Flint, MI – Isaiah M. Oliver, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) has announced his resignation, effective July 28, 2023.
Oliver, his wife Shay and the couple’s four children are moving to Jacksonville, Florida where he has accepted the position of president of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
In a love letter Oliver penned to Flint and posted on CFGF’s website, the outgoing president said:
“As I reflect on nearly a decade at CFGF, I remain grateful for my time as a champion for Flint and progress toward such a bold and ambitious vision for my hometown. I stand in awe of you and your ability to partner in the dance. I am also proud of the performance we’ve delivered together. It has been an honor to partner with you to achieve equitable results, in love.”
Oliver has served in the foundation’s leadership role since 2017.
According to a CFGF press release, in that time he has led the development of a five-year strategic plan, asset growth, staff expansion “and a vision that centers equity in all of the foundation’s work.”
The release notes that the foundation’s assets under management grew by nearly $30 million under Oliver’s leadership, from $254 million in 2017 to $283 million at the end of 2022.
“The community foundation hit a home run when Isaiah accepted the position of president and CEO of CFGF,” said Mark Piper, chair of the CFGF Board of Trustees.
“His ability to expand, develop, and support the terrific staff at the community foundation has been essential to supporting the growth that we have experienced during Isaiah’s tenure,” Piper added. “Most importantly, Isaiah gave leadership to centering equity, a lasting legacy we will continue to preserve.”
Oliver took the helm of CFGF during the Flint water crisis, and the organization now credits his hometown roots with “lending credibility during a pivotal point in the foundation’s history.”
In the foundation’s release, CFGF also noted Oliver has broadened the nonprofit’s community impact by completing the development and operationalization of Educare Flint, an early childhood education center that now serves 220 children. He also established the Isaiah and Shay Oliver Community Leadership Fund at CFGF, which provides resources for “innovative programs reflective of the community’s voice.”
Additionally, the release notes, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, Oliver created a taskforce on racial inequities “and lifted up local voices as a way to deepen the community’s understanding of the health inequities in cities like Flint.”
To close his parting letter to his hometown, Oliver wrote:
“Love is never lost, so our paths will continue to cross. Thank you, Flint. Because of you, I am who I am today.”
CFGF’s release states that over the next three months Oliver will support the foundation through the change in leadership.
The organization did not name a successor, but noted that Piper and the CFGF Executive Committee will lead a search committee to identify the foundation’s new president and CEO.