PATA History Pages

John Donley commits to forming Community Needs Foundation

Developer John Donley, and his family, put the Community first.

The membership of the Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance (PATA) is pleased to support Mr. John Donley in his efforts to create a foundation that will benefit the local community, particularly the Pickerington Local School District.

In a meeting last week with several members of the PATA organization, Mr. Donley suggested that he would rather provide seed money for such a foundation than to provide a one-time cash infusion for the School District. Mr. Donley added that this is something he has been considering for some time, and did not want to feel pressured into making a contribution just because he is building a new development.

That being said, PATA asked Mr. Donley to continue the precedent established by Mr. David Ruma when he recently pledged a contribution directly to the School District in seeking approval for the Wellington Park development.

Mr. Donley has taken that a step further with the pledge of $100,000 in start up money for this foundation, and a continual leadership presence as this foundation works to raise funds from area businesses and area land developers in the future. Mr. Donley suggested that a board be established including area leaders who would consider requests for “grants” toward assisting area needs, including the local school system.

An insightful approach - the establishment of this foundation sets a new standard for developers both in Violet Township, and within the City of Pickerington to support important community needs. Mr. Donley has long been an upstanding member of this community, and is showing his leadership with this action. The membership of PATA hopes that the Trustees will acknowledge the significance of Mr. Donley’s plans, his commitment toward returning something in support of this community, and hold others to these standards in the future.

A sincere thank you to Mr. Donley for his willingness to step above and beyond previous commitments, for his efforts at cooperatively meeting and working with concerned area residents, and to PATA member Bill Powers for his work with Mr. Donley on this important project.

Sincerely,



Bob Harding
Contact Person
Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance (PATA)
P.O. Box 518
Pickerington, OH 43147