Two new directors have been elected to the board of the Indian  River Community Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving the community through donor-driven philanthropy.

Rick McDermott, a retired bank president, and Sue Tompkins, Vice
President and Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill Lynch are both
long-time Vero Beach residents and volunteer leaders.

McDermott was a founding member of the Indian River Community Foundation
and previously served as board chairman. Before retiring from his
professional career, he was Vice Chairman of Cypress Capital Management
and also Regional President of U.S. Trust, where he founded the bank’s
Vero Beach office. He is a graduate of Babson College and is a member of
the Boards of Directors of the John’s Island Club. He previously
served on the Board of Directors of Saint Edward’s School. McDermott
said he was very happy to accept the invitation to rejoin Indian River
Community Foundation Board.

“The Community Foundation has an incredible opportunity to steward the
future of Indian River County through philanthropy,” McDermott said.
“It is a responsibility that I take very seriously and look forward to
working with philanthropists, community leaders and my fellow Board
members to further this work.”

Tompkins is a certified public accountant and has served on the
Executive Committee of the Indian River Community Foundation
Professional Advisors Committee for four years. She earned a bachelor’s
degree from the University of Connecticut and has been an active leader
in many nonprofit organizations including past president of the United
Way, Impact 100 and the Education Foundation. She also serves on the
board of directors for the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice
Foundation and VNA of the Treasure Coast.

“Philanthropists today are much more attuned to accountability of the
money they give to charities,” Tompkins said. “The Community
Foundation is the perfect partner to steward charitable gifts, giving
donors confidence in the impact they are making in the community.”

The Indian River Community Foundation began operating in 2008 and has
since grown to hold over $18 million in assets, specifically restricted
for charitable purposes. The foundation works with individual
philanthropists, local advisors and community organizations to develop
results-oriented strategies to achieve their charitable goals. For more
information contact the foundation’s Executive Director, Kerry
Bartlett, at (772) 492-1407 or visit www.ircommunityfoundation.com.