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Two Community Foundation staff members retiring

Candy Yoder retiring from Community Foundation, but transitioning to new role

Dallis Miller also retiring after career in accounting

May 2, 2024

ELKHART — Two key team members are retiring from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County.

Candy Yoder, who joined the Community Foundation in 2018, will leave the role of Chief Program Officer at the end of 2024. However, she will remain with the foundation part-time as a co-leader of Building Strong Brains, the early childhood initiative that is focused on creating the conditions for all young children in Elkhart County to thrive.

Dallis Miller, who joined the Community Foundation in 2018 as its controller, is retiring at the end of May.

“I appreciate both of these team members deeply,” said President Pete McCown. “Our growth, development, and success is a credit to both of them as leaders in our organization.”

Miller has overseen all accounting functions and helped oversee human relations for the foundation. She worked in public accounting for 13 years and was chief financial officer for Martin Capital Management from 2014 to 2018. She was also controller at Goshen College from 2006 to 2013.

As Chief Program Officer, Yoder has overseen all of the organization’s grantmaking processes. The program team supports all of Elkhart County’s nonprofits, focusing its work on career pathways, placemaking, and kids and families. The latter has been the focus of Yoder’s career. She joined CAPS, now called Child and Parent Services, in 1989 as a program coordinator and became its president and CEO in 2009. Under her leadership, CAPS grew to serve more than 6,000 children and families a year with a broad range of programs. In 2017, the organization opened the new Joy Rose Center following strong community support with contributions of $5.7 million to build the new operations center.

At the Community Foundation, Yoder led the grant committees in selecting areas of emphasis for grantmaking: a connected network of trails, student pathways for success, and early childhood development and education. She has been a leader and innovator in launching the Building Strong Brains coalition.

“I am so grateful for a fulfilling career of partnering with others to improve lives. It has been a joy to be part of the Community Foundation’s work for the past six years,” said Yoder. “I look forward to simply having a smaller plate and focusing on Building Strong Brains, in partnership with coalition director Kimberly Boynton.”