About the Community Foundation of Fayette County
Mission: Our mission is to build a stronger Fayette County by inspiring charitable giving, supporting nonprofits, and nurturing positive community impact.
Vision: We envision a thriving Fayette County that is uplifted by generous donors and strong nonprofits.
Values:
Stability – We believe that permanent endowments and diligent stewardship will impact future generations.
Community – We believe that transformation is possible when individuals and organizations work together with a common purpose.
Impact – We believe that Fayette County will be strong only when each and every individual within it is thriving.
Integrity – We believe that acting ethically and honoring our commitments to donors and the community is critical.
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and daily operations are managed by a small, professional staff. The foundation benefits Fayette County through personalized donor services and serves as a supportive community leader, grantmaker, and scholarship provider.
Continued accreditation from the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® distinguishes CFFC as maintaining legal, ethical, effective practices with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropy excellence.
The Founders
The Community Foundation of Fayette County was founded in 1999 by a group of community leaders including John Buchanan, Charles Cluss, Lee Frankhouser, Albert Skomra, Lynda Waggoner, and Robert Eberly, Sr. and regional foundations — Eberly Foundation, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, and McCune Foundation. Their intention was to create a charitable foundation with a focus on Fayette County to enrich the quality of life and to assist the county’s nonprofit sector.
What is a Community Foundation?
Board of Directors
Edward Balling, Treasurer
Angela Braun, D.C., Chair
Terry Burden
Clifford J. Callahan, CPA
Edward Capuzzi, Jr.
Joshua Ellsworth
James R. Foutz, CPA
Ronald Gabriel, Vice Chair
Michael George
Garnet Gordon, Esq., Secretary
James E. Higinbotham, Jr., Esq.
David Hughes
William James
Brandon Katzeff
Lawrence J. Kiefer
John LaCarte
Casey Leonard, CPA
Our Staff
Renee Couser joined CFFC in 2008 as Grants Coordinator and then served as Director of Donor Relations before being named Executive Director in 2018. Prior to that, she worked in the Community Affairs Department and the Government and Public Relations Departments at Highmark in Pittsburgh, PA.
Connecting donors with causes that matter to them is what she loves most about working at the community foundation. “I have met the most incredible and generous individuals and families. Listening to their stories of why they want to give back to the community touches my heart.”
For many years, Mrs. Couser has volunteered at St. Sebastian Church and currently serves on the Parish Council. She and her husband, Charlie, have two adult children and five grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, relaxing at the beach, and her newest adventure kayaking.
James “Jim” Kline joined the foundation staff in 2024. He is a financial executive with 38 years of experience.
Mr. Kline performed audits and tax preparation for numerous companies across different industries during his time with KPMG. He was then Corporate Controller/Assistant Controller for 84 Lumber Company. During his next position with Gabriel Brothers, Inc. he was CFO/VP of Finance/Corporate Controller. Mr Kline’s most recent position, before joining CFFC, was CFO/VP of Finance with HTG Supply, Inc.
His expertise will help support the foundation and its growth through his management of financial investments, budgeting, policies and compliance, and audits.
Eliese “Lee” O’Neil has been a resident of Fayette County since 1983. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a graduate degree from West Virginia University. Since 1995, she has worked as a bookkeeper for several small local businesses.
Mrs. O’Neil joined CFFC in 2013 as an Accounting Assistant, and her current role is Scholarship Coordinator. She maintains the scholarship application software and helps students, donors, and evaluators navigate through the scholarship process. She finds this role very rewarding and is always thrilled to discover the accomplishments and talents exhibited by so many Fayette County students.
When she is not at work, Mrs. O’Neil enjoys daily walks and is an accomplished needleworker and an avid reader.
Celena Valentine joined the CFFC staff in 2022 as an Accountant/Administrative Assistant. She is excited to be a part of the Community Foundation team and have a role in its mission.
As a resident of Fayette County for over 30 years, Mrs. Valentine graudated from Laurel Highlands High School and earned an associate degree in Accounting/Data Processing from the Laurel Business Institute. She was in the Accounting Department with Casteel Corporation for 10 years.
As a wife and mother of 2, Mrs. Valentine spends a majority of her free time with her family and finds her favorite roles to be dance mom and cheerleader. She also enjoys sneaking away occasionally with her family for a weekend of camping.
Rebecca Wardle joined the CFFC staff in 2019 and is proud to promote CFFC’s mission. She coordinates the foundation’s marketing efforts, maintains CFFC’s competitive grantmaking program, and helps organize Fayette Gives.
After graduating from Belle Vernon Area High School, Ms. Wardle earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh, with three certificates for Public and Professional Writing, Corporate/Community Relations, and Digital Media. She experienced multiple marketing internships in Pittsburgh and most enjoyed the ones that involved community-oriented work.
Outside of the office, Ms. Wardle enjoys hiking, listening to music, and sipping coffee.
Contact Us
Community Foundation of Fayette County
5 South Mt. Vernon Avenue
Uniontown, PA 15401
Phone: 724-437-8600
Fax: 724-438-3856
