Pew Charitable Trusts Names the Successor to Its Longtime Leader (Transitions)

Pew Charitable Trusts

Susan Urahn, executive vice president and chief program officer, will take over as president and CEO on July 1.

She will succeed Rebecca Rimel, who is retiring after 32 years at the $6 billion charity. Rimel became president and CEO in 1994.

America 250 Foundation

Tony Rucci will be president and CEO of this new nonprofit group, which will provide fundraising support for the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. The two organizations are planning a national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Rucci was a clinical professor of management at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business until his retirement in 2018.

Simón Bolívar Foundation

Mariela Poleo has been named president of this private foundation of the Citgo Petroleum Corporation dedicated to supporting the humanitarian needs of Venezuelans and Venezuelan refugees. Most recently, Poleo was head of finance and controller for North American exploration and offshore development at Equinor ASA.

New Media Ventures

Taren Stinebrickner-Kaufmann has been appointed president of this group that helps investors and donors invest in and make grants to progressive media organizations. Previously, she was a senior product manager at Change.org and the founder and executive director of SumOfUs, a global consumer watchdog.

More New CEOs

Laura García, executive director of Fondo Semillas, has been hired as president and CEO of the Global Greengrants Fund.

Michael Martin, executive vice president at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, has been promoted to president. He succeeds Dan Busby, who is retiring.

Elizabeth Schueler will be the next president of Manomet Inc., an environmental-sustainability organization in Plymouth, Mass., effective April 20. Most recently she was vice president for markets and supply chains at the World Wildlife Fund. Schueler succeeds John Hagan, who is stepping down after 11 years as president.

Other Notable Appointments

Patra Brannon-Isaac has joined the Kinder Foundation as director of education. Most recently she was regional director at Leadership ISD in Houston.

Avenel Joseph has been named vice president for policy at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Before this role, she worked for Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts as chief health adviser and, more recently, director of policy and oversight.

Matt Strabone has been named senior counsel at RepresentUs, a bipartisan anticorruption organization. He is an election and ethics lawyer who specializes in the representation of campaigns and advocacy groups.

Departures

Bill Gates is stepping down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to focus his time solely on his work as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the $50 billion grant maker he and his wife created in 2000. In his announcement, he cited his intention to “dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change.”

Lori Starr, executive director of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, will depart in December.

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