Eileen Connolly-Keesler President and CEO, Community Foundation of Collier County

B.S.W., UW Green Bay

M.P.A., UW Oshkosh

As President of the Community Foundation of Collier County, Connolly-Keesler oversees the CFCC mission, to address community needs by providing leadership and coordination through grantmaking and fund development. The CFCC has over $64 million in assets and 400 Funds. Eileen started on January 1, 2013.

During her ten-year tenure at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation assets had grown from a two-person staff administering $21 million in charitable funds to an organization with a staff of seven, administering $80 million in assets. Over the last eleven years, the Community Foundation has grown to include more than 600 different charitable funds. Connolly-Keesler had been instrumental in raising funds for numerous community projects including, $1.5 million for the Leach Amphitheatre and $7 million for the Pollock Community Water Park, $500,000 for planting trees/flowerbeds/signage and the 1st one million dollar loan from the Community Foundation for renovations on the Convention Center.

Connolly-Keesler serves as co-chair to the Wisconsin Policy Works Committee, and was instrumental in passing AB224, which will allow Wisconsin Community Foundations to hold Library and School District Funds.

Connolly-Keesler was appointed to the University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents; Chairs the steering committee for the State of Wisconsin Community Foundations; Board Member for the Donor’s Forum of Wisconsin; and involved in numerous other community related boards, committees and organizations.

Connolly-Keesler earned her Bachelor of Social Work from UW Green Bay and Masters in Public Administration from UW Oshkosh.

For more information about the Community Foundation of Collier County, contact Eileen Connolly-Keesler at 239.649.5000, ext. 205, ekeesler@cfcollier.com and visit our website at www.cfcollier.org.