2024 Annual Report (1) - Flipbook - Page 3
a note from the
CEO & PRESIDENT
2024 was a year of transition for the
Scharbauer Foundation. While we welcomed
two new board members, we also gratefully
and fondly said farewell to our longtime leader.
In March 2024, Scott Kidwell and John
Scharbauer joined the Board as provisional
directors. Mr. Kidwell, a native Midlander, brings
decades of professional and personal
understanding about the business and civic
dynamics of our town. Mr. Scharbauer, a
dedicated entrepreneur and philanthropist,
carries a deep family connection and
admiration with his board service. Finally, Grant
Billingsley, our leader for 11 years, retired in
December. His character and relationshipbuilding skills have been unparalleled and at
the core of the Foundation’s success.
aspiring principals
and campus leaders
to lead the next
generation of
classrooms. We also
partnered with Baylor College of Medicine to
bring a STEM+M program to Midland,
promoting medical education and career
pathways in our public school system.
Our commitment to Healthcare remained
strong. In addition to the Permian Basin
Behavioral Health Center, we supported several
small and specialty community outreach
facilities, as well as the modernization of the ICU
at Medical Center Hospital, which will impact
our entire region.
We also experienced a shift in how we think
about delivering our impact. Expanding our
scope beyond grant cycles and projects, much
of 2024 was spent discussing missional
investments and public-private partnerships
aimed at improving Midland. In the next few
pages, you will read about the Permian Basin
Behavioral Health Center, where we are
engaging in a wider land acquisition
surrounding the Center for expansion of a firstclass regional medical center, and the
transformative downtown Omni Midland hotel
project. These mission-related investments
allow us to ensure that projects with a
multigenerational impact on Midland can be
secured and brought to fruition.
Strengthening our internal team and
financial health was a priority. We
transitioned to new leadership and expanded
our employee base by hiring two new
employees this year: David Guerrero, our staff
accountant with a much-utilized background in
information technology, and me. We also
enjoyed much success in the markets in 2024,
and our balance sheet is strong. We continue to
discuss projects and investments that further
secure the financial future of the Foundation.
I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome I
received from the Board of Directors at their
annual retreat in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in
August, and for the five months I spent beside
Grant Billingsley. My hope is to work with the
same mindfulness and collaborative spirit that
he did. I look forward to promoting the further
growth of the Foundation and its continued
impact on our Midland community.
Our focus on partnerships in Education
continued to grow. With two separate grants
to the Holdsworth Center, we are hopeful that
Midland ISD will be able to create a pipeline of
Expanding our scope beyond grant cycles and projects, much of 2024
was spent discussing missional investments and public-private
partnerships aimed at improving Midland.
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