Shallow Ford Foundation elects board officers and directors
Published 12:05 am Thursday, August 17, 2023
Bob Sipprell
Ronnie Willard
Brad Gray
Holly Groce
Tim Bell
Victoria Crissman
Bowan Houff
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
CLEMMONS — The Shallow Ford Foundation announces the election of officers for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and two new directors serving a three-year term also beginning in this month.
OFFICERS ELECTED
Robert D. Sipprell, Jr. (Bob), chair
Bob Sipprell is a retired human resource executive, having spent his career in Winston-Salem with Integon and Wachovia. He has lived in Clemmons for more than 40 years. Sipprell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bethany College and a master’s degree from Michigan State. He has been an active volunteer in the community, serving on the YMCA and March of Dimes boards and volunteering with the Clemmons Food Pantry and Clemmons Methodist Men’s Club disaster relief teams. He and his wife, Drinda, have two grown sons and six grandchildren. Commenting on his new role, Sipprell said, “It’s been very rewarding working with the foundation the past few years. I have big shoes to fill as past board chairs have led us through so many impactful programs and projects that are still underway. We have an awesome group of energetic and compassionate board members, and I am humbled and honored to serve as chair in the foundation’s continuing support of our donors and contributions to our community.”
Ronnie Willard, vice chair
Ron Willard has been a resident of Clemmons since the late ’70s. He worked for Reynolds for 34 years, retiring as vice president of R&D engineering and agribusiness development. He graduated from N.C. State University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and is a member of the Leonidas Polk and Wallace Riddick lifetime giving societies for major benefactors to the university. He served as one of five people on the committee to incorporate Clemmons and served as the first mayor of its newly formed government. Willard directed the capital campaign to build the West Forsyth YMCA and led three additional capital campaign expansions. Willard is a 23-year member and past president of the Rotary Club of Clemmons. As a long-time resident of Clemmons, Willard was a strong advocate to bring the Novant Health Medical Center to Clemmons. He served as the first chairman of the Novant Health Clemmons Medical Foundation. Currently, Willard serves on the Forsyth Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors, is a member of the board and current president of Cancer Services, and is a member of Clemmons Moravian Church. Willard lives in Salem Glen and has three grown children.
Bradley O. Gray, CPA, treasurer
Managing principal, Gray, Callison & Jones CPA, PC
Continuing for a second year as treasurer, Bradley O. Gray is the managing principal of the CPA firm Gray, Callison & Jones CPA, PC in Winston-Salem. In addition to the firm management, Gray also provides tax and accounting services to individuals, small businesses and certain nonprofit organizations. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gray is certified to practice in North Carolina, and he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Gray is involved with many civic and community groups, is a Paul Harris Fellow in the Clemmons Rotary Club, and lives in Clemmons.
Holly M. Groce, JD, secretary
Attorney and partner, Clemmons Family Law
Groce has been elected to her third year as secretary of the board. She is an attorney and a founding partner in Clemmons Family Law, practicing primarily juvenile and family law. Groce has lived in Clemmons for the majority of her life. She earned her undergraduate degree from UNC and graduated from the Campbell Law School. Groce is an active member of Center Grove Baptist Church and served on the board at the Jerry Long YMCA. Groce and her husband, Michael, have three sons, Connor, Carson and Colby.
Tim W. Bell, chair (immediate past chair)
Director of facilities management for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Tim Bell will continue as an officer in the role of immediate past chair. Bell is part of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist team, where he has served for over 21 years. He is a veteran of 20-plus years of military service in the United States Air Force, where he served as a headquarters financial analyst. Bell is also an ordained minister and motivational speaker. He is married to Donyea (Dee) Dockery of Raeford, has two sons, Brandon and Jared, and two grandchildren, Brandon and Malia.
NEWLY ELECTED TO THE BOARD
Victoria Crissman
NC property and casualty agent and operations manager, CMS Insurance and Financial, Yadkinville
Victoria Crissman works with CMS Insurance and Financial in Yadkinville as an N.C. property and casualty agent and operations manager. Born and raised in Boonville, she currently resides in Winston-Salem. Crissman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance with a concentration in risk management and insurance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. There she also interned as their Risk Management Program’s coordinator and an active member of Gamma Iota Sigma. Crissman served on the review teams for Shore Scholars and Shore Community Grants. Passionate about her industry, family and agency, she is eager to learn and serve her community.
Bowen C. (Bo) Houff
Community volunteer
Bowen Houff retired in 2022 as a partner and shareholder with Blanco Tackabery, where he practiced law for more than 34 years. Before going to law school at (UNC JD, 1988) Houff graduated from UNC with a degree in education (1980). He lived in France for a year before teaching in Martinsville, Virginia, and Southern Pines. After getting his juris doctorate in 1988, Houff entered private practice with Blanco Tackabery. There he was a civil litigator, representing banks, businesses and individuals. He also served as town attorney for Lewisville for more than 25 years and as town attorney for Walkertown for 20 years. He continues to serve as guardian ad litem for injured minors. Houff also served on the planning committee for the inaugural Leadership Lewisville-Clemmons, started by the foundation and now operated by the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce. A resident of Lewisville, he also serves on the board of the Lewisville Civic Club and is the church council chair at Lewisville United Methodist Church, where has taught Sunday school for more than 25 years. Houff has been married to his wife, Beth, since 1983. They have grown twin children, Samuel and Hannah, and two grandchildren, Lillian and Marshall.
Current directors who will be continuing their terms on the board: Emmy Matthews Corn, manager/lender, First National Bank, Yadkinville; Kim Henson; Brett W. Hoge, senior managing director and financial advisor at Truist Investment Services, Inc.; Jennifer W. Johnson, CFP with Three Magnolias Financial Advisors; William T. Lawler; Stacy Mayhew, CPA, chief financial officer, Hip Chics, Inc.; Robin Paul, Chris Paul Family Foundation; and Dan Pugh.
