The Colonel Crowther Foundation: Succession Planning in a Non Profit Organization
Introduction That evening's telephone conversation with board member Rob Hileman seemed surreal. Dr. Robert Hileman, Jr. Rob's father and the executive director of the Colonel Crowther Foundation had died suddenly of a massive heart attack at the age of 64. The news stunned the board of directors, whose immediate thoughts and prayers were for Bob's wife and children. Just a few hours earlier the board had discussed and approved the foundation's annual plans and activities. Now everything was in jeopardy. A single telephone call had turned the foundation's world upside down and placed its educational activities and its very mission at risk. Who among the board members or the foundation's other stakeholders would now take up the mantle of leadership? How would the foundation survive the tragic, sudden loss of its visionary founder and leader? The Colonel Crowther Foundation The Colonel Crowther Foundation was established by Dr. Robert R. Hileman, Jr. a semi retired accountant and Civil War historian, in November of 2005 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania as a 501(3)(c) non profit organization. With only 40 members, the foundation was primarily dedicated to educating the public on the history of the Civil War era by focusing on the public and private life of Colonel James E. Crowther, his family, and his leadership of the 110th Pennsylvania Volunteers. The foundation went beyond the mere preservation of historic documents and artifacts, and instead became an organization that: Creates a living heritage where preservation is enhanced by demonstrations and education Our efforts will focus on documenting, communicating, and interpreting past events, knowing that learning from yesterday is preparing for tomorrow. The foundation conducted a number of annual activities and special events in central Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, culminating in the Col. Crowther Weekend Encampment. Held in Tyrone, Pennsylvania in early August, the annual encampment attracted more than 200 spectators and highlighted the recruitment and training of volunteers for Colonel Crowther's 110th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Dr. Hileman's strategic plan also called for the creation of a museum to preserve the Crowther family correspondence along with other Civil War documents and artifacts. The foundation also planned to operate an educational center providing Civil War research resources, lectures, and even courses for scholars and the general public. A website was planned to promote the foundation's resources. To promote the concept of living history, the foundation had built strong working relationships with several Civil War re enacting groups, such as Company A of the 110th Pennsylvania Volunteers and the Keystone Regiment. These dedicated re enactors assisted the foundation by recreating living history programs that focused on Civil War era business, social, and military camp life. To help educate the public about life at that time and heighten the educational experience, hands on interaction between the public and re enactors was initiated and included military drilling, medical treatment of the wounded, semaphore communications, and artillery demonstrations. The daily activities of the foundation were managed by the volunteer president and executive director, Dr. Bob Hileman. He was supported by eight volunteer directors of varying backgrounds, including two members of the Crowther family. The board members assumed corporate duties as vice president, treasurer, and secretary, but were geographically dispersed across four states: Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and New York. Funding was primarily through annual contributions from board members, donations solicited by the foundation from local businesses, membership fees (the foundation awarded honorary military rank based on members' contributions) fundraising raffles, and donations from the general public at foundation events and activities.