Fisher, Petty to lead Ball Brothers Foundation board
Muncie, Ind.—Ball Brothers Foundation (BBF), one of the oldest private philanthropies in Indiana still led by members of its founding family, has named James A. Fisher chairman and chief executive officer. Fisher, a grandson of Edmund B. Ball, whose estate gift launched the foundation in 1926, succeeds the late Frank E. Ball, who passed away in May. Assuming duties as board vice chairman is Frank B. Petty, great grandson of Frank C. Ball, the foundation’s first president.
“The transition in leadership has been seamless,” said Jud Fisher, president and chief operating officer of BBF. “Jim and Frank have been actively engaged in our work for years. They’ve helped set policy, draft our strategic plan and have given strong support to our programming staff. Our mission and priorities, established so long ago by our founders, remain the same.”
Jim Fisher, a resident of North Carolina, maintains strong ties to Indiana. He is a member of the board of trustees of his alma mater, DePauw University, and, until recently, was chair of the IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation board. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force and worked for Ball Corporation for more than 30 years. His other leadership positions have included memberships on the board of directors of the Delaware Advancement Corporation and the advisory board of Old National Bank.
Petty is a Muncie native, a graduate of Muncie North Side High School and Ball State University. He is principal of Walnut and Charles Properties, a real estate and management consulting firm located in Traverse City, Mich., where he and his family reside. Active in his home community, Petty is chairman of the board of The Children’s House (a Montessori school) and volunteers with Wings of Mercy, a faith-based nonprofit organization that connects aviation pilots with low-income patients in need of transportation to distant medical facilities.
With assets exceeding $160 million, Ball Brothers Foundation annually makes grants in support of arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and public affairs. The foundation’s governing board gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in BBF’s home city, county and state.