Shining a light on the spirit of giving back
by The Oconomowoc Area Foundation
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Seymour to the role of Foundation Coordinator for the community nonprofit organization.
“I am excited and honored to have this very special opportunity to continue to serve the Oconomowoc Area Foundation in this new role,” said Rebecca. “For more than 20 years, generous community members dedicated to giving back in meaningful ways have joined their resources together through the OAF in order to meet the changing needs in the greater Oconomowoc area. It is a privilege to stand on their shoulders as we continue to grow that spirit of giving for generations to come.”
Rebecca Seymour and her husband Bill came back to Oconomowoc in 2005 to live and raise their daughters Kate and Sophie.
Born and raised in the Lake Country area, Rebecca and her husband Bill returned in 2005 to raise their own children in Oconomowoc.
An award-winning author and journalist, Seymour has been covering positive feature stories for area community newspapers and publications for more than two decades, including The Oconomowoc Enterprise, The Waukesha Freeman, Oconomowoc Focus, and others.
Rebecca also writes for the Oconomowoc Arts Center and area nonprofit organizations. Before accepting the role of foundation coordinator, she served on the OAF’s board of directors for the last two years.
She has been a board member for the Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund since 2019, and has volunteered with several area nonprofits, including Family Promise of Waukesha County, Zachariah’s Acres, the Wildlife In Need Center, as well as the Oconomowoc Area School District.
“I have been fortunate to have so many opportunities through my work to help lift up and shine a light on all the positive people and events that are happening in our community. My family also strives to keep an ‘if not you, then who’ intention in our lives that reminds us to always be giving back in meaningful ways,” she explained.
A plan for Rebecca to transition into the role of foundation coordinator began when Maribeth Bush announced her plans to retire from the foundation at the end of 2023.
“Rebecca’s professional background, along with her in-depth knowledge and volunteerism with area nonprofits brought her to be a highly valued member of The OAF Board. When I decided the time was right for me to retire, Rebecca was the perfect person to become the OAF Foundation Coordinator. I’m excited for her and the foundation as I know she will bring new perspective and energy moving forward while ensuring the continuation of the OAF’s commitment to the greater Oconomowoc community,” said Maribeth.
Maribeth had been with the OAF since its inception in 2002, serving as a board member, board president, and foundation coordinator, a position she has held for the last 10 years.
“We are thrilled to have such a talented person step into the Foundation Coordinator position. Rebecca’s recent experience on the OAF Board and past work with several other Lake Country area nonprofit organizations provides her with such valuable experience,” said Bob Johnson, OAF board chairman. “Maribeth Bush worked to plant the initial seeds to start growing the first trees. Now it’s time for Rebecca, along with our dedicated board of directors to nurture those trees and grow the foundation into a self-sustaining beautiful forest.”
