A Farewell Message from Trisha Finnegan

My family and friends are my rocks. Pillars of strength, generous souls, sources of inspiration, and sharers of wisdom. Certainly, I have been a family member and friend. I have also been a resident of Louisville, an employee, and a neighbor. But, I have come to know that community means so much more.

Community is a commitment.  It is shared hope. Community is coming together. It is commonality and difference. It is mutual respect. Community is standing united despite fear, pain, or unlikely odds. Community is scanning the horizon to find others who are also standing and extending a hand in good faith. It is searching underfoot for roots, history, and resources. It is crouching down when you see another falter. It is giving up your turn. And doing so again and again. Openly.

Since joining the Community Foundation of Louisville (CFL) at the beginning of 2015, I have come to understand community. My lessons have been learned through experience, witnessing others, being wrong, listening, and questioning what more is possible. And these learnings have shifted who I am. They have informed and fueled my greatest professional contributions. They have allowed me to join and add to a current that has long been in motion. The individuals I have come to know, the gifts I have witnessed, the opportunities to contribute, and the lessons I have yet to learn, all fuel me to offer the highest and best of myself. And, to move with even more urgency. The urgency our communities deserve.

As I close my time in Louisville, my home town, and my time at CFL, I close it in gratitude. I acknowledge the leaders, youth, staff, partners, individuals, corporations, and organizations who speak, act, and invest on behalf of this city. The care, resilience, creativity, commitment, intellect, resourcefulness, empathy, and generosity I have experienced are all part of me. The fibers of my being are stronger, brighter, tougher – and ready to be fully utilized. And I will demonstrate my gratitude by elevating my commitment, by further extending my contributions, and by opening myself to even more learning.

While I will now be joining in creating positive change in a new community, I will continue to invest in the remarkable initiatives, organizations, and leaders here in Louisville. I will continue to be an advocate and ally. It will be my honor. Thank you for the opportunity to serve, learn, and grow along with you, Louisville. Onward. And, invite someone else along with you. Our communities deserve our all!

Trisha Finnegan
President & CEO, Oklahoma City Community Foundation