Former EPA Chief Will Now Lead Natural Resources Defense Council (Transitions)

Natural Resources Defense Council

Gina McCarthy will become president and CEO of the conservation group on January 6. She is the former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2013 until 2017), working under President Barack Obama.

McCarthy succeeds Rhea Suh, who departed over the summer.

Buell Foundation

Susan Steele, executive director of this $409 million grant maker in Colorado, has been promoted to president and CEO. She began working at the foundation in 1998.

Waitt Foundation

Heather Zichal has joined the $154 million foundation as executive director of the Blue Prosperity Coalition. Most recently she was vice president of corporate engagement at the Nature Conservancy.

The foundation recently pledged $150 million over 10 years to the Blue Prosperity Coalition to protect a million square miles of ocean.

More New CEOs

Valerie Conn, executive director, will become president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance on January 1. She follows Marc Kastner, who was appointed its first president in 2015; he is retiring from his leadership role but will remain a consultant to the organization.

Adrian Haro, managing director of the Workers Lab, will now serve as interim CEO. He succeeds its founder, Carmen Rojas, who departed last month to lead the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

Danielle Ripperton, director of development at the Peter Paul Development Center, has been appointed president and CEO of the Children’s Museum of Richmond, in Virginia. She succeeds Shannon Venable, who is retiring after three years leading the museum.

Brendan Tuohey, co-founder and executive director of PeacePlayers, now serves as president. Karen Doubilet, managing director of PeacePlayers Middle East, will succeed him as executive director of this global charity dedicated to uniting divided communities through sports.

Lauren Yarmuth, director of circular economy at IDEO, is the new executive director of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

New York Edge

Rachael Gazdick, president and CEO of Colorado’s I Have A Dream Foundation, is the new CEO of this organization formerly known as the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation. It runs after-school programs in the New York metropolitan area.

In addition, Kevin Hauss, executive director of human resources for John Jay College of Criminal Justice, will now be New York Edge’s chief operating officer.

Rigaud Noel, senior director for public development and educational partnerships, has been promoted to chief partnership officer.

Lilly Endowment

The $15 billion grant maker has hired two new program directors.

Anne Laker is now its program director in community development, with a portfolio that includes grant making for arts and cultural efforts in Indianapolis. Most recently she was a principal at Laker Verbal, an Indianapolis communications and project-management consulting firm that works with nonprofit groups.

Tysha Hardy-Sellers, president and CEO of Edna Martin Christian Center, has been named a program director in education.

Other Notable Appointments

Niles Godes, senior vice president of congressional affairs at LeadingAge, has been appointed chief government relations and policy officer at UsAgainstAlzheimer.

Laura McWhorter, vice president at the Texas Health Resources Foundation, has been tapped as chief philanthropy officer at the North Texas Community Foundation.

Adam Ross, vice president of development at Vocational Guidance Services, has become chief development officer at the Gathering Place, a cancer support center in Cleveland.

Lauren Stanich has been appointed chief marketing officer at Consumer Reports. Most recently she was president and CEO of Swirled Inc., a start-up company that creates digital content for millennial women.

Derek Tynes, chief human resources officer at the Glide Foundation, has joined the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund as director of talent and culture.

Maria Watson, associate vice president of development at the University of Southern California, will become Pomona College’s vice president for advancement on January 6.

Departures

Pamela Shifman will step down after 12 years as executive director of the NoVo Foundation at the end of this year. She has written several columns for the Chronicle.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.

M.J. Prest has been writing about major gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004. Email M.J.