Community Foundation Leader Set to Retire

The Non-profit community in Shreveport Bossier is losing one of its biggest champions.

Paula Hickman, executive director of The Community Foundation of North Louisiana, is stepping down. Hickman will retire at the end of this year.

Hickman has been with the Community Foundation since 2003. She has served as Executive Director since 2004.

She has been responsible for implementing Give for Good Day, a 24- hour day of giving, which has been a great benefit to many local organizations. She has also helped create giving circles like the Women’s Philanthropy Network and Community Leaders Change Fund.

Non-profit leaders will tell you Hickman is one of the people in our community that can help make a local organization successful. She often gives advice and guidance for groups

“We are grateful for Paula’s leadership, dedication and vision she has had for both The Foundation and the community as a whole. Her passion for making North Louisiana a better place for all is undeniable and she will certainly be missed,” said Tom Murphy, current Foundation board chair.

You can point to big money flowing through the Community Foundation during the Hickman years. The Foundation assets grew from $32 million to $125 million today. Local charities have been given more than $55 million from the Foundation during Hickman's tenure.

Hickman has this to say about her plan:

It has been my honor and privilege to have worked with our wonderful donors, board and staff to help encourage a generous spirit within our region. All of us have something to give, whether time, talent or treasure. When we join hands with our neighbors in giving to make our community a better place, we connect to something greater than ourselves. And it is in this connection that we are all strengthened.

The Foundation’s board of directors are in the final stages of selecting a successor. That announcement will take place in September. Hickman will work side-by-side with her successor the remainder of the year to ensure a smooth transition.