LEGACY STORY

Chris Shorba

Chris_Shorba

Foundation:

Central Minnesota Community Foundation

Award:

2013 Professional Award in Philanthropy

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As a child, Chris Shorba would create extensive sketches of everything from submarines to golf courses, signing and dating each one, wondering if some day they would end up in an art museum. That fondness for art led Chris to be among the community’s top advocates for arts programs and activities.

“He has given the best of his abilities and talents to make the community better, especially in the area of the arts,” said Mimi Bitzan, past member of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Chris, a tax partner with BerganKDV, has served as chair of the United Arts Board and as a fundraiser for the area’s leading organizations.

“He often asks, ‘What more can I give?’ And I always answer him that we’re only asking for an arm and a legacy, and Chris has given us both,” said Cindy Hawker, executive director of United Arts of Central Minnesota.

Chris transformed a passion for the arts into a way of giving back. Volunteering is not an extracurricular activity for Chris. It’s a way of life. He has also served in leadership roles on the CentraCare Health Foundation Board and Central Minnesota Transportation Alliance. He brought that commitment to community service to his work as a certified public accountant at KDV for over two decades, inspiring both his colleagues and clients to give back.“He doesn’t just volunteer,” said Loren Viere, managing partner at BerganKDV. “He jumps in and becomes very active.”