As 2020 starts, the Watertown Area Community Foundation thanks Angie Reppe for her service on the WACF board and welcomes Julie Ranum.
Reppe, who was appointed by the City of Watertown, served a five-year term, during which time the Foundation began the Area School Partnership Program, awarded its largest grant in history ($500,000 multiyear grant to the Boys & Girls Club) and celebrated its 40th anniversary (2019).
“It is an important avenue for many organizations to go to for assistance when there is a need and the need grows every year,” Reppe said of the Foundation. “It is amazing the number of people whose lives are touched and bettered by WACF.” We are lucky, she said, to have the Foundation and serving on the board was an honor.
Reppe is an entrepreneur and the owner the Gather coffee and gift shop in downtown Watertown. She earned a sales/marketing/management degree from Lake Area Technical Institute and is a member of the Watertown Development Company Advisory Board, the Codington County Historical Society, Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce. She is also heavily involved in revitalizing downtown Watertown.
She and her husband, John, own the Foley Building on Kemp Avenue where Gather and other businesses operate. The couple has two children.
Ranum, who will serve as the City’s Foundation board appointee, has worked as the Executive Director of the Redlin Art Center for 23 years. She is committed to sharing Terry Redlin’s art, his stories, and his legacy with visitors from around the world. Her passion for the visitor industry has resulted in her participation in other organizations both on the State and local level.
Ranum serves on the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board. She was appointed by Governor Bill Janklow and has been reappointed by Governor Rounds, Governor Daugaard and Governor Noem. Locally, Ranum serves on the Watertown Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and the Watertown Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors.
Ranum is also a member of the Foundation’s Women & Giving Committee, the Watertown Alzheimer’s Council, and the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church Finance Council.
In her free time, Ranum and her husband, Jeff, enjoy bicycling, entertaining, and spending time with family, friends, and their Shelties, Jasper and Josie.
“Years ago, I attended the very first Women & Giving event hosted by the Watertown Area Community Foundation. It was the first time I realized that I, too, could make a difference. That my gift, no matter how big or small, when pooled with other contributions, could make my community stronger, healthier, and safer,” Ranum reminisced. “Today, as a member of the Women & Giving Committee, I see firsthand how the gifts made to the Watertown Area Community Foundation can, and do, have life changing effects on people in our community. I am honored to serve on the Watertown Area Community Foundation’s Board as we ‘look forward and give back’ for another 40 years!
