The search for a new permanent director for the Emporia Community Foundation took very little time, as just two weeks after being announced as the interim leader, Loni Heinen is now firmly at the helm of the organization.
It was announced Monday that Heinen has been chosen to serve as the new Executive Director of the foundation, a role she was named to on an interim basis just 12 days prior. Heinen says the pace of the announcement was surprising to her.
The speed of the announcement, however, was only “logical” to ECF Board President Bryan Fillinger, who in a news release Monday stated that Heinen’s 16-years of experience with the foundation made her the “clear and natural choice for the role.” Filinger added, “She has worked alongside every past Executive Director and has built strong, lasting relationships with our donors and
community partners. The Foundation is in capable and knowledgeable hands with Loni as Executive Director.”
While speaking with KVOE News, Heinen humbly agreed with this assessment, saying she believes her experience has prepared her to take the helm, but added there will still be a slight learning curve with her new role.
That said, Heinen says she expects things at the foundation to be “business as normal,” and despite the learning curve, residents shouldn’t notice any “hiccups” in operations. Heinen joined the foundation in 2010 as a part-time administrative assistant and became a full-time employee when she was appointed Program Officer in 2014. Heinen transitioned to her previous role, Finance Officer, in 2020.
She replaces Linda Kehres Schmidt, who led the foundation since 2024, as she transitions into “an advisory consulting role with the foundation.” Kehres Schmidt replaced Becky Nurmberg, who retired back in 2024 after leading the agency for six years.
