Our foundation is built upon a love for our community.
Charles D. “Chuck” Berry created the Charles D. Berry Foundation in 2018. The foundation was born from his Christian beliefs, passion for his hometown and his many years of philanthropy.
Charles D. “Chuck” Berry
Charles D. ‘Chuck’ Berry created the Charles D. Berry Foundation in 2018. The foundation was born from his Christian beliefs, a love of his hometown and his many years of philanthropy. The sole purpose of the foundation is to make living in the Dayton community better today and tomorrow. This purpose is fulfilled through Chuck’s vision of creating a foundation which will support education, healthcare, the arts and recreational activities, all areas he believes play important roles in making a stronger community.
John Berry
TRUSTEEJohn Berry is a Dayton native who graduated from Centerville High School and Northern Michigan University. He and his wife Shirley currently live in Naples, Florida and Dayton, depending on the season. He is the Chairman of Berry Investments and the Berry Family Foundation. He has served on many boards (The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, YMCA of Dayton, Camping & Education Foundation, KeyBank, etc) and was the President of the Berry Company from 1988 to 1994. John has worked with his brother on many of his projects and is excited to work with him to establish a living legacy to improve the Dayton area and those projects that Chuck is most interested in. He shares the same commitment to the Dayton community that his brother does.
Bill Lincoln
TRUSTEEWilliam T. Lincoln has been President of Berry Investments, Inc. since 1986 where he works with the Berry Family in Asset Management and Philanthropy. Prior to 1986, he was a Senior Vice President at Society Bank (now Key Bank) where he managed the Trust Department. He is also the Treasurer of the Berry Family Foundation and President of the Louise Kramer Foundation. He has also served on several boards: Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Medical Center Foundation, University Of Dayton – Law School Board Of Advisors, Boy Scouts Of America Executive Committee, Alzheimer’s Association, The Dayton Foundation Finance Committee, PACE (Parents Advancing Choice In Education), Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation. He has assisted Charles Berry in managing his philanthropy for the past 20 years and looks forward to taking Chuck’s philanthropy to the next level.
Alan Schaeffer
TRUSTEEAlan B. Schaeffer has a 48-year history of the successful practice of law in and around Dayton, Ohio. In addition, he and his wife Beth have been strong supporters of the core areas of support identified as being critical for the future betterment of the Dayton area, especially the arts. Alan is a close friend of the Berry family. He looks forward to working with Chuck to ensure that his vision is carried forward by the Charles D. Berry Foundation today and into the future.
Richard 'Rick' Stover
TRUSTEERichard ‘Rick’ Stover dedicated 35 years to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) with 23 years as a partner. He served clients throughout the Midwest splitting his time between industrial product companies and the not-for-profit sector. In 2014, Rick retired from PwC and became a full-time lecturer at the University of Dayton—a position he held for six years. Throughout his career, Rick has been a leader in the community serving as a board member, advisor, or chair for numerous organizations, such as the Greater Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, CityWide Development, Culture Works, Kettering Development Corporation, Leadership Dayton, United Rehabilitation Services, and Special Olympics. Still today, Rick continues to lend his time and talents throughout the Dayton area. He currently serves on the boards of the Miami Valley School, Dayton Levitt Pavilion, Omega Community Development Corporation, and Financial Executives International – Dayton Chapter.
Vivian O'Connell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORVivian O’Connell brings decades of experience and a passion for philanthropy to the Foundation and has devoted her career to nonprofit fundraising and development. She has helped raise millions of dollars to support the missions of many nonprofit organizations, including the Sacramento Association of Realtors, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and United Rehabilitation Services (URS).
Vivian is a graduate of the Leadership Dayton Class of 2018 and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Disability Foundation. She has previously served on the Boards of TEDxDayton and Helping Hands of Dayton. She joined the Charles D. Berry Foundation in the summer of 2020.
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Annie Nelson
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COORDINATORAnnie Nelson joined the Charles D. Berry Foundation in November of 2021. Inspired by her grandparents, Annie developed a deep passion for charitable work at a young age. This resolve led her to dedicate her career to the non-profit sector. Over the last 12 years, Annie has been fortunate to be a part of organizations supporting causes such as education, multiple myeloma research, youth development and mental health.
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"Providing access to quality education, supporting underserved populations, and enjoying meaningful recreational activities and a vibrant arts community will enhance the quality of life for people in our community and make Dayton a better place to live, work and play now and into the future!"