09/04/2026
Early in my philanthropic career I was introduced to the power of volunteers. While I had volunteered in my life up to that point, I had not realized the critical role they can play in an organization and within a community. I thought it was something that people did to fill time and to be a good person. While I was not wrong, my understanding was limited to my experiences and young age. All of that changed when I met Connie Dunlap.
I could go on for literally hours listing the ways that Connie supported the foundation I worked at, invested time and resources in youth development, and advocated for systemic change within our community. She was never one to back down from a hard conversation or head home early just because "I can put things off until tomorrow". She seized every moment for what it offered.
Over 20+ years of knowing and working with Connie, she served as many different roles for me. Mentor, co-worker, advocate, confidant, unofficial boss, and friend. She was also the big sister I never knew I wanted or needed. Every day was filled with her passing along knowledge through her endless stories about the foundation, the donors she knew and worked with, and her opinion on how the community needed to change to be more equitable. And lord help me if I didn't come and find her within 3 minutes of entering my office. She would look at me from across the office giving me a hawk like stare, never blinking, until I came and said hello. It quickly became a game we would play week after week. For the record she always won.
Connie passed away in her late 90's, leaving behind her a legacy of impact, dedication, and love. The number of young adults she supported through scholarships, awards, and advocacy cannot be numbered. I had the privilege of sitting with Connie many time prior to her passing. While it was difficult to watch a dear friend begin to sunset, it was honor to see someone embrace this final chapter of her life the way she did everything else in life...face forward and filled with courage and conviction.
When the eventual day came that Connie's office needed to be cleared out, I was grateful to get a few items that she held so dear. A petoskey stone, a stuffed bear, and rickety knick-knack of sunflowers that move when the sun hits it. These items occupy my home office where I get a daily reminder of her presence.
As I was prepping the garden on my farm this year, I looked at my potato boxes and immediately thought of the knick-knack from Connie's office. I smiled, knowing immediately what needed to be done. So, I planted sunflowers in the boxes. And now I get to look over at them while I harvest and think of my friend as they too move when the sun hits them. While I would like to think it was my idea, I am pretty sure Connie is looking down on me with her sardonic smile, wondering why it took me so long to make this happen.
