Empowering Women to Lead

17.01.23

Meet Maria Turner.

Executive Director of the Fond du Lac Area Women’s Fund.

An avid member of the Fond du Lac and Sophia community, Maria Turner is defining what a strong community looks like by empowering women and girls.

Learn more through this exclusive interview:

Q: As a nonprofit, why is Sophia’s work important?

A: One of the pillars of the Women’s Fund is leadership development. There is a direct alignment in the work that we are trying to do in the community to facilitate bold change for women and girls.

Having a local resource like Sophia provides for those things.

Q: Why should someone invest in Sophia?

A: In our present state of community disconnectedness, the servant leadership component of what Sophia is doing is critical to ensuring the success of what we do here as a community.

Currently, only 1.9% of overall philanthropic giving goes toward programming that supports women and girls.

While Sophia is not solely focused on women and girls, I have seen a great deal of women take part in their workshops and programs, especially Youth Leadership.

To me, that’s an extension of that philanthropic investment in women and girls which is so critically important.

Q: Why is the work that Sophia does important to you?

A: The majority of nonprofit leaders in the Fond du Lac area are women.

Knowing that both Sophia and the Women’s Fund started from the ideas of co-founder Ginny Gilmore gives a special connection between these two organizations.

Small Reminder in Servant Leadership: Sometimes It’s Just a Yellow Tomato

A short seasonal reflection on the small things that help great cultures thrive

As summer is in full swing, I’ve been thinking about how easily we can jump to conclusions when people don’t respond, communicate, or behave the way we expect.

Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do as servant-leaders is slow down, become curious, and make sure we truly understand what we’re seeing before we react.

An experience on our balcony garden reminded me of this lesson in a humorous and memorable way.

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Remembering the Roots: Honoring Servant Leadership’s Origins

Every year, organizations recognize leaders for accomplishments like revenue growth, innovation, market share, or operational excellence.

But the Ann McGee-Cooper Spirit of Servant-Leadership Award celebrates something different. It asks a question that goes beyond results: “Who did this person help become their best self?”

Presented by Sophia Partners to Dr. Richard Kyte at Viterbo University’s Conference on Servant Leadership on June 25, 2026, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the award reminds us that the greatest measure of leadership isn’t found in a title or a résumé.

It’s found in the lives we’ve influenced, the people we’ve empowered, and the communities we’ve helped strengthen.

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Board Bios: Meet Mason Gravelle

A Fond du Lac native and nonprofit leader, Mason Gravelle believes thriving communities are built through collaboration, shared leadership, and meaningful relationships.

As the Philanthropy Director at the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, Mason works closely with community partners, donors, and organizational leadership to translate shared values into measurable, difference-making impact.

He recently celebrated his eighth anniversary at SSM Health where he began his career in Marketing before transitioning to the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation.

With experience collaborating closely with executive leaders, Mason brings a strong understanding of board governance, strategic planning, and the importance of aligning mission, values, and decision-making to the Sophia Board of Directors, which he joined as of June 2026. …