Trotwood residents Adrienne and Calvin Heard are defining examples of what it means to support “CommUnity.” The Heards’ commitment to helping others is a philosophy they have put into practice since they were teenagers volunteering their time – Adrienne in her native Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia, and Calvin in the west side of Dayton.
“Helping others is a part of who I am and how I was raised,” Adrienne said, who cites her father as her inspiration for giving back. “He was a leader in our community and demonstrated concern for others. He promoted causes that enabled African-American teenagers to get a taste of leadership and politics and was an advocate and mentor for youth.”
Calvin also witnessed strong community involvement growing up, as his mother, a 34-year educator for Dayton Public Schools, dedicated her time and talents to causes important to her.
“Whether it was her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, our church or other community organizations, she was always involved in something,” Calvin said. “She could not play a musical instrument, however, she would go from school to school in the Miami Valley talking about the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.”
As a former board member and president for the African-American Community Fund of The Dayton Foundation, Calvin also cites his association with its co-founders, John Moore, Sr., and Lloyd Lewis, Jr., as an inspiration for his desire to get involved.
“Thanks to their vision for AACF, individuals can develop their own approach to giving back to this community and others,” he said.
In addition to their volunteerism, Adrienne, owner of Heard Management, a business management firm she founded in 1993, and Calvin, a retired senior level human resource professional who currently is a consultant for Heard Management, devote their time professionally to helping organizations succeed. They also provide charitable support to nonprofits important to them, such as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Believers Christian Fellowship Church, Dayton Alumni Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Sigma Boule and Trotwood-Madison Educational Foundation, through a Charitable Checking AccountSM they established with
AACF in 2011.
“Making our contributions with the help of AACF and The Dayton Foundation makes it easy for us to connect to various charitable organizations,” Calvin said. “These nonprofits are making a huge impact in the Dayton area, and it gives us a warm feeling inside to know our support assists them in their missions.”
Education is particularly important to the Heards, as Calvin currently serves as the president of Trotwood-Madison Educational Foundation, and Adrienne is a former president of the Trotwood-Madison Board of Education. Trotwood-Madison Schools hold a special place in their hearts, as it’s where their two sons were educated.
“Over the years, we had opportunities to move to other areas, but we decided to stay because of family, friends and the opportunity to be involved,” Adrienne said.
This love for “CommUnity” is what drives them to give both their dollars and time, and to leave a lasting mark on the region that’s been so good to them.
“Through our charitable funds and our service, we want to ensure people in the community have the opportunity to better themselves,” Calvin said. “But most of all, we want to make Dayton/Trotwood a better place for everyone.”