familiarity with each facet of the Foundation and strong leadership qualities, puts her in a prime position to take on the title of president,” he said.
This co-leadership model allows Cutright to focus on donor development and strategic planning.
The shift in these roles makes certain that ACCF’s more than 8,000 donors, 836 funds, and more than $120 million in assets are managed seamlessly.
Continuing to help execute this mission is the promotion of Beth Buttil to program director. She will be managing programs under the ACCF umbrella, including the Women’s Fund, IMPACT Youth Council, and co-managing the new Janet L. Archer Summer Fellowship Program, along with managing volunteers, and cultivating relationships with community partners.
She joined the ACCF staff in November as an operations associate to assist with daily operations and programming.
“Beth has been a great addition to our team, and really hit the ground running after being hired as operations associate. This role has shown her knack for overseeing and planning these programs, so it was a natural fit to transition her to program director,” Cutright said.
“This transition allows Kristin to devote additional attention to other key areas of her role as resident,” he said.
MaryAnn Wilson joins the staff as finance administrator, assisting with the financial operations, recordkeeping, accounting duties, fund administration and general administrative support for ACCF. Additionally, she will serve as the first point of contact for phone calls, emails and visitors to the office.
A southern Ashland County resident, she comes to ACCF with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, more than five years in banking, as well as experience as a customer service representative and escrow agent.
“MaryAnn’s expertise in finance, accounting and customer service will complement Brittaney Reep’s role as CFO and enable her to focus on other functions of her position,” Cutright said.
“With her background in both finance and customer service, she provides a well-rounded background to be able to serve donors, nonprofits and others who come to the Foundation.”
Most of ACCF’s staff work part-time, flexible schedules, allowing the organization to employ highly skilled professionals on a modest budget. These additions and realignments help ACCF continue its tradition of great community service as its breadth of community impact continues to grow.
About Ashland County Community Foundation:
Ashland County Community Foundation advances philanthropy and improves the quality of life in Ashland County by connecting people who care with causes that matter. ACCF has awarded over $40 million in scholarships, grants and distributions.