September 9, 2010
Greetings to all of the friends and family of the Link Foundation:
At the regular meeting of the Link Foundation Board of Trustees in June 2010, I was honored to be elected Chair of the Board. Having served for 11 years as Secretary of the Board, I share the deep commitment of the Link Foundation�s Trustees, Special Advisors, former Fellows, and friends to the significant and worthwhile mission of the Foundation. Its annual grants provide support for the advancement of knowledge in the fields of simulation and training, ocean engineering and instrumentation, and energy resources development and conservation � which were of great interest to the Founders, Edwin A. and Marion C. Link. Additionally, annual grants from the Link Foundation provide assistance to charitable and educational institutions supported by the Founders in the communities in which they lived, namely Binghamton, New York and the Treasure Coast region of Florida. With your encouragement and support we will continue to sustain and enhance these programs.
Prior to my election, the Chair of the Link Foundation Board, David M. Gouldin, announced his retirement as Chair after more than a decade of outstanding service in this office. We are indeed grateful to David for his thoughtful and exemplary leadership that goes back to 1989 when he became a Trustee of the Foundation. David is highly respected by everyone affiliated with the Link Foundation and also enjoys the trust and respect of the Binghamton community and of the New York State Bar Association. He is a Senior Partner with Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP. The Link Foundation has prospered and has performed at a high level throughout his watch, and we have been truly fortunate to have David at our helm during this time. We continue to look forward to benefiting from his wisdom and counsel in the years ahead as he remains with the Link Foundation as a Special Advisor.
David's position as Trustee has been filled by Dr. Lee R. Lynd, who is a member of the faculty of Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Lee has served as a Special Advisor to the Link Foundation and Program Administrator of our Fellowship Program in Energy since 1999. Earlier in his career he was one of the first individuals selected to receive a Link Fellowship in energy when he was a doctoral student at Dartmouth. We will continue to benefit from Lee's thoughtfulness and insight as he serves as Trustee, while also continuing to serve as Program Administrator of the Link Energy Fellowship Program. We welcome him in this new role.
To replace me as Secretary of the Board, we have appointed Jimmie Anne Haisley who has been a Special Advisor to the Link Foundation since 2007. Jimmie Anne served for many years as Vice President of Indian River State College, Florida, and was Executive Director of that institution�s foundation. We will benefit greatly from her considerable experience and depth of knowledge in the field of foundation administration, and we look forward to working with her in her new capacity on the Link Board.
Regardless of these leadership changes, we remain firmly committed to the interests of our accomplished and respected founders, Edwin A. and Marion C. Link. They devoted their life-work to the pursuit of excellence in their fields of interest through their charitable gifts.
For over five decades, the Link Foundation has been supporting highly talented individuals who are examining the most critical issues in the three primary fields of interest to the Founders. All three fields contribute to the advancement of humankind and to the security of our nation. We feel honored to participate in these efforts and, with your support and encouragement, we will continue to do so with the high level of quality that has been consistent with the Link Foundation throughout its history.
With the contribution of our excellent Board of Trustees and Special Advisors, and with the support and guidance from a very devoted and truly exceptional Special Advisor, Marilyn C. Link, we are determined to sustain and enhance the worthwhile mission of the Link Foundation.
Thank you for your interest in the Link Foundation and its work.
Sincerely,
Thomas F. Kelly, Ph.D.
Chair, Link Foundation Board of Trustees and Special Advisors
Professor of Management and former Dean of the School of Management
Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY)