Flynn, a Talawanda High School and Miami University graduate, had worked at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, but she and her husband, Matt, decided to return to their hometown to raise their daughter.
Flynn succeeds Catherine Hollins, who oversaw distribution of nearly $1 million though hundreds of grants during her five-year tenure as executive director.
“I started in the last week of April. It’s still very new,” Flynn said. “I did the last grant cycle. The deadline was the week after I started.”
Another first-week experience was taking part in her first Needs Awareness meeting, where representatives of various area social service agencies meet every other month to update each other on programs and service needs, often finding ways to help each other.
“The willingness to help one another is huge,” she said.
Flynn and her new administrative assistant, Stephanie Wagers, spent the summer catching up and getting ready for this new academic year, with its first grant cycle coming up fast as the deadline for submitting applications is Tuesday.
“We are excited to have Leah to build on Catherine’s legacy in helping local residents and promoting a greater quality of life for them,” said Sarah Mabry, president of the OCF board. “Leah knows the Oxford area well; she grew up here and studied here. She joins us with a strong set of skills developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she excelled in building donor relations, providing stewardship and organizing special events.”
Mabry praised the work of Hollins during the past five years.
“Catherine leaves a large footprint and we will miss her. She has been a tireless advocate for not just the foundation but also for the greater Oxford community. We wish her the best in retirement and thank her for all that she has achieved,” Mabry said.
Flynn is a 1998 graduate of Talawanda High Schoo and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Miami University in 2002 and a master’s degree in integrated social studies there in 2006.
She began her career at the Cincinnati Preservation Association and Miami’s Office of Alumni Relations before joining Cincinnati Children’s in the donor relations office.
“I was in the development office at Cincinnati Children’s doing research and donor relations and then moved to fundraising,” she said. “I was kind of at a standstill and I was going to be with people in the middle of their careers. When this opportunity came up, it was an opportunity to use all my skills.”
The chance to come back to Oxford was a strong draw, even though she called Cincinnati Children’s “a great organization” providing service to children and families.
The move also came at a time when her daughter could transition to pre-school in Oxford.
“The big opportunity is that it’s Oxford. Matt and I both grew up here. I feel it’s family here,” Flynn said. “It’s been a lot of change.”
Her husband, Matt, is also an Oxford native and involved in charitable work. He has been employed with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Butler County for five years and is the program leader at Kramer Elementary School. In the past he has worked in the program in Hamilton and Edgewood.
Now back in the community, Flynn said she looks forward to working with the Talawanda schools and the university with the grants offered by the foundation to further education.
“I remember some of the scholarships from when I went to college. To be in a position to award them, to be in a circle, is a good place to be,” she said. “Some (scholarships) have been around a long time. We have a very generous community.”
She said the foundation offers grants to help children in need, educational opportunities, and encourage STEM training (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), among others.
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