Member Quotes 2012
“The Washington County Community Foundation
has grown into a marvelous asset for the County, its citizens and its charitable
and civic organizations. Supporting the arts, education and social issues, and
providing many scholarship opportunities for local students, the Foundation’s
leadership of philanthropy to our Community is magnificent.”
- Judge John F. DiSalle, Washington County Court of Common Pleas
“Among the numerous advantages of the Washington County Community Foundation
is the efficient and superior management of assets coupled with the knowledge
that the contributions will ‘stay at home’ and benefit those following in our
steps in Washington County.”
- William E. Speakman, Jr., Partner, Speakman, Riethmuller & Allison
“It is a great honor to be associated with such an esteemed organization
known for its distinguished work in our community. The WCCF provides an
invaluable resource in our county, insuring success not only today, but for
years to come.”
- Pauline A. Musar, Vice President, First Niagara Bank
“As a former board member and chairman of the Washington County Community
Foundation, I was able to appreciate, first hand, the extensive efforts of the
Organization and the positive impact on so many individuals, as both donors as
well as recipients.”
- R. Carlyn Belczyk, CPA, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“Supporting our Community has altruism at its core, but it also has a
tangible business benefit. We would encourage involvement with the WCCF from
anyone who wishes to understand our community better. Through our mutual
efforts and understanding come opportunities through which we make each other
stronger. There is no better example of this than the Acorn Society.”
- Robert T. Cupp, Jr., CFA, Senior Vice President, WesBanco Trust and
Investment Services
“Winston Churchill once quoted, ‘We make a living by what we get but we make
a life by what we give.’ It has been a blessing for our area to have the
Community Foundation as a philanthropic platform to enrich the lives of others.”
- Neil D. Bassi, President & CEO, Charleroi Federal Savings Bank
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides a variety of ways for
those of all economic levels to establish lasting charitable gifts that will
continue to provide support in the future for charities of choice as well as
eligible individuals and groups. The Foundation’s Board and staff invest your
gifts in secure and proven funds with professional guidance. You can put your
mind at ease, knowing that your gift will continue to grow and provide.”
- Judge Thomas D. Gladden, Washington County Court of Common Pleas
“Opening the door to the satisfaction of charitable giving brings fulfillment
to others…and a sense of accomplishment to Acorn Society members. Giving to
others brings its own rewards.”
- Charles C. Keller, Senior Counsel, Peacock, Keller & Ecker
“Northwest values education and our
community. Washington County Community Foundation provides the channel to
assist in demonstrating those values. The foundation is an integral part of our
EITC contribution process by getting these funds to the local High Schools and
Learning Centers. The staff and the organization are an asset to Washington
County.”
- Kimberly Shoup, Manager, Northwest Savings Bank
“The WCCF is a great asset for the region. The WCCF makes it possible for a
wide range of donors to create funds to meet the critical needs of the region.”
- Mark G. Winiecki, CPA, MS(Tax), Director of Taxes, Guthrie, Belczyk &
Associates
“The Foundation is a worthy partner for professionals with clients interested
in enriching lives in our community through the art of charitable giving.”
- Angela D. Kusturiss, Esq., Partner, Kusturiss, Wolf & Kusturiss
“Philanthropy is the keystone that holds the not-for-profit world together.
Organizations can no longer depend on the government alone for their support.
Private contributions will increasingly become more essential to our
organizations’ financial and pragmatic viability.”
- Charles R. Guthrie, CPA, Guthrie Belczyk & Associates
“It’s that place where giving back can happen in many ways.”
- Dennis E. Dutton, Principle Owner, Walker MacCartney Insurance
“Being a part of the Washington County Community Foundation is rewarding on
so many levels. Contributing to the Foundation allows you to touch more lives
than you would have been able to on an individual level.”
- Deborah E. Takach, Vice President, Business Banking, First Commonwealth
Bank
“I get much satisfaction out of helping people in need. My parents taught me
well. The WCCF, James H. McCune Acorn Society, provides you the opportunity to
be able to change someone’s life by giving back. The more you give of yourself,
the more you get back, many times over.”
