Chaddock Philanthropist of the Year Award

The Baker Family - 2024

The Baker family of Monroe County was recognized for a legacy of giving that spans generations – from 92-year-old John Baker and his late wife, Lois, to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family’s service to community dates back nearly seven decades to when John started the family business with one piece of farm rental equipment. As the business grew, so did the Bakers’ commitment to helping others within their community.

When John’s son, Greg, died unexpectedly in 2011 during his service as a volunteer firefighter, the Bakers’ desire to honor family legacies and to support the community they call home grew even stronger.

Over the years, the Baker family has established or championed nine separate endowment funds within the Monroe County Community Foundation’s family of funds, covering everything from economic development to heart health awareness and much more.

Rhonda and Tom Stemmer - 2024

Rhonda and Tom Stemmer were recognized for their long-time support of nonprofits in Appalachian Ohio, especially in Guernsey County where they live.

Over the years, Rhonda and Tom have taken a blended approach to philanthropy, supporting both endowments for the future and immediate grantmaking.

Through a donor-advised fund housed at FAO and gifts to support other FAO initiatives, the Stemmers have supported everything from services for seniors to shoes for children, education about the Underground Railroad and much more. Much of their current charitable giving centers on organizations that support families as a way of strengthening the community they call home.

Rhonda and Tom are two of Appalachian Ohio’s greatest champions and among the first to step up to support FAO’s work.

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Board of Directors - 2023

In 2023, while celebrating the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s 90th anniversary and finalizing its five-year strategic plan, the district’s board also planted seeds for the future – investing $5 million to create a new fund managed by FAO and to support our Environmental Stewardship Pillar of Prosperity.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Fund for Environmental Stewardship is advancing the district’s and FAO’s commitment to enhancing conservation efforts throughout the region, providing funding to support community projects, scholarships, fellowships, research and innovation in the areas of conservation and environmental stewardship. The district’s transformative gift and partnership that will forever protect the environment and natural beauty of Appalachian Ohio.

Stephen McKean - 2022

A child of Appalachia, Stephen McKean returned to the region to study at Ohio University. During his studies there, Stephen taught in K-12 classrooms within Appalachian Ohio and often saw the need for remedial instruction. He went on to enjoy a successful career in writing and to travel the world. But he never forgot about those students.

At only 47 years old, Stephen passed away on June 1, 2021, and bestowed $1 million to FAO to use as needed to carry forward the momentum of transformative strategic programming for the region. In honor of his generosity, FAO created the Stephen McKean Legacy Fund for Appalachian Ohio, which is creating and enriching life-changing opportunities for the children of Appalachian Ohio today and across future generations.

Mike Workman - 2021

A champion for Morgan County and Appalachian Ohio, Mike Workman is a successful entrepreneur who employs hundreds of people across our region – with a keen focus on local skills and the local economy.

His service and commitment to Appalachian Ohio includes co-founding the Morgan Community Fund (MCF), one of FAO’s 15 affiliate foundation partners, and continually stepping forward to help lead FAO, serving as a Board chair and helping to drive our strategic direction.

Mike’s recognition that philanthropic resources play a critical role in a community’s economic development has been pivotal in shaping our work. His philanthropic acts, including his own planned gift, will provide MCF a home for generations to come. But his eye for investing in Morgan County’s next generation of philanthropic and community leaders is a vision that sets him apart.

Anonymous donor

The generosity of this honoree, who chose to remain anonymous, spans many areas of interest, from the county they call home to the I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund to initiatives across our Education, Health and Human Services, and Environmental Stewardship Pillars of Prosperity.

Of particular note, this individual stepped in with a very generous gift that paved the way for our iSee with Vision To Learn program, which provides the children of Appalachia with free vision screenings, eye exams and prescription glasses through mobile vision clinics at schools. This donor’s generosity was instrumental in developing the partnership behind this program – even sending us our best lead when they learned about the national nonprofit Vision To Learn. It was the catalyst FAO needed to connect with the Ohio Optometric Association and Ohio Optometric Foundation to learn about their work with an initiative called iSee – and, ultimately, to develop a partnership between Ohio’s optometrists and Vision to Learn to launch iSee with Vision To Learn.

Ken Taylor - 2019

Through his leadership as president of Ohio CAT, Ken Taylor helps people build something new from the ground up. In Appalachian Ohio, and in unwavering partnership with FAO, he is building much more.

Ken and Ohio CAT have been unlocking doors of opportunity with FAO from the beginning, championing our I’m a Child of Appalachia® Network, enabling FAO to successfully launch the world’s first nonprofit IPO and launching our Pillars of Prosperity with a $1 million gift.

Maribeth Wright - 2017

Maribeth serves as president of the Guernsey County Foundation, the first of now 15 affiliate foundation partners established with FAO to build local philanthropy. Each of these funds works locally to grow philanthropic dollars and invest them in their community.

Maribeth’s gifts of time, talent and treasure have helped the Guernsey County Foundation grow over the past 20 years to include dozens of funds totaling more than $15 million in assets dedicated to the opportunities, needs and future of Guernsey County and its people.

Jeff Chaddock - 2016

It was only fitting that the first Chaddock Philanthropist of the Year Award be presented to its namesake to thank him and to celebrate the incredibly legacy he is leaving for Appalachian Ohio.

An FAO Board member and lifelong resident of Appalachian Ohio, Jeff Chaddock and his husband, Mark Morrow, announced in 2016 that they would be leaving 97 percent of their estate to nonprofits and challenged others to leave a gift beyond their lifetimes.

Through their planned gift to FAO, Jeff and Mark will continue to support the causes and institutions they’re passionate about for generations to come. With their one gift to FAO, they will forever support The Dairy Barn Arts Center, the Southeast Ohio History Center, the Jeff Chaddock Scholarship for Appalachia at Ohio University, the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University, the Ohio University Press and animal welfare in Athens. In addition, they are donating the historic Zenner House in Athens to FAO to serve as a resource for the region’s nonprofits as well as for the celebration and promotion of philanthropy.