After 27 years with the F. M. Kirby Foundation, JoAnn Tiefau, Program Officer, will be retiring later this year. JoAnn started at the Foundation in 1996 as a Grants Administrator, Bookkeeper, and Administrative Assistant. She went on to serve as Grants Manager, Program Associate, and Program Officer. JoAnn was responsible for the implementation of the Foundation’s first grants management system and for organizing grantmaking data dating back to the Foundation’s inception.

During her time as program staff, JoAnn has researched, advocated for, and fostered meaningful relationships with hundreds of grantees, communicating regularly via emails, phone calls, and site visits. In her tenure, JoAnn oversaw the Foundation’s largest funding area, Human Services, as well as Arts, Culture, and Humanities, but seemingly managed to stay up to date on the news and people at the Foundation’s nearly 250 annual grantee partners across all funding areas. JoAnn has worked with several generations of Foundation leadership and mentored many new staff, always serving as a role model with her unwavering commitment to uplifting the work of the Foundation’s partners. The integrity and enthusiasm with which JoAnn has approached her career with the F. M. Kirby Foundation will be remembered with admiration and appreciation.
Upon JoAnn’s retirement, Liz Crowley will oversee the Foundation’s Human Services funding.