Smithsonian Institution Selects New Leader From Its Own Ranks (Transitions)

Smithsonian Institution

Lonnie Bunch III, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has been named secretary of the Washington cultural group. He is its first African-American leader and the first head of a Smithsonian branch to be appointed to the top leadership job. Bunch succeeds David Skorton, who has left after four years to become chief executive of the Association of American of Medical Colleges.

Amherst College

Betsy Cannon Smith, alumni secretary and executive director of alumni and parent programs at Amherst College, has been promoted to chief advancement officer. The private liberal-arts college is in the midst of a $625 million capital campaign and logged two anonymous gifts last year worth a combined $150 million.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Heather Renshaw Vucetin, associate dean for medical center development at Stanford University, has been hired as vice president for development. The Los Angeles hospital raised $131 million in private support during its 2017 fiscal year, according to the most recent 990 available.

More New CEOs

Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Brown RISD Hillel, will now serve as CEO of Maccabi USA.

Barbara Fields, former CEO and executive director of Rhode Island Housing, has been tapped as president and CEO of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. She succeeds Ann Lisi, who is stepping down after 30 years.

Carla Goldstein, co-founder of the Omega Women’s Leadership Center, will now also serve as president of the Omega Institute.

Valerie Payne has become executive director of Rebuilding Together NYC. Previously she was university director of the continuing education and work force programs at the City University of New York.

Kimberly Scrafano, chief program officer at Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, will become executive director of the Mechanics’ Institute in July.

Christopher Wisniewski, executive director of Studio in a School NYC, has been appointed executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

New Top Fundraisers

Abby Ashley has been hired as the chief development officer at the Milwaukee Art Museum. She comes to Wisconsin from the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she was director of development.

Brigette Bryant, founding vice chancellor for university advancement at the City University of New York, has been appointed vice president for development and alumni relations at Arcadia University.

Joshua Claudio, founding national director of annual giving at Students Against Destructive Decisions, has been named director of development at Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers.

Mary Glenn, senior director of development for health sciences at the University at Buffalo, has been named vice president for institutional advancement at Daemen College.

Caitlin Shmidheiser, associate director of development at the American Technion Society, has been appointed chief development officer at the Israel Cancer Research Fund, based in New York.

Other Notable Appointments

Kuldip Dave, director of research programs at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, has been appointed vice president for research at the ALS Association.

Annie Donovan, former director of the federal Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, is now chief operating officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

Courtney English, who served as chair of Atlanta’s Board of Education until 2017, has been hired as director of community development at Star-C Communities.

Brenda Shum, director of the educational opportunities project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, has been named senior directing attorney at the National Center for Youth Law.

Departures

Anna Babin, CEO of the United Way of Greater Houston since 2005, will step down before March 2020, once a successor has been hired.

Legacy

Robert Bernstein, founding director of Human Rights Watch, died May 27 at age 96.

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