Leadership & Legacy: A Conversation with Regional Changemakers

Join us for a collaborative and energizing panel discussion featuring Sue Grey, CEO of United Way of Champaign County, and Steve Tenhouse, CEO of Kirby Medical Center, joined by members of their Board leadership. Together, they will share practical insights, lessons learned, and real-world strategies that strengthen CEO–Board partnerships and drive meaningful community impact.

This cross-county professional development opportunity highlights the expertise of two respected nonprofit leaders and the strong governance models within their organizations. Attendees will gain perspectives on effective communication, shared leadership, strategic alignment, and the importance of cultivating a culture of trust and collaboration.

This session also marks the launch of a year of diverse professional development offerings through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois. We invite nonprofit executives, board members, and emerging leaders to join us as we kick off a year dedicated to learning, connection, and capacity building across our region.

Lunch will be provided

Meet the panelists:

Sue Grey, CEO of United Way of Champaign County

Sue has been a member of the United Way of Champaign County team since June 2006. Sue has over 38 years of experience working with the community bringing people and resources together to make lasting change and positive impact in our community.

Before joining United Way, Sue worked at Champaign Park District organizing community events, managing volunteers and working with the Board of Commissioners. Sue also spent three years with the Green Meadows Girl Scout Council as their CEO.

As a “Townie”, Sue has developed great community contacts and mobilizes those resources to better the quality of life for those in need in Champaign County. Sue is a member of Chapter HI PEO, an Alpha Phi Alumnae, class member of Leadership Illinois 2019. Sue was elected to the Champaign Unit 4 School Board in April of 2007 and again in 2011. She served as Board President for two years. Since 2020, Sue has served on the Board of Visitors for the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois.

Sue was a recipient of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Athena® Award in 2005. In 2012 she was selected as A Woman of Distinction by the East Central Illinois Girl Scout Council. In 2022, Sue was honored as a Distinguished alum from the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation. Sue most recently received an Honorary Degree from Parkland Community College, in recognition of her service to the community.

Sue is married to Tom and has three children, Randi, Ryan and Catie and four grandchildren.

Steve Tenhouse, CEO of Kirby Medical Center

Steve Tenhouse is the chief executive officer of Kirby Medical Center, an independent, not-for-profit critical access hospital in Monticello, Illinois where has served for 24 years. During his 21 years serving as the chief executive officer, he has led the organization through four distinct strategic planning processes that have resulted in the development of a replacement hospital and campus, expansion of key ancillary and surgery services, growth of the physician group, and a 10x growth in gross revenues. All the while maintaining nationally-recognized employee engagement patient satisfaction scores in the top 7% for the last seven out of eight years.

Steve has a Bachelors of Business degree in Accounting from Western Illinois University, a Masters of Health Administration from Ohio University, and is a Fellow in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

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Host or Publisher Community Foundation of East Central Illinois