Ron Bishop, active radio broadcast executive in the Mid-Ohio Valley leaves the board of the Marietta Community Foundation at year end.  Mr. Bishop has served many local organizations including Selby General Hospital and the Mid-Ohio Valley Chamber of Commerce.  During his 5 year term with the foundation he served on the Nominating Committee and the Allocations Committee.  Ron and his wife Melissa enjoy cruising the rivers east of the Mississippi and are members of the foundation's 1788 Legacy Society.  Ron's marketing creativity has been of value to the foundation as well as grantees in seeking to further their projects.
   Bob Kirkbride leaves the board at year end also.  In 1992 Mr. Kirkbride convinced Norm Murray, then Chairman of the Peoples Bank Board, to chair the committee that reactivated the Marietta Community Foundation from a period of dormancy.  With a gift from former Marietta residents, Mary Carolyn McCoy Mildren and husband William E. Mildren, Sr. the foundation has been in continuous service since then. 
   Under Kirkbride's leadership of the new board, an unrestricted gift of $2.4 million was received from the late J. Frank and Lillian Strecker Smith in 1995.
   This fund continues to grow and has served as the basis for nearly $100,000 in local unrestrcted gifts annually awarded.
   The foundation today has assets of nearly $7 million during its lifetime and in 2004 awarded $644,000 to local unrestricted charitable organizations and projects.
   Kirkbride was named the Small Business Champion for the state of Ohio by the National Federation of Independent Business for the year 2003-2004.  He serves on the boards of WesBanco and the College of Wooster among others.  He and wife Janeen enjoy rural living on their property described as "Just between Belpre and Cleveland.  Come visit anytime."
   The offices for the foundation are located in Putnam Commons at 121 Putnam Street.  For more information about the Marietta Community Foundation, readers may contact Business Manager Judy Atkins at 740-373-3286.
   An open house in conjunction with the Tourist and Convention Bureau will be held January 13th from 4:30 to 7:30 in the Commons lobby area.