Meet our interim VP of finance

She’s been on the job for just over a month, but new Interim Vice President of Finance Darlene Link “really likes it here.”

“We have a really wonderful team here at the Quad Cities Community Foundation,” she said. “We are in the midst of our annual audit, have important work happening with our investment committee, are continuing to make significant grants into the community, and are registering new estate gifts thanks to the generosity of donors. It is an exciting time to be here.”

And while she admits to also learning a lot of new things on the job while the national search continues for a new vice president of finance, “it is a perfect fit for me right now in my life.”

Link comes to the Community Foundation with over 40 years of professional accounting experience, primarily in nonprofit organizations. She received her MBA from the University of Iowa, her undergraduate degree from Augustana College in accounting and business, and was awarded her CPA designation. Recently, she has served as controller at Augustana College and as director of finance for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. 

Accurate reporting and providing all the information the staff and Board of Directors needs to make informed decisions is of the upmost importance to her. So, too, is her family. She returns to work after taking time to be a grandmother to two grandsons, and taking care of her 96-year-old mother.

Family, she said, has always been a priority in her life. “My heart is with my family first and foremost, and throughout my life, I’ve been grateful to be able to balance a career alongside be present during the important moments of my family’s life.”   

“We are so happy to have Darlene on our team at the Community Foundation,” said Sherry Ristau, president and CEO. “Having a person of her caliber on our team while we conduct our national search allows us to find the very best person for the role in the long-term as we continue to meet the needs of our donors and community in the near-term.”