Tapestry Farms names first executive director

Tapestry Farms is pleased to announce Ann McGlynn will serve as the organization’s first executive director.

Ann, who founded Tapestry Farms in 2017, had served as president of the board of directors.

“From the beginning, we vowed that Tapestry Farms would build a strong foundation so that the work we do will be sustainable for years to come,” Ann said. “This is an important step in that commitment to sustainability. We are grateful for the support shown to Tapestry Farms and to the refugees who are working hard to rebuild their lives. We start 2020 with optimism, gratitude, focus, and joy.”

Tapestry Farms is a nonprofit social enterprise. Eight refugee families in the Quad Cities are part of the organization - they are from Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Burundi. They set goals, and Tapestry Farms assists in removing barriers to achieving those goals. Areas of focus include housing and food, education and child care, medical and mental health care, building community, economic independence, and the path to citizenship.

In 2020, Tapestry Farms will invest in growing our fledgling social enterprises - growing food, sewing, and roasting coffee. The goal is that these enterprises will hire refugees at a living wage, and bring an economic boost to the local economy.

Ann grew up on a farm in Clinton County, Iowa, and has a master’s in business administration from the University of Iowa. She continues her work as director of communication at St. Paul Lutheran in Davenport - where the idea of Tapestry Farms first came to be. She looks forward to using all of her life’s experiences, and the privilege she is afforded, to work toward building an organization that will give refugees an opportunity to use the skills, talents and gifts that they possess to connect, contribute, and thrive.

“The Tapestry Farms vision is that refugees and neighbors will flourish together,” she said. “I’ve witnessed the benefits of when that vision becomes a reality - and look forward to being a part of more and more people in our community experiencing a thriving life.”