The AACF was proud to facilitate a grant from its partner Knight Foundation Aberdeen Fund and make a grant of its own to the City of Aberdeen to support training a core group of city leaders and citizens through the FuturistU program. The Knight Fund awarded $50,000, and AACF awarded $5,000.
They will implement their training by facilitating community-wide discussions and charettes to create a shared vision for Aberdeen and Northern State University. The AACF supports its vision to bring the sparks of change and opportunity occurring throughout the city into a focused energy and momentum toward future growth.
Attending the training were Amber Schwab, City of Aberdeen Economic Development Manager and Public Information Officer; Ken Hubbart, City of Aberdeen, Director of Community Development; Spencer Sommers, CO-OP Architecture and Aberdeen Downtown Association; Erin Fouberg, City of Aberdeen City Council Member and Associate Provost of Northern State University; Robert Russell, Director of Library and Director of Cramer Center for Design and Innovation at Northern State University; and Bea Smith, Director of Northern Innovation and Startup Center and AACF board member.
Participating in the celebratory check Knight Fund grant presentation, top photo, were (left to right): Aberdeen Mayor Travis Schaunaman, Aberdeen City Manager Robin Bobzien, Schwab, Hubbart, Smith, Fouberg, AACF Board Chair Heath Johnson, Sommers, and Russell.
Pictured below for the check AACF check presentation are (left to right): Schaunaman, Hubbart, Megan Biegler, AACF Vice-Chair, Johnson, Schwab, Smith, and Patrick Gallagher, AACF executive director/South Dakota Community Foundation Community Development Coordinator.
