People

AFS-USA (New York): Announced the retirement of Alex J. Plinio, president, effective December 31, 2007. This organization operates a high-school student-exchange program.

Air Serv International (Warrenton, Va.): Appointed Michael A. Webb, deputy chief of police in Boise, Idaho, to be chief executive officer. This organization provides air-travel and logistics services to international humanitarian groups.

American Red Cross, Oregon Trail Chapter (Portland, Ore.): Appointed Thomas Bruner, senior policy director at the Multnomah County Chair’s Office (Portland), to be chief executive officer.

Arc of the South Shore (North Weymouth, Mass.): Appointed Daryl Cook, director of residential services at Dare Family Services (Somerville, Mass.), to be executive director. This organization provides services for people with mental and physical disabilities.

BoardSource (Washington): Announced the retirement of Deborah Hechinger, president and chief executive officer, effective April 20.

Center for Effective Philanthropy (Cambridge, Mass.): Appointed Judith Ross, program manager at the Balanced Scoreboard Collaborative (Lincoln, Mass.), to be a senior research writer.

Center for Responsive Politics (Washington): Appointed Sheila Krumholz, research director, to be executive director.

Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (Farmington): Appointed Greg Brown, communications manager at Aetna (Hartford, Conn.), to be communications manager.

Christian Stewardship Association (Dallas): Appointed R. Scott Rodin, a consultant in Seattle and former vice president of the Frank Group (Seattle), to be president.

College for Creative Studies (Detroit): Appointed Trish Almquist, marketing director at Luna Entertainment (Novi, Mich.), to be development director.

Creighton U. School of Medicine (Omaha): Appointed Matt Gerard, assistant director of principal gifts, to be director of development.

Direct Marketing Association (New York): Appointed Steven K. Berry, president of Steven K. Berry LLC (Washington) and a consultant at the Livingston Group (Washington), to be executive vice president for government and consumer affairs.

Disabled and Alone: Life Services for the Handicapped (New York): Appointed Lee Alan Ackerman, residential-services director at Sunshine Inc. of Northwest Ohio (Maumee), to be executive officer.

First Focus (Alexandria, Va.): Appointed Bruce Lesley, senior health-policy adviser to Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Democrat of New Mexico (Washington), to be president. First Focus is an advocacy organization for children and families.

Greater Chicago Food Depository: Appointed Mary Boivin-McGhee, development director at the Chicago Foundation for Women, to be director of external affairs.

Jamboree Housing Corporation (Irvine, Calif.): Appointed John Okura, senior project manager at LINC Housing Services (Long Beach, Calif.), to be a senior project manager.

Japan Society of Northern California (San Francisco): Appointed Dana Lewis, a senior writer at Newsweek Japan (Tokyo), to be president.

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Stockbridge, Mass.): Appointed Jessica Bona, director of development at the Brien Center (Pittsfield, Mass.), to be development coordinator; Barbara Bonner, vice president for external relations at Bennington College (Vt.), to be vice president for institutional advancement; Lawrence Klein, director of development at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mass.), to be director of development; and Kelly Baxter Spitz, director of development at Community Health Programs (Great Barrington, Mass.), to be associate director of development.

La Sierra U. (Riverside, Calif.): Appointed Norman Yergen, vice president of advancement at Columbia Union College (Takoma Park, Md.), to be assistant vice president for advancement.

Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Washington Chapter: Appointed Penelope C. Fletcher, chief operating officer and museum director at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center (Washington), to be president and chief executive officer.

Mental Health Association in San Diego County: Appointed Scott Suckow, executive director of Alpha Behavioral Health Services (San Diego), to be chief executive officer. The Mental Health Association in San Diego County recently merged with Alpha Behavioral Health Services.

Montefiore Foundation (Beachwood, Ohio): Appointed Beverly Gans, Ohio-area director at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Cleveland), to be vice president.

National Civic League (Denver): Appointed Gloria Rubio-Cortes, director of partnerships at the Community Technology Foundation of California (San Francisco), to be president.

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (Washington): Appointed Aaron Dorfman, lead organizer and executive director of People Acting for Community Together (Miami), to be executive director.

Nebraska Environmental Trust (Lincoln): Appointed Mark A. Brohman, an administrator at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Administration Division (Lincoln), to be executive director.

New England Aquarium (Boston): Appointed Michael Hammerschmidt, a managing associate at Bentz Whaley Flessner (Minneapolis), to be vice president for development.

