Board Members

ECCR Board

 
Rick Ahaus (Co-founder)

An electrical engineer by trade, Rick Ahaus has worked in his family business, Ahaus Tool and Engineering, since 1966. Beginning as a toolmaker in training he gained hands-on experience in the metal working industry. He soon became vice president of sales and engineering and, in 2005, chairman of the board. Rick is also actively involved in the Richmond community. He has been elected to both the Richmond City Council and the Richmond Community Schools school board. He has served as chairman of many local agencies including Richmond Power and Light, Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, Dunn Mental Health Center, and the Wayne County Foundation. As a school board member, Rick recognized the importance of students reading on grade level in the third grade. He suggested that reading at grade level become the number one priority of RCS. That philosophy prompted Rick and Vic Jose, a retired Richmond businessman, to establish the Third Grade Academy in 2008. TGA is an intensive summer reading program designed to improve reading skills and comprehension. To provide an avenue for funding Every Child Can Read, a 501C3 organization was created. Rick serves as chairman of that board. To further emphasize the importance of reading, in 2012 ECCR created the K-Ready program which encourages parents to read with their children 20 minutes every day. This program serves all Wayne County children four and younger.

Robin Henry (Chairperson)

Robin is a lifelong resident of Richmond, Indiana. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Ball State University and a Master's Degree in Adult Education from Indiana University. She is the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at West End Bank. Professionally, Robin has a Senior Professional in Human Resource designation with the Society from Human Resource Management. She is involved in the community by serving on the following boards: Reid Health Governance Board, Reid Health Foundation, Richmond Art Museum, Earlham Cemetery and Beth Boruk Temple.

Jon Ford (Past Chairperson)

Mr. Ford serves as treasurer for the ECCR board.  Mr. Ford is a 1958 graduate of Hanover College.  He worked for Ralston Purina/Purina Mills for 40 years in various locations including St. Louis, Cincinnati, Battle Creek, MI, Davenport, IA, Mechanicsburg, PA and Richmond, IN.  He retired in 1998.  Jon has been married to Judy for 56 years and has 5 children and 12 grandchildren.  Mr. Ford also serves on the Reid Hospital Board of Directors as their Board Chair, Board of trustees of Ivy Tech Richmond, the Indiana Hospital Association Board of Directors and as an Elder at Christ Presbyterian Church.  In the past, Mr. Ford has also served on various local boards including the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Wayne County Foundation, Starr Gennett Foundation, Hanover College Alumni Board and the YMCA.

Guy Guthrie (Secretary)

Mr. Guthrie, a retired community businessman, serves as secretary on the board and also serves on the steering committees for both the Third Grade Academy and the K-Ready programs.  Outside of these committees, Mr. Guthrie also serves as board treasurer for the Hope House (residential addictions treatment program and men’s homeless shelter), board treasurer for Christian Charities, Inc. (which runs Operation Backpack Blessings) and on the board and executive committee for the Circle U Help Center (food pantry and daily meals provider).  Mr. Guthrie grew up in Richmond and returned after a business career in the Midwest.  His wife of 43 years is a retired school teacher.

Becky Jewison (Treasurer)
Becky is in her 2nd year as Treasurer of the ECCR board of directors. She started working with ECCR in 2018 as the K-Ready coordinator and quickly learned what great literacy programming we had to offer. Upon retiring form Reid Health, first with the Reid Foundation then the Reid Volunteer program, Becky wanted to make a difference in Wayne County by working with a literacy program. She was particularly interested in the impact that The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library could make. Becky is looking forward to another successful year with K-Ready and TGA.

 

Leslie Bolser

Leslie is an advocate for kids and learning in the Wayne County area. She has worked and volunteered for literacy projects since returning to the area in 2000. She has both bachelor's and masters degrees from Indiana University-Bloomington. She lives in Richmond with her husband, Chad, and two daughters.

