Sam Barone retired in 2020 following 18 years as executive director of the Knox County Foundation in Mount Vernon, Ohio, overseeing an $80 million community endowment that generated more than $4 million per year in grants and scholarships. Prior to his service at the Knox County Foundation, he served as Knox County Deputy Registrar, Administrator of the Mid-Ohio Transit Authority, Director of Information and Legislative Affairs for USDA’s Food Safety and Information Service, Executive Director and Treasurer of the Ohio Democratic Party, and Public Relations Director of Kenyon College.  He earned his A.B degree from Kenyon in 1972 and his master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1973. Recognized for his service to the Knox County community over more than four decades, Sam is a past member of Mount Vernon City Council, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon, past vice-chair and board member of the Foundation Park Conservancy, and he currently chairs the Knox Community Hospital Board of Trustees, on which he has served for approximately 20 years. He and his wife Paula have three adult children and nine grandchildren.