Pete Peterson

It was a cold day in Salina in February of 1999, but it was warm in Arizona where Salina attorney Pete Peterson was on vacation and working on a white paper concerning the establishment of a community foundation in Salina, Creating the Future: A Paper Presented to Interested Citizens. Pete's sister worked for a community foundation and he was intrigued by the possibilities such an organization would have for his community.

"These are exciting times for Salina, and the formation of a local community foundation is an important guarantee for the future of Salina and its citizens. It will provide what some have referred to as the 'catalyst' or 'yeast' for significant capital contributions for the long-term benefit of the community. I sincerely welcome the opportunity to work together with you on this vital project," he wrote.

A committee of 10 community leaders formed the task force that continued Pete's research and eventually recruited the first board of directors for what became the Greater Salina Community Foundation.