CROWN POINT | Almost 100 board members, donors and community advocates attended the annual dinner meeting of the Crown Point Community Foundation early this summer.

Ron Borto, chairman of the board, welcomed everyone and presented information on a milestone year for the foundation. He shared the newly published 2007 annual report and some of its highlights:

Ø Nearly $14 million in assets

Ø More than $522,000 in grants distributed in 2007

At the meeting, the board elected new officers for the upcoming year: Chairman Ron Borto, First Vice Chairman Joe Beckman, Second Vice Chairman Mark Bates, Secretary Kathryn Schmidt, Treasurer

Dave Batusic, Ex Oficio Joseph Allegretti and President Patricia Huber.

Huber, executive director as well as president, updated the group on the current activities of the foundation. She talked about the move to a new office location at 213 S. Court St. last September and upcoming strategic planning sessions. The focus of the board retreat will be strategic grantmaking, board governance, asset development and community leadership, she noted.

Among the invited guests and attendees were: Al and Norma Vittorini, Carla Bertoch, Dave and Helen Batusic, Joe and Jane Nerney, Marty Wheeler, Kathy Zdanowicz, Jimmy and Marian Hooseline, John Cain, Darryl and Pat Miller, Sue Riester, Diane Reimer, Deb Simko, Mark and Lindsay Bates, Gail and Gil Stiener, Karen and Cornel Raab, Bernice Anderson, John and Connie Biegel, Bill and Norma Rosenbower, Alda Vellutini, Mary Ann Abraham, Joe and Cindy Beckman, Natalie and Joe Beckman,

Also, Sally Nalbor, Joe and Annette Allegretti, David Ruskowski, Mary Govert, John Dessauer, Jack and Carole Esala, Tim and Peggy Sendak, Dan and Carol Root, Kathryn and Al Schmidt, Marge Kerr, Bonnie and Bill Vinovich, Jo and Rich Schweitzer, Kay and B. J. Hubbard, Catherine Huber, Mabel Robertson, Jeanette Westphal, Ron and Suzanne Borto, Mayor Dave and Katie Uran, Keith and Lisa Stevens, Diana and Bradley Bosse, Amanda Maynard, Cindy Hall, John Dockus, Angela, Chris and Tim Fealy, Don Brenner, Jeanann Georgas Ficker, Angelo and Sandy Buoscio, John and Louise Diederich, John and Ann Barney, Michael Baird, Tom and Kathy Liss, Terese Eineman, Dan and Vicky Klein, the Rev. Pat Kalich, Marcile Allison and Jen Callander and Bob and Anna Mae Kerr.

The Crown Point Community Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropic organization that allows individuals and organizations to establish permanent endowment funds that provide grants for charitable needs.

For more information or to receive a copy of the 2007 annual report, call Huber at (219) 662-7252.

- For The Times