Leadership Palm Beach County Establishes Permanent Endowment Fund with $25,000 Donation from Don & Sally Chester
Pictured Left to Right: Noel Martinez, Brad Hurlburt, Don Chester, Sally Chester.
September 10, 2018 - Leadership Palm Beach County (LPBC) is pleased to announce a $25,000 donation from Don & Sally Chester. This donation is matched by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, totaling $50,000. This permanent endowment fund, housed at the Community Foundation, will support scholarships for high school juniors graduating from the organization’s Leadership Grow program pursuing a career in the healthcare industry.
The primary use of the initial earnings will be to expand scholarship distribution with emphasis on Grow graduates going to college. LPBC will use contemporaneous policies, procedures and practices in granting these scholarships adhering to qualified Grow program graduates who will be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program in traditional healthcare fields such as nursing, medicine, healthcare administration, etc., and to qualified Engage program applicants who work in those fields, preferably for a nonprofit.
Don and Sally Chester have many connections to the healthcare industry. Don has worked at St. Mary’s Medical Center for over 40 years as assistant administrator; Sally, a lifelong nurse. Both were involved in forming the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, which created the trauma system that sends critical patients to St. Mary’s. In 2004, it was St. Mary’s Medical Center that saved his life and aided him in recovery.
Noel Martinez, Executive Director of Leadership Palm Beach County, stated “This endowment is significant for our organization by upholding our mission to educate and unite leaders to build a better community. We are grateful for Don and Sally Chester’s commitment to our organization, and their legacy will now live on forever.”
“LPBC has been an such an important part of our lives,” Sally expressed. “The unwavering support we have received has been outstanding. Providing scholarships for LPBC participants is our way is saying thank you. It is our honor to give others the opportunity to experience the family that is Leadership Palm Beach County.”
“The Community Foundation is proud to partner with Leadership Palm Beach County to help establish its endowment fund through our matching grant challenge,” says Brad Hurlburt, president and CEO at the Community Foundation. “Endowments provide funds, future stability and a strong foundation to allow LPBC to continue its mission of uniting and educating leaders for many years to come.”
About Leadership Palm Beach County
Leadership Palm Beach County, Inc., is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to foster awareness of community issues and promote efficient communication and cooperative relationships between existing and emerging community leaders. LPBC’s stated mission is to educate and unite leaders to build a better community. Initiated in 1983 through a collaborative effort of the local Chambers of Commerce, LPBC has prepared more than 1,700 graduates for enhanced community leadership roles. Learn more about LPBC here: LeadershipPBC.org
About the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is one of Florida’s largest community foundations. The nonprofit organization has invested more than $129 million in grants and scholarships over its 45-year history. At its core, the Community Foundation is an organization created with gifts from generous people committed to local causes. For donors, the Foundation serves as a philanthropic advisor. For the community, the Foundation serves as a grant maker and a civic leader. Through the support of its donors and fundholders, the Foundation has been able to address some of the community’s most pressing needs, including hunger, housing and education. For more information, visit www.yourcommunityfoundation.org.
