Community Foundation board members mark six years of service

Attorney Matthew Sunderlin and retired bank professional Charles Martorana have ended their service on the board of The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. The board consists of 16 community representatives bringing experience and expertise in many different areas. They guide the foundation’s work and hold an important role as fiduciaries for the organization’s operations and financial health.

“Working alongside Matt Sunderlin and Charlie Martorana has been my distinct privilege for the past six years,” said Executive Director Revlan Hill.

Sunderlin brought instrumental expertise in work with clients and nonprofits and even while running a law practice, was generous with his attention when called upon, she said. “There was never a time that Matt wasn’t eager to answer a question, help in a situation or educate me on a particular item.”

Hill praised Martorana’s calm demeanor and open mind in all situations, even challenging ones.

“The work of our foundation can be complex and having talented board members like Matt and Charlie who care deeply about our community is key to our success,” she said.

Matt Sunderlin: ‘We need more people willing to invest time…’

A member of TCF’s board since 2019, Sunderlin is an attorney with Clark & Bradshaw in Harrisonburg. In 2021, he was appointed the assistant commissioner of accounts with the Circuit Court of Rockingham County.  He holds certifications as an elder law attorney and a certified guardian at litem for incapacitated adults.

“Service on the board has been pure joy,” Sunderlin said. “The mission of the foundation is extremely important in today’s world. We need more people who are willing to invest their time and treasure to improve the lives of others.”

Sunderlin praised the ease and simplicity of using the foundation to accomplish charitable goals.

A member of the community engagement committee, he has contributed his time and expertise to Truist Financial, the RMH Foundation, the regional chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Blue Ridge Community College, Rotary Club, The Arc, and The ElderAlliance.

Charlie Martorana: Praise for TCFHR’s reach and wide expertise of fellow board members

Martorana served on the Community Engagement Committee for both terms and the Governance Committee for his second term.

His reflections on his time on the board:

We have the most giving and generous members that have interacted with and set up funds with the foundation for the benefit of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community that reaches so many facets of the needs of the community. While I knew this from serving on the boards of other non-profit organizations, it was strikingly illuminated for me by serving on our board.

I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of such a terrific board with professional individuals from many ‘walks of life’ and an amazing director and staff that accomplishes so very much to help our community.

As each year passes, more and more people are aware of what the foundation does to enhance our community and I must say that it has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of it!

Martorana noted that since 2019, TCFHR has grown the Great Community Give into the area’s most successful fundraiser for nonprofits. He’s enjoyed being a part of the addition of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, and taking a key role in helping to start the Little Free Library featuring children’s books that stands outside the South Main Street office. The scholarship program has also grown in size and impact, he added.

Martorana is the retired Valley Region Market President of Blue Ridge Bank, a role he held from 2018 to August 2021. From 1997 to 2018, he served as Senior Vice President, Harrisonburg Market Executive, with Union Bank & Trust and its predecessors from 1987-97. Previously he was Vice President, Valley Area Commercial Loans, at NationsBank from 1987-97.

He is a former member of the Executive Advisory Council for the College of Visual and Performing Arts and current member on the board of the Center for Global and Community Justice (formerly the Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence) at James Madison University. He also serves on the advisory board for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

Since 1997, he has been a vice chair or consultant on the fundraising committee for the National MS Society and Dinner of Champions in Harrisonburg as a vice chair or consultant. For these contributions and his work on the board of the Virginia/West Virginia chapter and his professional, civic, and community leadership, he was the featured honoree at the 2022 Virginia/West Virginia chapter’s Dinner of Champions.

Past board service includes a range of organizations: Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, Citizens for Downtown Arts Council of the Valley, Harrisonburg Rotary Club, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and Mercy House Homeless Shelter. He is also a former finance chair for Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and has served on the finance committee of JMU’s Catholic Campus Ministry. He is also a former member of the JMU Parents Council and an appointee to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board.