Singsank joins Community Foundation

The Dyersville Area Community Foundation is proud to welcome Dyersville native Mark Singsank as its new executive director. Mark will lead the Foundation on its mission to ensure a strong future for Dyersville and surrounding towns by igniting the generosity of community members and empowering local nonprofits to tackle pressing issues.

“We’re very excited to have Mark join the team,” says Sheila Tegeler, the Foundation’s board chair. “With his deep local roots and long history in nonprofit work, we know he’s going to be a great fit for the role.”

Singsank is a former member of the Foundation’s board and spent five years serving as chair. He and his wife, Shirley, have their own endowment fund for Dyersville area parks and recreation through the Foundation. He’s currently a member of the Dyersville City Council. He retired from Divine Word College in Epworth after 25 years in development, and has also worked for the Dyersville Commercial, the Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce, and in development at Beckman Catholic High Schools. 

“To me, fundraising is a vocation. It’s a way to make a difference in your community by helping local nonprofits so they can make an impact through their missions,” says Singsank. He’s getting reacquainted with the Foundation’s work and has noted some remarkable improvements since his time on the board in the mid-2000s. He’s happy to see the Dyersville Area Community Foundation deepening its relationship with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, which has eight affiliates that serve the seven-county Eastern Iowa region. “I’m also glad to see our own funds have continued to grow, so we can provide more annual grants to area nonprofits,” he says.

Giving back has been a way of life for as long as Singsank can remember. He grew up on a 200-acre farm that once existed in the center of town. He’s the youngest of eight children. “I saw that my parents were always involved in something like building the new hospital, helping at church, or volunteering. They led by good example, and I always enjoyed going along with them.”

Singsank and his wife raised their two daughters in Dyersville and now have six grandchildren who live in the area. His enjoys spending time with his family and outdoor recreation. “Sports have always been a part of my life as an avenue for recreation – softball, golf, tennis, pickleball, etc.,” he explains. In fact, when Mark’s mother passed away, he and Shirley used a portion of her estate to launch their endowment. “We agreed that we want our community parks to be well maintained and offer opportunities for young families and everyone in the community. That’s why we decided to start the fund,” he says. 

His philosophy is simple: You get what you give. And for Singsank, that makes the Foundation a logical place to invest his time and talent. 

The Foundation offers many opportunities to improve quality of life by addressing an array of local issues. To learn more about how you can establish a fund or make a gift that impacts your community, contact Singsank at 563-543-8618.