- Mary Jane Greenlee Sertik, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Realty
“The Foundation allows all Donors to participate in making a difference in
building and strengthening our community for today and tomorrow.”
- Sandra K. Guthrie, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“It is not the length of life, but the depth.”
- James A. Capra Jr., Vice President Business Banking, First National Bank of
Pennsylvania
Member Quotes 2011
“It is very gratifying to know that funds established at the Community Foundation will continue to benefit future generations in our community.”
- Carlyn Belczyk, CPA, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“Partnering with the Community Foundation enables our law firm to service the charitable needs of our clients for a lifetime and beyond.”
- Susan Mondik Key, Attorney, Peacock Keller & Ecker
“Partnering with the Washington County Community Foundation has been invaluable in furthering the Main Street Farmers Market’s quest to create a permanent market site in Downtown Washington.”
- Allan C. Lucchini, Retired CPA, Treasurer, Main Street Farmers Market
“A community is best served when its charitable assets remain in the community. The Washington County Community Foundation is our local vehicle for managing both long-term and short-term charitable assets and in this role has proven itself to be a community asset.”
- Brian J. Smith, President & CEO, Washington Financial
“WCCF is a very professional organization that offers excellent services which allows donors to make charitable contributions as they see fit.”
- Loretta B. Kendall, Attorney, Loretta B. Kendall Attorney at Law
“Establishing a fund to honor a loved one is an excellent method to ensure continuing good works in his or her memory.”
- L. Dawn Haber, Attorney, Akman & Associates
“The Community Foundation is a great vehicle for people to use to meet their charitable goals."
- Mark G. Winiecki, Director of Taxes, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides an excellent means for individuals, families, and members of our community to remember and honor loved ones by the creation of funds that help others."
- Jana Phillis Grimm, Attorney, Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellot
“Be it through a Charitable Gift Annuity, Trust planning, or Estate planning, the Washington County Community Foundation provides our clients with the opportunity to support the programs and institutions in the community for which they have a passion. Additionally it allows our clients to designate guidance for the prudent usage of those gifts and provides peace of mind that their gifts will provide maximum effectiveness.”
- Robert T. Cupp, Sr. Vice President, WesBanco Trust & Investment Services
“The Foundation provides Washington’s nonprofit community with encouragement, expertise and excellent professional advice enabling our local organizations to grow and flourish, and to improve the quality of life in our region.”
- Suzanne Ewing, Shareholder, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
“The Community Foundation by establishing, administering and investing donated funds strives to carry out the goals of the donor and to meet the needs of the entire community.”
- Kenneth L. Baker, Attorney, Peacock Keller & Ecker
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides an invaluable vehicle to our community by allowing our residents to efficiently provide charitable dollars for a chosen purpose or organization. Our community is a better place because of the work of the WCCF.”
- Patrick B. O’Brien, President & CEO, First Federal Savings Bank
“As an employee of First Commonwealth and a Board Member of the Foundation, I see firsthand how donations to the Foundation touch the lives of so many individuals in our community.”
- Deborah E. Takach, Vice President, First Commonwealth Bank
“I consider it to be an honor to be associated with the Washington County Community Foundation. It provides donors with a vehicle to help improve the quality of life in our community.”
- Edward C. Morascyzk, Attorney, Morascyzk, Stopperich & Associates
“Local professionals of all stripes are proud to participate in the Acorn Society.”
- Barron P. McCune, President & CEO, Community Bank
“Giving has a ripple effect. Helping someone touches many lives. It’s great to make a difference in someone else’s life.
- Mary Jane Sertik, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Realty
Member Quotes 2010
“The Foundation provides a secure vehicle for donors to maximize their charitable wishes for generations to come."
- Kenneth L. Baker, Attorney, Peacock Keller & Ecker
“On several occasions over the years, I have represented the Community Foundation on cy pres issues in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas. Cy pres, meaning “as near as possible,” is a doctrine which permits the nearest practical charitable substitution for charitable assets when the original one is no longer possible, practical or legal. Although the charitable purposes of the cases were very different, the Community Foundation was determined by the court to be the best substitution because in all cases, the assets were to be held in perpetuity, which is one of the primary services the Community Foundation provides.”
