For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS –Kelly Ryan will leave her position as CEO of Incourage on Oct. 31.

After more than 20 years as Incourage’s president and CEO, Ryan will be transitioning into a fellowship with the F.B. Heron Foundation.

Ryan will remain active in Wisconsin, as a member of Governor Ever’s Committee on Entrepreneurship & Innovation through Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and through 2019, as an advisor to the Tribune Steering Committee.

On Nov. 1, Heather McKellips, Incourage’s COO, will assume the role of interim CEO until a new CEO is named.

The organization said in a release that “Ryan transformed the former Community Foundation of South Wood County from a traditional charitable giving entity into the nationally recognized philanthropy focused on adaptive rural economic development that it is today. Ryan operationalized a values-centered framework, formally integrating the core principles of equity, opportunity, and shared stewardship into governance, strategy and management activities.”

“As I move into a fellowship with the Heron Foundation, I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned from this community with a larger audience while continuing to bring attention to this region’s ingenuity and commitment to resident-led change,” Ryan stated.