Joe Kienzler has joined Hope as the development manager and will be responsible for the organization’s fundraising and development efforts.
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- PHOTO COURTESY JOE KIENZLER
While this is his first time working for a nonprofit, Kienzler said it was a logical transition for him.
“On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there would be a lot of correlation between sales and development,” Kienzler said. “But I’m going out and presenting the benefits of Hope to sponsors and supporters of the mission.”
Kienzler was most recently the senior vice president of sales for Springfield Seed Company. He also worked for the Illinois Department of Agriculture and spent more than 16 years working in various sales positions for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, a liquor distributor.
He said his previous event organizing experience will also translate well to his new role.
“I love planning parties and events; I was social chair of my fraternity for three straight years,” Kienzler said. “Then I went to work for Southern Wine & Spirits and had to take care of setting up for different suppliers, and when I was at Department of Agriculture we worked a lot at the fair.” He said he was also responsible for organizing the first hemp summit that took place with 700 people in the Orr Building, which has now become an annual event.
Kienzler counts himself among the strong supporters of Hope’s mission. He said a good friend of his who he first met in college later had a daughter who received services from Hope.
“I saw firsthand all the positive outcomes that came from his involvement in Hope,” he said. Kienzler said his wife, Kirsten, serves as an ambassador of Hope, a volunteer role to help raise awareness of the organization in the community.
A Springfield native, Kienzler moved to Chicago following his graduation from Eastern Illinois University but he and his wife returned to Springfield to raise their children closer to their families.
“When Kirsten and I moved back, we wanted to be involved in Springfield companies, places that had deep roots in the community,” he said. “I’ve attended every gala and event held in Springfield for the last 13 years.”
Kienzler said he was impressed with the work of Hope from the first time he attended one of the nonprofit’s events. He also knew Lisa Sander, who previously served as the development manager.
“I feel honored to be in this situation; it’s a wonderful organization and the future is bright for us,” he said. “We’re going to be able to help a lot of kids.”
This article appears in SBJ September 2025.
Mr. Kienzler will do a fabulous job. He has the personality, enthusiasm, and drive to help this very worthy organization.