VERO BEACH — Two new directors have been elected to the board of the Indian River Community Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the community through donor-driven philanthropy.
Rick McDermott, a retired bank president, and Sue Tompkins, Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill Lynch, are both long-time Vero Beach residents and volunteer leaders.
McDermott was a founding member of the Indian River Community Foundation and previously served as board chairman. Before retiring from his professional career, he was Vice Chairman of Cypress Capital Management and also Regional President of U.S. Trust, where he founded the bank’s Vero Beach office.
He is a graduate of Babson College and is a member of the Board of Directors of the John’s Island Club. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Saint Edward’s School. McDermott said he was very happy to accept the invitation to rejoin Indian River Community Foundation Board.
“The Community Foundation has an incredible opportunity to steward the future of Indian River County through philanthropy. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously and look forward to working with philanthropists, community leaders, and my fellow Board members to further this work,” McDermott said.
Tompkins is a certified public accountant and has served on the Executive Committee of the Indian River Community Foundation Professional Advisors Committee for four years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and has been an active leader in many nonprofit organizations including past president of the United Way, Impact 100, and the Education Foundation.
She also serves on the board of directors for the Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice Foundation, and VNA of the Treasure Coast.
“Philanthropists today are much more attuned to accountability of the money they give to charities. The Community Foundation is the perfect partner to steward charitable gifts, giving donors confidence in the impact they are making in the community,” said Tompkins.
The Indian River Community Foundation began operating in 2008 and has since grown to hold over $18 million in assets, specifically restricted for charitable purposes.
The foundation works with individual philanthropists, local advisors, and community organizations to develop results-oriented strategies to achieve their charitable goals.
For more information, please contact the foundation’s Executive Director, Kerry Bartlett, at (772) 492-1407 or visit the website www.IRCommunityFoundation.com.
