At their November 2020 meeting, the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation board accepted the resignation of Mark I. Hampton and named Dr. Tariq Kahn to the board.

Hampton served the foundation as a director since 1994. Hampton received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan and served in the U.S. Navy from 1964-69. Hampton was a practicing attorney and partner of the Wright, Wright and Hampton law firm for many years and served as the foundation’s corporate secretary.

The board of directors welcomes Kahn, a board-certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He received his MD from Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan and completed his pediatric residency from the SUNY Health System Pediatric Residency Program in Syracuse. He moved to the Jamestown area in 1996 and later founded Southern Tier Pediatrics Practice P.C. Kahn serves as a member of the Chautauqua County Board of Health. He is the lead physician for Strong Starts Chautauqua, a new countywide initiative that seeks to ensure that all expectant women in Chautauqua County have access to prenatal education, care, and community support to promote healthy birth outcomes and a strong future for their children.

“The Board of Directors acknowledges the end of an era with the retirement of Mark Hampton but looks forward to benefitting from the expertise of Dr. Tariq Kahn. Funding youth programs has always been a priority for the Sheldon Foundation.” said Raymond J. Fashano, foundation board president.

The Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation was founded in 1948 and annually grants between $1.7 and $2.2 million in southern Chautauqua County. It funds programs and provides grants for projects by non-profit organizations in support of the arts, education, youth, healthcare, and the environment.