ALPENA — After 23 years as the executive director of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, Barb Frantz will retire in March 2017. Patrick Heraghty, a 14-year resident of Alpena, has been chosen as her successor.

Heraghty has been on the job since early November, and will work alongside Frantz to learn the ins and outs of the position until her retirement.

Throughout her career, Frantz has experienced the Community Foundation’s growth from $4.6 million in assets to over $38 million; the establishment of over 300 new charitable funds, bringing the current total to 476; the beginnings of Youth Advisory Councils through grants from the Kellogg Foundation; the establishment of three affiliate foundations; the acquisition and granting of the Thunder Bay Recreation Center, and much more.

Heraghty joins CFNEM after successful careers in both the payment processing industry for 14 years and the hospitality industry for 12 years. He also has been active in several local organizations including the Alpena Rotary Club, Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce as an ambassador, the Alpena Planning Commission and the Thunder Bay Schooners Swim Club. Heraghty moved to Northeast Michigan from Arizona over a decade ago to allow his wife, Anne, to be near her family and to raise their two sons, Patrick and Liam, in her hometown.

“Northeast Michigan is a special place and Alpena has become my adopted home,” Heraghty said. “CFNEM and its affiliates are uniquely positioned to bring people together to proactively define areas that need current and future attention and always be forward thinking. I am looking forward to having an active role in addressing community issues.”

Frantz said that philanthropy is an important part of Northeast Michigan and she believes Heraghty is the right person to lead the Community Foundation.

“It is so important that community philanthropy continues to thrive,” Frantz said. “The Community Foundation helps to ensure that people have access to the vehicles they need to improve the places and causes they care about most, and I think Patrick is a great fit to continue leading CFNEM in that capacity.”

Frantz said she feels fortunate that the timeline for her retirement allows her to work closely with the incoming executive director because community foundations are an exceptionally intricate type of nonprofit organization, but are vital to serving donors and other nonprofits in their communities.

“I have really enjoyed my training,” Heraghty said of his first several weeks on the job. “There is such a great staff in place, and working with the affiliates, donors and nonprofits has been amazing. It’s inspiring to see how much generosity there is in the community.”

Frantz and her husband, Wayne, plan to travel and build a new home after her March retirement. An event will be held in February to celebrate her 23-year career, and to officially welcome Heraghty as the new CFNEM executive director.