St. Cloud, Minn. – The Central Minnesota Community Foundation welcomes Erin Bitzan and Ryan Daniels to its Board of Directors. Both Bitzan and Daniels have officially accepted their new positions. (Photos included below) Bitzan, is the co-owner and Vice President of D.J. Bitzan Jewelers in Waite Park. Aside from being a local business owner, she has served on the CMCF Women’s Fund Presents Committee and the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota Board, each for about 10 years. Bitzan has been a long-time supporter and volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota. She has been matched as a “Big Couple” through the organization since 2015. Bitzan says she’s excited to join the CMCF Board and has many goals.
“I am hoping to create broader and deeper community connections; to act as a conduit between individuals, families, businesses and CMCF, who see the value in investing in our local nonprofits to benefit the greater population.”
Also joining the board is Ryan Daniels. Daniels is the Chief Executive Officer for St. Cloud Metro Bus. He’s also highly involved in several community initiatives including serving on the St. Cloud Hospital, United Way of Central Minnesota and Minnesota Public Transit Association Boards of Directors. He is also an Advisor of the Jugaad Leadership program. Daniels says his main goal as a board member is to share the work CMCF does within the community.
“I want to be an ambassador for CMCF and let my circle of networks know about the great work of the foundation and support CMCF’s initiatives and events.”
Both Bitzan and Daniels will serve a three-year term as board members. In total, 15 members serve on the CMCF Board of Directors. Currently, Debra Leigh is the chairperson for the board. She is the interim Vice President of Cultural Fluency, Equity and Inclusion at St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to over $110.5 million in assets and awarded over $122.5 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 880 funds totaling more than $153 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN.
