It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend, Dayton Foundation Governing Board member and fund holder, Marva Cosby. Marva joined the Board in 2015 and served as chair from 2020 to 2022, most notably during the Foundation’s 100th anniversary and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mike Parks and Marva Cosby
Marva, who passed away on February 9, 2024, leaves behind a legacy of unwavering commitment to The Dayton Foundation and the Greater Dayton community as a whole. We are especially thankful for the passion she carried in her heart for the Foundation’s mission and the community causes she supported through her time, talent and treasure. As chair of the Foundation’s Marketing and Public Relations Committee from 2016 to 2018 and later as Board chair, Marva helped conceptualize the Foundation’s year-long Centennial Celebration campaign that set the course for our next century of service. Also as chair, she provided steadfast leadership during a period of robust growth for the Foundation in grant dollars awarded, new funds established and assets under management.
Marva spent more than 30 years working in the field of human resource management, formerly as vice president of human resources for Kodak and, most recently, as a consultant and certified professional leadership coach.
An active community volunteer, her list of board memberships over the years was extensive and included Antioch University Midwest, County Corp, Executive Women’s Golf Association Dayton Chapter, Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley, Montgomery County Workforce Policy Board, Premier Health, Sinclair Community College, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area and We Care Arts. She also was a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her honors for leadership and dedication to her community were recognized by the YWCA Dayton as a 2015 Women of Influence honoree and by Dayton Daily News as a 2012 Ten Top Women honoree. Additionally, she was a member and past president of the Miami Valley Human Resource Association, the local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.
We were so blessed to have had her in our lives and are deeply grateful for her outstanding leadership, guidance, wisdom and friendship. She will be greatly missed by the Board and staff of The Dayton Foundation and her community. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
| David Miller Chair, Governing Board |
Mike Parks, CFRE President |