New York Junior Tennis League (Woodside): Appointed Gary Davis, manager of airport operations for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey at Newark Liberty International Airport (N.J.), based in New York, to be president and chief executive officer.

Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning (New York): Appointed Michael Haberman, vice president of community development and adviser to the president at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (New York), to be president.

Queens Botanical Garden (Flushing, N.Y.): Appointed Tim Heimerle, director of development at the Westchester Philharmonic (White Plains, N.Y.), to be director of development.

Sacred Heart U. (Fairfield, Conn.): Appointed Lynnette P. Sodha, principal-gifts officer at Yale U. (New Haven, Conn.), to be assistant vice president for capital gifts and planned giving.

Sedona Arts Center (Ariz.): Appointed Marilyn Demos Fravel, former vice president at American Baptist Homes of the West (Pleasanton, Calif.), to be executive director.

St. Norbert College (De Pere, Wis.): Appointed Jake Czarnik-Neimeyer, director of Camp Helen Brachman (Almond, Wis.), to be director of alumni and parent relations.

Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Colorado Chapter (Denver): Appointed Kimberly Bourne Schultz, deputy director of the Colorado chapter, to be executive director.

Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Midwest Chapter (Chicago): Appointed Barbara Talisman, director of development and corporate relations at Chicago Cares, to be executive director.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Dallas): Appointed Diane Balma, senior counsel and director of public policy, to be vice president of public policy; Emily Callahan, public-relations manager, to be director of communications; Susan Carter, director of communications, to be senior adviser in the office of the president; Janet Harrison, senior strategic adviser, to be director of strategic planning; Chris Orzechowski, brand manager, to be director of brand marketing; Chandini Portteus, program manager of the grants department, to be director of grants; and Katie Rohlman, senior human-resources adviser, to be director of compensation and benefits.

Syracuse U. (N.Y.): Appointed Martha Allen, assistant director for leadership annual giving, to be director of alumni affairs at the College of Law.

Taylor U. (Upland, Ind.): Appointed Ben Sells, senior vice president for development at Students in Free Enterprise (Springfield, Mo.), to be vice president for university advancement.

U. of Maryland at College Park: Appointed Raymond (Buzz) V. Bartlett, director of corporate and foundation relations, to be executive director for corporate and foundation development and partnerships at the College of Education.

U. of Minnesota Foundation (Minneapolis): Appointed Lisa M. Meyer, president of Hi-Wire (Minneapolis) and managing executive at River Road Entertainment (Minneapolis), to be vice president of marketing and communication.

United Way for Southeastern Michigan (Detroit): Appointed Kelly D. Major, partner and marketing director at Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing (Birmingham, Mich.), to be vice president for brand identity and communications.

World Craniofacial Foundation (Dallas): Appointed Luanne Samuel, director of development at Dallas Court Appointed Special Advocates, to be president.

GRANT MAKERS

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation (Boston): Announced the resignation of Nancy C. Turnbull, president. Ms. Turnbull will become associate dean for educational programs at the Harvard School of Public Health (Boston).

Buhl Foundation (Pittsburgh): Announced the resignation of Doreen E. Boyce, president, effective this summer.

Casey Family Programs (Seattle): Appointed Joseph A. Boateng, pension-funds manager at Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, N.J.), to be chief investment officer.

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (Tulsa, Okla.): Appointed Sanford Cardin, executive director, to be president.

Cleveland Foundation: Appointed Beth Darmstadter, a donor-relations officer, to be director of donor relations, and Donna Johnson, a gift-planning assistant, to be operations administrator.

Quantum Foundation (West Palm Beach, Fla.): Appointed Christine Koehn, senior program officer, to be vice president for programs.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (Mountain View, Calif.): Appointed Eleanor Clement Glass, director of the Philanthropy Incubator (San Jose, Calif.), to be chief giving officer.

X Prize Foundation (Los Angeles): Appointed Tom Vander Ark, executive director of education initiatives at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle), to be president. (An article about Mr. Vander Ark’s appointment appears on Page 34.)

BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

A Better Chance (New York): Elected Ronald R. Pressman, president and chief executive officer of General Electric Asset Management (Stamford, Conn.), to be chair of the Board of Directors.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Atlanta): Elected Rick Goings, chairman and chief executive officer of Tupperware Brands (Orlando, Fla.), to be chairman of the Board of Governors.

Catholic Charities CYO (San Francisco): Elected Cecilia Herbert, a former managing director at J.P. Morgan Chase and Company, based in San Francisco, to be president of the Board of Directors.

Grammy Foundation (Santa Monica, