Community foundation gets new leadership

Tyler Pribbeno took over the reigns as chairman of the Imperial Community Foundation Fund (ICFF) advisory committee July 1. Elizabeth Haarberg relinquished her duties after a four-year term at the helm.
Pribbeno’s first connection with ICFF was when he received the Kermit and Lottie Karns education scholarship in 2003.
He returned to his hometown as a licensed attorney with Burke Law Office in 2010 and got involved with the community foundation in 2011.
“I’m excited to continue building on the success ICFF has had in making Imperial a better place to live,” Pribbeno said. “And I am excited about the possibilities for our progressive community.”
Pribbeno acknowledged how fortunate Imperial is that young people are staying or returning to their hometown as well as folks who continue to move to the community.
Pribbeno’s enthusiasm fits right into promoting Imperial as the city’s Community Development Director. He took over that position in March, just before COVID restrictions started shutting things down.
Haarberg became a fund advisory committee member in 2014. She took on the chairman role in 2016 and has served during a very key time of the Sherwood Foundation Campaign. That foundation’s challenge involves a 50% match up to $250,000.
In 2017, the committee took on the four-year challenge to raise $500,000 for the unrestrictive endowment. That goal is within $10,000 of being reached, thanks to dedicated donors who care and believe in Imperial’s future. Building the unrestricted endowment will be ongoing long beyond the campaign in order for annual payout opportunities to continue to grow.
The foundation has $1.5 million in assets and has granted more than $475,000 from investment earnings for community betterment and scholarships, according to Treasurer Doug Gaswick.
Elna Johnson moved to an ex officio role and will continue to be involved. She has served 15 years on the advisory committee, five years as chairman preceding Haarberg. She came to Imperial as a young bride in 1954 and has been active in the community for 66 years.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to help make a difference,” she said.
Joel Gockley accepted commitment as a new committee member.
Doug Gaswick continues to serve as treasurer since ICFF’s inception in 1999. Brianna Pribbeno became a committee member in 2015 and has served three years as secretary. Tanna Hanna, who came on board in 2016, is the new vice chair.
Hannah Meeske, a recent CCS graduate, has taken on several projects as part of a summer internship program offered by the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF). The Imperial fund is an affiliated fund of NCF.
Other fund advisory committee members and the year they began include Lori Pankonin, 1999, secretary for 18 years; Jane Moreland, 2001; Brenda Ledall, 2013; and Charley Colton, 2016.