ANN ARBOR – “Remarkable growth” has propelled the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation to hire Mary Buck as its first-ever executive director, officials said.
The nonprofit is the charity side of Ann Arbor’s chapter of the Kiwanis Club and has been operating since 1965.
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It hosts the ‘Kiwanis Thrift Sale’ at the Kiwanis Center, at 100 N. Staebler Rd., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays and between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Officials said the thrift sale, which has grown exponentially since 2016, is the nonprofit’s main source of fundraising.
Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club and Foundation President Steve Hiller said that the move to the Staebler location has allowed the organization to make massive donations during a period of “remarkable growth.” More than $1,084,424 dollars in scholarships, grants, and goods were donated to Washtenaw County community members in 2022 alone.
“There have been growing pains, and we came to realize that running an organization of this size by committee is not sustainable. We are delighted that Mary chose to bring her considerable nonprofit management skills and experience to A2Kiwanis,” Hiller said. “We believe that Mary Buck is the right leader for the Ann Arbor Kiwanis Foundation as we move toward a bright future of increasingly beneficial contributions to the children and families of our community.”
Before returning to Tree Town, Buck worked in nonprofit management roles for over 10 years. She was previously an operations manager and a director of nonprofits in Santa Cruz, California. She studied at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management and graduated from Michigan State University.
“I am thrilled and honored to lead the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation as its first Executive Director, as we build on our century-long legacy of dedication to serving the children and families of our community,” Buck said. “I feel a profound connection to the mission of Kiwanis, to our board, club members, generous volunteers and to the spirit of Ann Arbor. I want to invite the Washtenaw community to partake in this exciting new phase of helping kids, by becoming a member, volunteering, donating, and shopping at our Kiwanis Thrift Sale.”
She began as Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation executive director on May 1.
Learn more about the foundation here.