- James H. McCune, Partner, Bassi, McCune & Vreeland
“This is a very exciting time for the Southwestern PA economy and the Washington County Community Foundation will play a critical role for those dealing with income and estate tax issues. Good fortune deserves great planning and WesBanco is proud to partner with the WCCF and offer alternatives to those wishing to minimize taxes and support our community.”
- Robert T. Cupp, Sr. Vice President, WesBanco Trust & Investment Services
“Working with professionals a the Community Foundation made structuring multiple long-term charitable contributions from a client’s real estate not only possible, but prompt, efficient and feasible. A delight to work with, their knowledge and expertise truly makes the Foundation a community asset.
- David L. Ream, VP & General Counsel, Sharp’s Furniture Store, Inc.
“The work of the Washington County Community Foundation is an important part of the fabric of our community. When citizens are not only encouraged but given the tools to be philanthropic, good things happen.”
- Patrick B. O’Brien, President & CEO, First Federal Savings Bank
“At Washington Financial we recognize that the Community Foundation provides a unique and valuable charitable service which is being utilized by many in our community, including several of our bank customers.”
- Brian Smith, President & CEO, Washington Financial
“The Washington County Community Foundation is a great asset for Washington County. I have recommended this Foundation to many of my clients for their charitable goals."
- Mark G. Winiecki, Director of Taxes, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“Many of my clients utilize the services of the Community Foundation to fulfill their charitable goals, whether those goals are immediate or longer-term. Because giving through the Community Foundation can be very tax-wise, many of my clients are able to give more.”
- Warren E. Lemley, Jr., Certified Public Accountant
“Most trust banks today require large sums of money to administer a charitable trust. The Washington County Community Foundation is essential in our community because of its willingness to accept more modest sums of money to do what the client wanted to do for the common good.”
- Harold V. Fergus, Attorney, Fergus Martin & Fergus
Member Quotes 2009
"When we began working to create a scholarship fund in the name of our late band director, Dave Pew, the Community Foundation could not have been more helpful. Thanks to the Foundation's invaluable assistance, the Dave Pew Memorial Scholarship Fund became a reality, and his legacy will now be perpetuated."
- Judge John DiSalle, Washington County Court of Common Pleas
"It is an honor to be able to make an impact on the well-being of our community through the Washington County Community Foundation. To be able to help realize our community's aspirations through philanthropy is a passion our family intends to continue."
- Neil Bassi, President & CEO, Charleroi Federal
“A small charity I was associated with a few years ago wished to encourage and accept planned and endowed gifts from its donors but did not have the resources to initiate its own planned giving program. By working with the Community Foundation, we were able to easily and quickly establish a fund which accepts planned gifts on behalf of the charity. Not only does the Community Foundation handle the details of the planned gift, it handles the investment of the endowment, which enables smaller charities to concentrate on their charitable programs.”
- Michael Chaido, Vice President, Washington Financial
“With the importance of fixed income investments to so many Washington County residents, we applaud the Community Foundation’s efforts to start a Charitable Gift Annuity Program. This type of gift giving benefits the donor as well as the community and is a valuable alternative at this critical time in our economy. WesBanco is proud to be a part of this great program”
- Robert T. Cupp, Vice President, WesBanco Trust & Investment Services
“The Foundation is a valuable community resource. The benefits of having such an institution in the County are almost incalculable.”
- William E. Speakman, Jr., Attorney, Speakman, Riethmuller & Allison
“WCCF is an ideal vehicle to assist clients who wish to benefit the community and honor their loved ones by establishing a legacy to pay it forward.”
- L. Dawn Haber, Partner, Akman & Associates, P.C.
“When Big Bank & Trust Co. refuses to administer a charitable trust, the WCCF provides an invaluable vehicle to carry out the desire of a person to help others. The WCCF should be on the checklist of anyone considering their estate plan and anyone providing advice to those people.”
- Daniel F. Svidro, Orphans’ Court Audit Attorney, Washington County Court of Common Pleas
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides a valuable resource to residents of Washington County by providing ways for them to donate money for causes they believe in and in memory of people they love.”
