Dr. James C. Curry was recognized as the 2025 Philanthropist of the Year with The “Eager” Award. The honor (named after Cecil Eager, the catalyst and a founder of New Braunfels Community Foundation) honors a philanthropist who has generously donated resources through the Community Foundation to charities in the area. It also recognizes those who work to assist the NBCF growth in order to be more impactful.
Curry’s generous work with CRRC of Canyon Lake and Connections Individual and Family Services has made a significant impact in the community through the Curry Nature Center, Dr. James C. Curry Food Pantry and the Connections Dr. Curry Counseling Center. As an NBCF Donor Advised Fund and Field of Interest Fund holder, as well as NBCF Legacy Society member, his generous contributions will leave a legacy for the benefit of generations to come.
“I accept this award with gratitude, and I challenge myself and everybody to continue to work hard to make a community that we can all be proud of,” Curry said in his acceptance speech video.
Marian Benson and Betty Kyle were honored at the luncheon with a new award – the Community Champion, a volunteer lifetime achievement award. The honor recognizes individuals who possess a true servant’s heart and who have invested more than 20 years of volunteering in the community.
Benson, a founding member of the New Braunfels Community Foundation, opened and operated “The Collection,” a successful women’s apparel store in downtown and served on the Texas Retailers Association. Because of her love for the town, she was an active member of the Downtown Association and gave a great deal of time to the Main Street Association, the Plaza Tree Lighting and Wassailfest, and Bandstand Restoration Project. She served as President of the Rotary Club, Chair of the Board of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Braunfels Foundation Trust. She also volunteered with the Sophienburg Museum, Weihnachtsmarkt, Christus Santa Rosa Foundation, NB Housing Authority, Family Promise of Greater New Braunfels, New Braunfels Food Bank and the Texas Legislative Conference. She is an elder and active member of the New Braunfels Presbyterian Church.
Betty Kyle is a fifth-generation lifetime resident of New Braunfels. While raising four amazing children, she worked at Canyon High School and spent hours with the Texas and National Associations of Student Councils and Vocational Home Economics Teachers of Texas. In her spare time, she volunteered at the American Cancer Society, Braunfels Foundation Trust, Circle Arts Theatre, Greater New Braunfels Arts Council, Headwaters at the Comal, New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Cemetery Committee, New Braunfels Public Library Foundation, New Braunfels Water Preservation Committee, Sophienburg Museum and Archives and several other volunteer organizations.
Also recognized at the luncheon were newest NBCF Legacy Society members Beverly and Dirk Davidek, and Michael Olstad. NBCF Legacy Society members have made significant contributions to date or through planned giving to the New Braunfels Community Foundation.
NBCF President/CEO Brit W. King also recognized Laura Kistner, chair of NB Women GO. The women’s giving organization with NBCF formed in 2017 and has since granted more than $570,000 in grants to area nonprofits.
From the beginning in 2009, when Eager first began having conversations with others about forming a community foundation, his goal has been to connect the people who care with the causes they love for the benefit of our community.
The community foundation encourages people to be generous, Eager said. It also provides a vehicle for people to place their money in a perpetual fund so that their assets will outlive them; but their desires and goals will continue because of that endowment they created, he added.
With 182 different funds, the foundation continues to grow and grant out to charitable causes such as youth and family services, food and shelter sustainability, senior services, education and other critical needs. This year, NBCF played a significant role in serving as the conduit for providing funds for flood relief in Kerrville.