A Tribute – Founders Circle Member Jill Stephen

The Launch of the Dufferin Community Foundation was a poignant moment for Jill Stephen, (right) seen talking with Tim MacDonald, guest speaker from the Stratford Perth Community Foundation, and Joan Waechter, DCF Board Member and event sponsor. For Jill, a passionate advocate and implementer of community support for Social Services and the Arts, the Foundation realized a 15-year dream. But Jill Stephen did more than dream. She brought a wealth of insight to discussions of the Steering Committee created in 2017 to help shape today’s Dufferin Community Foundation.  Her soft-spoken advice came from years of real-world experience. After her retirement as a college professor in Interior Design and Interior Decorating at Sheridan and Humber Colleges in 2002, Jill had taken on roles as fundraiser, administrator, executive director, strategic planner and program developer. Among those who benefited from her knowledge and insight were the United Way, Canadian Cancer Society, the Hospice movement, to name a few. Jill’s enthusiasm and energy – for charitable initiatives, her family and her Grand Valley farm – defied several critical illnesses, until she lost her final battle to cancer on March 26, 2019. In honour of her contribution to The Dufferin Community Foundation as a mentor and consultant to the Steering Committee and to a fledgling Board, Jill Stephen is now recognized in the Founders Circle.
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