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The Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative selected one of its board members and former award winners Marie Stapleton to serve as the nonprofit’s next president.
In a statement over the weekend announcing the appointment, collaborative officials lauded Stapleton as the right person to succeed Craig Eicher — who stepped down to focus on his new role on the Pleasanton City Council — and lead the nonprofit in its mission to “motivate the Pleasanton community to make a difference in the world around them”.
“I strongly believe in the values of the Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative — compassion, honesty, respect, responsibility, integrity and self-discipline,” Stapleton told the Weekly on Monday night.
“As someone who has been actively involved in the community for many years, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that strong character traits have in building a supportive and inclusive community,” she added. “I am excited to work with the group to further promote our values and strengthen character development in Pleasanton.”
Stapleton and husband Padraig, both Irish immigrants, moved to Pleasanton 23 years ago. “The community and its values were something they strongly believed in and knew that raising their kids there would put them on the right path for building their own lives,” collaborative officials said.
She stepped away from a career in engineering and tech marketing leadership to focus on raising their three children. During that time, Stapleton served on a number of local organizations such as the Pleasanton Mothers Group, Futures Explored and Amador Friends of Music — and of course, the collaborative.
“The Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative is a group of dedicated people working to promote our values and recognize both students and adults in our community that emulate those values,” Stapleton told the Weekly. “My goal is to make the organization’s mission more visible in our community and inspire more kids and young adults to live our values at school, in their sports and recreational activities and with their families.”
One of Stapleton’s early tasks as president will be leading the annual Community of Character Collaborative Luncheon on May 14 in which the nonprofit will hand out its Juanita Haugen Community of Character Awards and its Juanita Haugen Memorial Scholarships. Stapleton won a Juanita Haugen Award in 2015.
Nominations for the 2025 awards are open through April 11 — for “an individual or a nonprofit group demonstrating a commitment to our Community of Character traits through their volunteer work within our community”. Visit communityofcharacter.org.
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