Kim Poinsett

Kimberly Poinsett has been with First Bank Richmond since 2004. In her current position as Community Relations Director, she oversees First Banks philanthropic initiatives, community involvement and employee engagement. Prior to joining First Bank, She was with Richmond City Government for 12 years as Community Relations and Media Director for Richmond Parks and Recreation.

Kim is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Centerville High School. Her involvement with community organizations includes the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Indiana Small Business Development Center, IUE School of Business Advisory Group and the Richmond Lions Club.

Jason Blunk
Jeff Raatz
Nikki Brock
Nikki Brock is married to Ben, and has two children, Zoe and AJ. She graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a degree in music and has taught middle and high school music in the Union County Schools in Liberty, Indiana. Currently Nikki is a part time music teacher at Community Christian School. She is a member of the local chapter of Tri Kappa Sorority, and a member of First English Lutheran Church. Nikki, Ben and their children are a huge Disney loving family, and Nikki enjoys baking cupcakes for everyone!
Tracie Robinson (Vice Chairperson)
Tracie Robinson is a lifelong Wayne County resident with 2 children and 1 grandchild. She has been a licensed Indiana Realtor for 21 years and is a Broker and Sales Manager at Better Homes and Gardens First Realty Group. She is a member of the Richmond Association of Realtors, the Indiana Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Tracie has served on the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a current member of the Chamber Awards, Celebrations & Events Committee. Tracie has also served on the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, The EDC Marketing Committee, and the Wayne- Union American Red Cross. She currently serves on the Earlham Community Partnership Committee, Richmond Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, and as a member of Girls Just Wanna Give non profit.

 

April Limburg
April is a Richmond native and graduate of Richmond High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and graduate studies at Indiana Wesleyan University. She currently lives in Hagerstown with her husband and youngest son who attends Centerville High School. Their older son studies Mechanical Engineering Technology at Purdue University and daughter lives in Richmond and works as a CNA at a local nursing home. April has worked in the health care industry for 15 years and currently works as the Billing and Finance Manager at Neighborhood Health Center. NHC started a Little Free Library and April thoroughly enjoys watching the excitement on young children’s faces when they get to take home a free book. At various points over the past 24 years, April has taught music in the public schools and volunteered as a director of various children’s choirs and youth drama clubs. She understands the importance of early childhood literacy and her favorite reading time is spent with her little grandbaby. April is excited to serve on the Every Child Can Read board.
Kristen Brunton
Kristen cares deeply about educating children and has built her life in Wayne County because of her love for this community. She is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a graduate of Ball State University with a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology. She has 20 years of experience teaching children from Kindergarten to Middle School in Richmond public schools with several years being devoted to teaching young children to read in her role as a Reading Specialist and Reading Recovery Instructor. Currently, she is a real estate broker, adjunct faculty at Indiana University East, stained glass artist, and life-long learner. She lives in Richmond with her husband, Mark, and 3 kids.
Tricia Sheridan
Tricia currently works for More Than Words, a program of the United Way, as a creative consultant. She serves as a board member of The Women’s Fund and Stage One Youth Theater. As a stay at home mom she has been fortunate to get to spend many hours volunteering at the schools her children attended, at church and at Richmond Civic Theater. She has a passion for creativity, currently focusing on the art of pottery. Tricia was born and raised in Richmond, is a graduate of Richmond High School and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from GMI Engineering & Mgt. Institute. She and her husband Jeff live in Richmond where they have raised their 3 children. Tricia is very proud to be the daughter of ECCR founder Rick Ahaus.
Jackie Webb
Jackie Webb is recently retired from Reid Health where she worked for 16 years. She served as Barry McDowell and Craig Kinyon’s Administrative Assistance. She was born in Lynn, Indiana and then lived in Florida for 20 years before returning to Richmond 17 years ago. Jackie has an accounting background. Jackie is proud to have served on the Girls Inc. Board for the past four years and will be the President of their Board for 2021. She attends the First Church of the Nazarene and recently started volunteering with the Chamber of Commerce’s ACE’s Committee.