For the past 14 years, Kay Reynolds has been an advocate for her community by promoting the work of CFA and leading the push to build the Foundation’s Bedford County Endowments.

Now, though she has just retired from her post as the Foundation’s Bedford County Director, she will continue to serve her community as a member of the county’s advisory committee at CFA.

“Although we’re sad to see her go, we are happy that she will continue to be involved in guiding our growth in Bedford County,” CFA President Mike Kane said. “We want to thank Kay for her support as a director, a community leader, and as a donor.”

Kay came to the Foundation in 2005 with a corporate background, having worked for Cannondale, a premier bicycle manufacturer. It was there where she discovered a passion for promoting worthy causes. The owner, she said, was very philanthropic and Kay found herself helping to raise money for the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation after Cannondale began donating high-end bikes to the organization.

“That piqued my interest in philanthropy and how anyone can do it,” she said. “That’s where it started.”

Then she found a group of passionate people pushing for a Bedford office for the Community Foundation. Bedford County is an important part of the Foundation’s past and future. In 1999, the Foundation changed its name from the Community Foundation of Cambria and Somerset Counties to Community Foundation for the Alleghenies because it became active in Bedford County. Reynolds helped establish a physical office in Bedford, through the generosity of Mark Thomas, and she supported the launch of the Bedford County Endowments.

With her help, the Endowments has grown to 51 individual funds, which support everything from higher education for local students to resources for veterans to promotion of the arts. The Bedford County Community Fund, an unrestricted endowment to support needs in Bedford County and guided by the advisory committee, has grown to $88,800, with a new campaign underway to push the fund to an important milestone—$100,000.

One recent highlight from her tenure is a new a scholarship fund set aside for Fulton County students attending the Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) Bedford County Campus. The scholarships are now part of the campus’ Bedford County Regional Education Foundation (BCREF) Fund at CFA. Both foundations offered contributions to start the scholarships, and Kay also personally contributed.

Kay was always looking for ways to open doors for students and worked to foster collaboration between the two foundations, ACM Director of Pennsylvania Advancement and Community Relations Leah Pepple said.

“Kay has a heart for the community, for education, and for helping people create opportunities in their lives.”

Kay said she’s honored to find ways to give back to her community and is looking forward to watching the Endowments continue to grow. “It’s really been an amazing journey,” she said.