Cindy Andrews Announces Retirement, Jamie Finley Simoneau to Succeed as Next Community Foundation President and CEO

The Community Foundation of Lorain County announced today that Cynthia H. “Cindy” Andrews will retire as president and CEO effective Jan. 31, 2027, after nine years of leadership. Jamie Finley Simoneau, the Foundation’s chief impact officer, will succeed her as president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2027.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to express our profound appreciation to Cindy for the tremendous impact she has had on the Community Foundation and on Lorain County,” said Nick Ross, board chair. “During the past nine years, Cindy has brought a collaborative, entrepreneurial approach to her role, building relationships across the nonprofit, business, education and civic sectors, positioning the Foundation as a trusted partner and convener.”

Under Andrews’ leadership, the Foundation’s assets have grown to more than $200 million across more than 750 funds supporting charitable giving and community impact. The Foundation also expanded its role beyond grantmaking to proactively connect people, ideas and resources to address community needs.

Andrews strengthened board governance and launched events to engage emeritus board members, creating an advocacy network that has raised impact and awareness of the Foundation and local nonprofit “purpose-driven” organizations throughout the county.

The Foundation’s growth, new partnerships and initiatives have been guided by two successive long range strategic plans developed under Andrews’ leadership.  These plans leveraged active participation and insight from the board and staff and engaged many voices in the broader community. Notable among the plan outcomes is Connect to a Cause, an annual day of giving that encourages community members to support their favorite local causes. The event has added more than $2.5 million to the endowments of more than 100 local nonprofits.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the Community Foundation,” Andrews said. “Building relationships across Lorain County and leading this talented team has been tremendously affirming and rewarding. I am proud of what we have built together, and I am excited to see the Foundation continue to create opportunities across our cherished county.”

Simoneau joined the Foundation in 2019 and has served as chief impact officer for the past two years, overseeing grantmaking, scholarships, community engagement and marketing. She helped broaden the Foundation’s grantmaking to include more community voices, secured additional resources for grantmaking and strengthened its strategic plan. She is a graduate of the CF Leads Executive Leadership Institute. Before joining the Foundation, she was chief operating officer at Great Lakes Science Center and held leadership positions in the private sector.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jamie as the Community Foundation’s next President and CEO,” noted Maria Grega, emeritus board member and former Grants Committee chair of the Community Foundation. “Jamie has worked alongside Cindy and has been an integral part of the leadership team. We are delighted in the Foundation’s performance and trajectory that Cindy and Jamie have led; Jamie is well known in our community and we feel confident that Jamie is the right person to lead the Community Foundation into the future.”

Simoneau will assume the role of President and CEO on Jan. 1, 2027, working alongside Andrews during the transition period before her retirement at the end of January.