At our December Board Meeting, we said goodbye and thank you to Tom Lazio and Pam Kaupins as they retired from the Board of Directors.

Tom Lazio has served on the Legacy Foundation Board of Directors since the organization’s inception. “Tom has been part of this organization since the very beginning and has been instrumental in building and shaping it over the past decade. As the very first Chairman of the Board, he set the standard for excellence,” said CEO Kelly Genners. In recognition of Tom’s dedication to the Foundation, the Legacy Foundation Board Room was named the ‘Tom Lazio Board Room’ at the December Board of Directors meeting. A plaque unveiled during that meeting reads “This room is named in honor of a man who has been instrumental in the creation of our organization. For us, he is the gold standard in leadership, collaboration, and generosity.  We are grateful he has shared these gifts freely not only in this room but throughout the entire community.”

“We have contributed over $32,000,000 into the community in the past ten years. This is new money that has helped to grow our economy and does not put a burden on the taxpayers of the community,” Lazio shared. “There are many examples of great projects that Legacy has been an integral part of – the Downtown Streetscape, Pickwick Early Childhood Education Center, the Mercy Health Clinic, and the computer development at OCS. One of my favorite projects was the conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets. It wasn’t the money involved but rather the challenge to help people see the benefit of this change. Finally, after months of discussion and public input, the City Council voted to work with Legacy and convert the streets to two-way!”

Pam joined the Board in 2012, serving three terms on the Board of Directors. “It was an amazing nine years of experiencing challenges, reaping rewards, gaining personal growth, and a load of education! I am so honored to have been a part of this professional board that has had such an impact on Wapello County. I am so proud of the downtown revitalization; including the streetscape project, two-way street conversion, and the quiet zone,” Kaupins said as she reflected on her time on the Board.

“One of my biggest passions as a board member was the Ottumwa Theatre project. I spent a lot of time and energy over the years researching, convening groups, and visiting similar successful projects!” Pam’s dedication to the theater project helped the façade restoration project earn the 2018 AIA Central States Design Excellence Honor Award. Pam also served as the Dean of the 2016-2017 class of the Ottumwa Leadership Academy.

“Anyone that knows Pam knows that her energy is infectious and that once she has committed to something she gives 1000% all the time,” said Genners. “That is exactly what she has done on the Legacy Foundation board during her entire tenure. We are so grateful for our time with her over the past nine years and will miss her greatly!”

Thank you for your service to the Legacy Foundation, Tom and Pam!