- Jana Phillis Grimm, Attorney, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott
“Many of my clients utilize the services of the Community Foundation to fulfill their charitable goals, whether those goals are immediate or longer-term. Because giving through the Community Foundation can be very tax-wise, many of my clients are able to give more.”
- Warren E. Lemley, Jr., Certified Public Accountant
“Most trust banks today require large sums of money to administer a charitable trust. The Washington County Community Foundation is essential in our community because of its willingness to accept more modest sums of money to do what the client wanted to do for the common good.”
- Harold V. Fergus, Fergus Martin & Fergus
“It is a great feeling to know that because of the fund my brothers and I established trhough the WCCF, our parents will always be remembered. We would love to see more families involved in giving together and sincerely hope we all never stop caring for others.”
- Mary Jane Greenlee Sertik, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Realty
“The WCCF provides the perfect vehicle for charitable people of all economic standings to have professional help that will allow them to direct their dollars to provide maximum benefits for community causes. We are fortunate to have this outstanding Foundation helping us plan intelligently and meaningfully as we honor and memorialize our loved ones.”
– Judge Thomas Gladden, Retired President Judge, Washington County Court of Common Pleas
Member Quotes 2008
“As an attorney, I have referred clients to the community foundation because I knew that their charitable goals could be achieved by working through the foundation. And the fund that was created will benefit the community by supporting a local church and church school.”
-James H. McCune, Partner, Bassi, McCune & Vreeland
“The community foundation was helpful in assisting a bank customer who wished to make a generous gift to a new charity in Washington which had not received tax-exempt status. By utilizing the temporary charitable services of the foundation, our customer was able to maximize the tax-advantages of his gift.”
- Brian Smith, President & CEO, Washington Financial
“My clients wished to create a charitable fund in memory of their son but didn’t want the hassles of operating a private foundation. A donor advised fund at the community foundation was the perfect vehicle for them to honor the memory of their son while retaining the ability to annually consider the charitable causes to benefit from the fund.”
- Frank Procaccini, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, Lincoln Financial Advisors
“The community foundation was a wonderful asset for a client who wanted to honor her husband by setting up a charitable fund - a gift that truly keeps giving.”
- Scott H. Fergus, Attorney, Fergus, Martin, & Fergus
“As a customer service representative for Washington Federal, I sometimes speak with customers who are interested in supporting the community with their financial assets. By working with the community foundation, many of our customers have achieved their goals of giving back to the community, while obtaining significant tax benefits. For instance, last year we had several customers take advantage of the IRA Charitable Transfers by gifting them directly to the Foundation. These customers saved thousands of dollars in taxes and were able to select the charitable causes to benefit from their gifts.”
- Donna Zedlar, Customer Service Representative, Washington Federal Savings Bank
“Charitable giving through the Washington County Community Foundation makes your gift have greater meaning.”
– William Gullborg, Financial Advisor, Gullburg Insurance
“The Washington County Community Foundation has established itself as a far-reaching resource to allow many lives to be touched well into the future.”
- Robert Hillberry, CLU, LUTCF, Retired
“The Washington County Community Foundation is a great asset for Washington County. The Foundation offers a variety of charitable giving tools to help donors achieve their personal charitable goals.”
– Mark Winiecki, CPA, Guthrie, Belczyk & Associates
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides us with an avenue to fulfill our client’s charitable intent in a simple and efficient manner. From unrestricted gifts to permanent endowments, the WCCF covers the gamut and makes life easy for estate planners and their clients.”
- Robert T. Cupp, VP& Senior Trust Officer, WesBanco Trust & Investment Services
“The Washington County Community Foundation provides an efficient, secure means for clients to establish funds that will benefit the community for generations to come.”
– John A. Rodgers, Attorney, Peacock Keller
“The community foundation was the perfect vehicle to accept and manage the Choratch and Lauerman gifts to the community. The permanency of these gifts is ensured, as my clients stipulated in their wills. And the fact that local citizens will forever benefit from the generosity of two local couples is very fitting.”
- Paul Barna, Attorney, Retired
“Working with the WCCF has been a pleasant and rewarding experience. I am proud to be a contributor to such a worthy foundation.”
- Paul Tershel, Attorney, Tershel & Associates