Building Strong Brains is pleased to welcome Lindsay Aguilar as our next Coalition Director.
Over the past several years, Building Strong Brains has grown into a connected, action-focused effort across Elkhart County. Partners in early learning, health care, nonprofits, business, and local government are working toward the same goal: helping children be born to thrive and be ready to learn when they arrive at kindergarten.
Andy Murray, Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer for the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, said, “The work in Elkhart County has built significant momentum under Kim Boynton’s leadership, creating a strong foundation of funding and community support. We believe Lindsay is exactly the right leader to guide this next phase. Her deep connectedness in Elkhart County, her strategic thinking, and her ability to execute align closely with our goal of broadening the impact of this work.”
Lindsay brings a strong blend of community foundation leadership and experience with programs that support children and families. Most recently, she served for nearly a decade with the Sturgis Area Community Foundation in St. Joseph County, Michigan, including as chief executive officer. During her time in Sturgis, she helped lead community initiatives with an early childhood focus.
“What excites me most about this role is the opportunity to build something systemic. Experience has taught me that real community change happens through meaningful and intentional collaboration,” said Aguilar. “Building Strong Brains isn’t about any single organization. It’s about aligning our entire community to support our youngest children in extraordinary ways. I couldn’t be more energized to join this effort.”
Many local partners will also recognize Lindsay from her earlier years at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County, where she held several roles supporting operations, fundraising, and community engagement.
Pete McCown, president of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, highlighted both Lindsay’s leadership experience and her long-standing ties to this community:
“Lindsay is a gem and a familiar friend of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. Lindsay and her husband, Adrian, have a long history with the Community Foundation. Adrian served on the Career Pathways Committee for more than ten years and remains a close friend. Lindsay has a passion for early childhood challenges and led an early childhood initiative in Sturgis. She will join the Community Foundation officially on March 2, but is beginning her work now.”
In the coming months, Lindsay will be reaching out to Building Strong Brains partners to listen, learn, and support the work already underway. She will help strengthen coordination across teams, stay focused on shared priorities, and keep families at the center of the coalition’s work.
Please join us in welcoming Lindsay to Building Strong Brains.