Louisville—Laurie Valentine, trust counsel and chief operating officer of the Kentucky Baptist Foundation and member of the American Council on Gift Annuities board, was elected supporting co-chair of the ACGA board and will become lead co-chair next April. She is the first woman to serve in the position.

The ACGA was founded in 1927 to promote responsible philanthropy by suggesting maximum gift annuity rates. Additionally, the ACGA holds a conference biannually for staff of non-profits and charities.

Valentine’s roles with the ACGA complement her work with the Kentucky Baptist Foundation, which offers gift annuities in its work with charitable gift consultation services for Kentucky Baptist-related causes.

“The ACGA is led and governed by professionals active in the field of planned giving with the most well respected charities in the U.S.,” Barry Allen, retired president of the Kentucky Baptist Foundation, said.

Allen continued, “When I became aware of an impending vacancy on the board due to the retirement of someone I knew, who was an employee of the Annuity Board, SBC (now GuideStone), I recommended Laurie to fill the vacancy.

“I knew Laurie had all of the credentials to qualify, and that she would enhance the synergy of the board in fulfilling its mission and grow in her knowledge and leadership, and in her service to Kentucky Baptists,” he said.

“History has confirmed my instincts, and now her fellow board members have recognized what I have known all along as they have elected her as the new board chair,” Allen added.

Valentine has held various positions on the ACGA board, including serving on the conference, nominating, membership, communications and executive committees, and serving as secretary of the board before being elected as vice chair, among other roles.

“It’s been very much a great experience for me to serve on this board,” Valentine said. “I have gotten to know leaders in the field,” she mentioned, before humbly commenting, “And I do not at all count myself one of them, but a lot of the people who have been on this board are literally people who speak at national conferences all over the country and are very much regarded as experts. To be rubbing shoulders with them is fantastic.

“Just the comradery of working with people in all sizes of charities all over the United States that serve as members of our board has really just been a nice opportunity for me,” she concluded. (WR)