The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley (CFMV) has announced Shari Harrell, the organization's president will be retiring.

Harrell has served as the organization's president for ten years, according to the CFMV.

"Shari Harrell has been an exceptional leader for the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and the communities we serve," said Timothy Francisco, professor of English at Youngstown State University and chair of CFMV's Board of Directors. "During her tenure, the foundation has grown mightily in assets, outreach and impact...This work has been expansive, invigorating and sometimes difficult—and we are all better for it."

According to a news release from the CFMV, since joining the Community Foundation in 2013, Harrell has grown the staff to eight full-time employees, prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the foundation and its operations, overseen the creation of the Healthy Community Partnership, a cross-sector collaborative that aims to improve health outcomes in the Mahoning Valley through long-term partnerships with leaders, residents, and stakeholders throughout the community and more.

Harrell led the organization through the most tumultuous parts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and implemented significant changes, including a joint grant application and review process with The Raymond John Wean Foundation and The Youngstown Foundation to expedite giving to those organizations most in need. She is also working to wrap up the organization's current strategic planning process, which incorporated input from community stakeholders, to clarify priorities and focus areas and set the stage for the Foundation's work over the next few years.

Casey Krell, will succeed Harrell after a transition period.

Krell joined the organization in 2014 and is currently the director of supporting organizations and donor services, where she partners with CFMV's three affiliated foundations – the Western Reserve Health Foundation, the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation and the William Swanston Charitable Fund – and more than 160 component funds to make strategic investments to address community needs.

Previously, Krell spearheaded the launch of the Healthy Community Partnership, implemented numerous accounting/finance processes and procedures, revised CFMV's grantmaking structure to improve the process for grantees and fund holders and helped the organization during its major software transition in 2021.

Currently, she is leading the staff team through work with a data consultant to flesh out the data and success metrics for the Foundation's strategic plan.

The release says Krell recently completed her Masters of Business Administration from Youngstown State University and previously received her bachelor's degree in public relations and journalism from Mercyhurst University.