Janie D. Barnette and Kelly C. Dean Madsen have been named to The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors.
Barnette and Madsen, both of Clifton Forge, began their terms during the annual board of directors meeting Friday. They succeed George C. “Chip” Snead Jr. and Andrew E. Dreszer, whose terms have concluded.
Also during the meeting, Denise J. Pillow was elected secretary/treasurer. She succeeds Michael B. Warwick, whose three-year term as secretary/treasurer has concluded. Warwick remains on the board of directors.
“Though it is always hard to see board members rotate off the board, board rotation is a healthy part of non-profit governance,” said Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors President Meade Snyder. “New members bring fresh perspectives and new ties to the community. I am looking forward to serving with Janie Barnett and Kelly Dean Madsen.”
Barnette is a graduate of Mary Baldwin College and the University of Kentucky Business Management Institute.
She is a member of Central United Methodist Church where she serves as the chair of finance and a lay speaker. Barnette is also president of Mountain Regional Hospice Volunteers and an Eleventh Hour volunteer. She volunteers at the Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge and is a member of the Clifton Forge Woman’s Club.
Barnette is a former member of the LewisGale Hospital-Alleghany Board of Trustees (2012-18) and served as chair in 2018. She is also a former chair of the Alleghany Highlands School Board and the Clifton Forge School Board. She served on the Governmental School Consolidation Committee.
“I have lived in Illinois, Miami and Atlanta, but I fell in love with the Alleghany Highlands and this is my home,” Barnette said. “We moved here many years ago when my husband became a pharmacist in Clifton Forge and found this a wonderful place to raise our three children.
“It is important to me to be involved in the community, and I am excited about working with The Alleghany Foundation because of its positive impact on our area,” she added.
Madsen is the president of Racey & Dean, Inc., an Independent Insurance Agency that sells personal, commercial and health insurance from multiple insurance companies. She is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent and a licensed health insurance agent.
Racey & Dean was founded in 1934 and is one of the oldest businesses in Clifton Forge. The business has been owned and operated by Madsen’s family for decades. She is a third generation owner/operator of the business.
Madsen received a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology with a concentration in art history from the University of Virginia. She earned a certificate of completion from U.Va.’s McIntire Business Institute. She currently holds two insurance licenses.
Madsen grew up in Clifton Forge but moved away to pursue college and professional opportunities after high school, returning to the area in 2005. She worked as a retail buyer/planner for both a department store company and a specialty retailer for six years before becoming an insurance agent in 2007.
She resided in the Washington, D.C., metro area and in Columbus, Ohio, before moving back to Clifton Forge in 2005.
Madsen resides in Alleghany County and Clifton Forge with her husband, Greg, and his children, Olivia and Max.
She has served on the Clifton Forge Main Street, Inc., Board of Directors and is currently secretary of the organization. She has also served on the audit committee and as an event planner and event volunteer.
Additionally, she has served on the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Board of Directors and the Augusta Mutual Insurance Company Agents Advisory Board.
Madsen enjoys hiking, learning to play golf and spending time with family, friends and her dog, Rosie.
“I am honored and excited to join The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors,” Madsen said. “The Alleghany Foundation contributes greatly to the Alleghany Highlands as it achieves its mission of being a catalyst for positive change here.”
Snead and Dreszer leave The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors with a combined 17 years of experience. Snead served 11 years, while Dreszer provided six years of service. They were both active on numerous foundation committees.
“As a staff person, I so appreciate the many volunteer hours board members contribute to help the foundation and the community,” said Alleghany Foundation Executive Director Mary Fant Donnan. “Both Mr. Snead and Mr. Dreszer have been very active members of the foundation’s board with Mr. Snead serving on the Investment Committee and the Executive Committee and as grant review chair.”
“Mr. Dreszer also worked diligently as chair of the grant review process, the Facilities Committee and serving on the Executive Committee,” she continued. “Their service is marked by a commitment to strategic engagement and improving the quality of life of the Alleghany Highlands.”
The 2019-20 Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors includes R. Meade Snyder, president; Denise J. Pillow, secretary/treasurer; Martha M. Atherholt; David E. Crandall, D.O.; Marie W. Fitzpatrick; Leo T. Mulcahy, Ph.D.; Susan W. Rollinson, Ph.D.; Lisa H. Schoppmeyer; Linda N. Thompson; Janie D. Barnette and Kelly C. Dean Madsen.
Directors emeriti include Michele K. Ballou, M.D.; James R. Eller; Harrison L. Fridley; Jack A. Hammond; Charles W. Kahle; George J. Kostel; James D. Snyder; Patrick Henry Winston Jr. and Anne L. Wright. Snead was named a director emeritus during Friday’s meeting.
About the Alleghany Foundation: The Alleghany Foundation was established in 1995 in Covington with $35 million in proceeds from the sale of Alleghany Regional Hospital. The foundation’s vision is to be a resource for and partner with eligible organizations to make the Alleghany Highlands a civically engaged, prosperous region that builds upon its assets to produce opportunities for its residents.
The total annual awards from The Alleghany Foundation now add up to more than $55 million.
For more information about the foundation, visit www.alleghanyfoundation.org.