Trustees and Officers

Richard is a small-business owner and artist in Philadelphia. A graduate of Georgetown University, he has a background in fine art and business; he has served as a collector, appraiser, and Senior Vice President & Director of Fine Arts at Freeman’s Auction House. He is currently owner of Head House Books, an independent bookstore central to Philadelphia’s literary life, and has served as a trustee and officer on various Philadelphia-based nonprofit and school Boards. He believes “strongly in the foundational importance of vital, connected communities and the umbilical role we play in their future prosperity and resilience, or their shuttered decay and blight”. He is grateful and proud to serve the Lumpkin Family Foundation in any capacity needed.

Wallingford, CT

My association with the Lumpkin Family Foundation began in 1995 after a career in the private sector.  In serving as LFF’s first executive director, I discovered a group of people who value hard work, tolerance and humility.  Those demonstrated values prompted my decision later to accept a board position.  Being part of a foundation seeking to improve the quality of life for many provides great satisfaction, as does volunteering in my own community.

Bess has a degree in Art History from DePauw University and a Masters in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Illinois Chicago. She worked for various non-profit arts organizations before having children and and then switched to volunteering. She has served as the Founding Board Chair of the Healthy Schools Campaign and Climate Cycle and has a deep interest in the health and wellness of our planet and its inhabitants. She has had the privilege of serving on the Board of the Lumpkin Family Foundation for 20 years.

Susan is a Board-certified Radiologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. A graduate of Georgetown and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, she is Director of Resident Education in the Division of Breast Imaging. Susan is a fifth generation Lumpkin family member, a trustee and past president of the Foundation. She enjoys collaborating with board and staff and with our grantees and partners who share the family’s vision for healthy sustainable communities.

Joe is Chairman and CEO of First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Inc., based in Mattoon, IL.  He joined the First Mid team in 2011 after serving on the board of directors since 2004.  Joe worked for Consolidated Communications in Mattoon for twenty years prior to joining First Mid.

A Coles County native, Joe received his Bachelor of Science degree in business from Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in 1981.  He has served his alma mater as president of the Alumni Association, chair of the Business School Advisory Board, and as a member of the EIU Foundation Board.  He is currently a member of the EIU Board of Trustees.  He has been an active member of the business community, serving as chair of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, and chair of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System.

Deborah Gillespie is Vice President of Finance and Administration and Secretary/Treasurer of the Joyce Foundation. Joining the Foundation in 2000, she is a member of the executive management committee and has oversight responsibilities that include finance and accounting, compliance, human resources, information technology, facilities, grants management and taxes.

Deborah currently serves on the boards of the Lumpkin Family Foundation and New Moms. She is a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, and serves on the Finance & Investment Committee of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and the Advisory Board of ARZU Studio Hope. She is a member and a past president of the Foundation Financial Officers Group (FFOG), a national organization of financial officers from large, private foundations. Deborah recently completed a term on the Forefront (formerly the Donors Forum of Chicago) board of directors.