FDL Area Foundation Elects Three To Board Of Directors

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation recently welcomed Dawn Colwin, Tom Gross, and Bob Fale to the board of directors. 

Giving back to the community is one of Dawn Colwin’s most enduring traditions.  Dawn was born and raised in Fond du Lac, she has enjoyed volunteering on numerous service committees and foundations and serving on several boards.  Dawn has devoted much of her life to being active in the community and serving others.

She is a proud 1973 graduate of St. Mary’s Springs High School.  Dawn has been married to her husband, Joe, for 40 years and they have three grown children Nici, Ben (Sandra), Cassie (Kevin Morasch) and two grandchildren, Ayda and Thaden, and another on the way, all living in Fond du Lac.  She worked in advertising at Giddings & Lewis prior to starting a family.  Dawn and Joe have owned and operated Mid-States Aluminum Corp. in Fond du Lac since 1984. 

Dawn has had several distinguished awards bestowed on her throughout her life.  Some of these awards include: The Carl Tonjes Volunteer Award, 2003; The Women’s Fund “Women of Achievement Award,” 2013; and The Sophia “Caring Community Award,” 2015.

She has been involved with a variety of charitable organizations within the Fond du Lac community.  Dawn has served as an officer on the Loaves and Fishes Board, Service League, and currently serves on the Mid-States Aluminum Foundation Board and the MSA Board of Directors. She has been active in fundraising for the Bethany House Ornament Project, St. Mary’s Springs Academy Second Century Campaign, and the SMSA Capstone Project.  Dawn also continues to coordinate a group for Loaves and Fishes to serve meals to the less fortunate.

Dawn, along with her husband Joe, are members of Shepherd of the Hills Parish in Eden.

Robert A. Fale most recently served as the Interim-President and special advisor to the president of Marian University from 2013-2016.  Previously, he was President/CEO of Agnesian Healthcare, Inc. from 1996–2012. Both Marian University and Agnesian Healthcare are ministry organizations sponsored by the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.

While at Agnesian Healthcare, Bob developed the vision and strategy to expand it from a single hospital/ clinic to its current status as a premier regional system. Championing performance excellence, Bob led Agnesian Healthcare to receive the Governor’s Award of Excellence in Wisconsin Forward Program and a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program site visit. Agnesian was also selected Best Place to Work in the region for five straight years.
Upon his retirement from Agnesian, Bob started Robert Fale HealthCare Consulting, LLC, where he was a strategic advisor to C-suite and governing boards of complex, integrated healthcare delivery systems.

Bob’s career in healthcare prior to Agnesian Healthcare included Executive and President/CEO positions at Catholic Health Initiatives (formerly known as Catholic Health Corporation); Mercy Medical Center, Nampa, Idaho; and Mercy Medical Center and its subsidiary, MedQuest, Inc., Williston, North Dakota. He has held Staff Nurse positions at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and at Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh.

Robert Fale earned his Master’s in Healthcare Administration at Washington University, St. Louis and his BS in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.

Bob is a former member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board, Chairman of the Wisconsin Hospital Association and numerous state and local policy boards. His contributions have been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, the George Becker Spirit Award from Marian University, the Eugene Emerson Award from Northwest Nazarene University, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Hospital Association. He is also a nominee to the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Catholic Health Association. Currently, Bob’s volunteer work includes the Cops4Kids Foundation.

Tom Gross is the current President of Ahern-Gross Plumbing in Fond du Lac.  Tom has his BBA Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  He is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Wisconsin.

Tom is a former board member of several area nonprofits in the Fond du Lac area.  He is a former YMCA and United Way of Fond du Lac Board Member, and is also a former Fond du Lac Area Foundation Board Member.  He was also the Past President of the Fond du Lac Area Foundation Board.  He is a current board member of Hometown Bank, Hometown Bancorp, Society Insurance and the YMCA Finance Committee. 

Tom and his wife Christine are both Fond du Lac area natives.  They have three children, Sara, Stephanie and Tyler, along with 4 grandchildren.

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation was established with a contribution of $53,000 from the disbanded Fond du Lac Children’s Home in 1975.  In 2016, 41 years later, community members have established over 315 funds and one supporting organization, the Sophia Foundation, Inc., with a combined market value of more than $31,000,000.  Each of those funds represent a unique charitable interest, including support for scholarships, churches, youth activities, the arts, the needy, the environment, etc.  Those endowment funds are now generating more than $850,000 each year that is being returned to the community in the form of charitable grants and scholarships.  If you would like more information on the Fond du Lac Area Foundation please contact us at (920) 921-2215.  Or see us at www.fdlareafoundation.com

Current Board Members serving as volunteers to the Fond du Lac Area Foundation are: President Jack E. Twohig, Vice President Steven J. Dilling, Treasurer Aaron A. Sadoff, and Secretary Carol B. Hyland.  Dawn M. Colwin, Stephen M. Cramer, Robert A. Fale, Thomas J. Gross, Therese Massey, Paul W. Rosenfeldt, and Karen A. Wuest.