Jenny Stotts is Athens’ 2020 Woman of the Year

Shayne Lopez • February 18, 2021

jenny-stottsThe Athens Foundation Women’s Fund awards the 2020 Woman of the Year award to Jenny Stotts, Executive Director of the Athens CASA/GAL Program.

Jenny Stotts is a remarkable young professional who has positively impacted the youth of our community through the CASA/GAL program. She has been the Executive Director of the program since 2013 and prior to that, Jenny was a family services caseworker and sexual abuse investigator for 9 years. Her dedication to the CASA/GAL program became even more apparent in 2016 when she took on an additional role as the Regional Director of Southeast Ohio CASA, continuing to seek a brighter future for our part of Appalachia.

Jenny inspires those around her through her energy which leads to great team cohesion within her department. Her free spirit empowers others to think for themselves and from there creativity spreads. She has shown how her efforts have prevailed by increasing volunteer numbers by 300% since her start. With her hard work and dedication, she hopes to have a volunteer for every child that is being served by their CASA program.

Jenny’s passion for personal and organizational development makes her an integral member of our community. Through her love of personal development and organization Jenny is a staunch member of our community. She is a charter member of the Athens Sunrise Rotary and the District Chair of Membership for Rotary District 6690. She is a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a member of the Child Conservation League as she continues to dedicate her time to helping children who are less fortunate in some aspect of their lives. Jenny has a B.S. degree in Social Work and a Master of Science degree from Ohio University. The Athens County Foundation and the Women’s Fund will give a $500 grant to Women for Recovery in honor of Jenny.

Other nominees for this year’s award were Jodi Mcneal & Jennifer Fritchley and Linda Strunk.

The mission of the Women’s Fund of the Athens County Foundation is to promote philanthropy among women, and to establish a permanent fund which will provide funding to programs and projects in Athens County which empower women to achieve their full potential. Each year, the Women’s Fund awards grants to Athens County non-profits which benefit women and girls.

Stacy Strauss is ACF's new Director of Finance and Administration

By Emily Prince • September 1, 2026
Please join us in welcoming our new Director of Finance and Administration, Stacy Strauss. Stacy looks forward to using her skills to strengthen our community! She brings energy, creativity, and a thoughtful approach to her work, along with a genuine ability to bring people together around shared goals. Her experience spans financial management, fundraising and grant writing, program development, business strategy, and developing materials that tell a clear, compelling story.  Just as importantly, she enjoys helping others grow. She has experience leading and training teams, building collaborative cultures, developing recruitment strategies, and finding practical, creative solutions to complicated challenges. Whether working with colleagues, community partners, or other stakeholders, she builds relationships rooted in trust, communication, and a shared commitment to advancing good ideas.

Fall Grant Applications Open

By Shayne Lopez • August 28, 2026
Athens County's greatest asset is its people. Every day, neighbors, organizations, and local leaders bring skill, creativity, and deep knowledge of this place to the work of building a stronger community. Our grantmaking invests in those strengths, because the best solutions are already growing here, led by the people who call Athens County home. Our grantmaking builds on the strengths already here by investing in the initiatives, people and organizations, relationships, skills, and ideas working to address longstanding challenges and pursue extraordinary opportunities. 

Pull up a Chair: August Newsletter

By Emily Prince • August 12, 2026
Collaboration and Partnership