Granville Community Foundation welcomes new board members Julie Houpt, Bob Hays

The Granville Community Foundation (GCF) is pleased to welcome Julie Houpt and Bob Hays as new board members. Houpt replaces Jill Young, who left her board position to take on the role of Director of Operations for the foundation, and Hays replaces Rick Bauer, whose tenure expired in January 2023. Each board member will have the opportunity to serve a total of two three-year terms.

Houpt brings an impressive repertoire of experience, including 19 years as the vice president of Institutional Advancement at Denison University, as well as her current role as president of the Kendal Charitable Funds, a 501(c)(3) that strives to transform the experience of aging on a national level. In her role as VP of Institutional Advancement at Denison, Houpt led a team of professionals that raised more than $500 million for the institution. In addition to several hands-on experiences with students and alumni, Houpt also served on the president’s leadership team and staffed the University’s Board of Trustees.

"These experiences allowed me to become intimately involved in strategic planning and a wide variety of organizational issues that will enable me to be a valuable part of GCF," Houpt wrote in her application. Houpt, who has a B.A. from Denison University and a J.D. from the University of Southern California, is a 22-year resident of Granville. She and her husband, John Kralovec, raised two children in Granville and are avid travelers in their retirement.

Hays relocated to Granville from Austin, Texas five years ago after a successful career in the oil and gas industry. As a petroleum engineer with a finance background, Hays focused on planning and logistics.

"I enjoy putting the pieces together to make something happen as well as figuring out the financial side of my plan," Hays said.

Now retired, Hays serves as an independent petroleum engineering consultant and holds several volunteer positions including the chair of the finance committee at St. John’s Episcopal Church and member of the Rotary Club of Granville. While in Texas, Mr. Hays served as senior warden at his church and chaired the Bishop Quinn Foundation for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, which managed a $35 million grant making portfolio. Hays, who holds a B.B.A. in finance and a B.S. in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, said that he is the most excited to provide grant support for the wonderful organizations doing good work in our community.

Granville citizens interested in serving on the board of Granville Community Foundation can find applications online at www.granvillecommunityfoundation.org/applications or may contact Jill Young, director of operations at granvillecommunityfoundation@gmail.com.

Information submitted by Granville Community Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Community Foundation welcomes two new board members