Heritage Fund: Bartholomew County’s Community Foundation has a new leader.

The organization announced this morning that the new president and CEO will be Edie Blakeslee. Blakeslee most recently served as
vice president of grantmaking and community leadership at the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina and consulting work. She is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. and previously worked to support students at The Citadel military school.

Blakeslee’s appointment to the Columbus role is effective today after a unanimous vote of Heritage Fund’s board of directors.

Current Heritage Fund leader Tracy Souza recently announced her retirement after 14 years with the organization. That announcement was followed by a national search for a new leader, led by Campbell & Company, with the participation of Heritage Fund board members and several community leaders.

Heritage Fund began in 1976 as a community foundation charged with accepting gifts and managing charitable funds in the community. It has $111 million in assets. It mission is to inspire generosity, gather and grow community leaders, and to ensure that Bartholomew County is an exceptional place to live, learn, work and play.