When I assumed the role of President and CEO of VFBF five years ago, I envisioned
the probable challenges. While I envisioned the challenges…I couldn’t have
predicted how wide-ranging and eye-opening those challenges would be. Even many
years of collaboration with colleagues, associates, and clients as a professional tax
preparer, accountant, and financial planner didn’t prepare me for just how complex
the non-profit organizations are, how deep the work goes, and how committed and
insightful a leader must be.
Despite the prevailing challenges, we are planning to raise $210 million—dollars
to build a State-of-the Art hospital at Kiangua village in Kenya. Included in the
plan is the Annex Community Center to alleviate and support small businesses,
especially minority- and women-owned businesses; and creation of middle-class
jobs in all sectors. We are at zero $0.00 level at this point. Aggressive fund-
raising efforts would commence as soon as opportunities permit. The
$210
million
to fund these sister projects challenge systemic racial discrimination and
upend barriers to economic mobility and equitable opportunity for community
residents. We’re looking forward to working with various target funding sources
that are likely to step up with the needed monetary contributions. We are
committed to witness meaningful changes that these crucial investments signify
and impact upon the underinvested places across the target areas.
In essence, we’re excited about deepening our investments in communities
where we already work—including rural farmers and the related farmers’ markets
as well as partnering with new supporters on innovative ventures. We are
embarking, for example, on several medical supplier diversity initiatives that will
encourage contracting with women-, veteran- and other minority-owned
enterprises as suppliers to larger clients such as high schools, hospitals,
college/universities and other entities.
Ultimately, our focus is intended to intensify the positive, lasting impact that
access to capital and opportunity can have in the communities we serve. As the
executive director, I have had the privilege to envisage the abundance of brain
power and the spirit including, the willingness to listen to others—in readiness to
push-on towards the attainment of planned goals and objectives.
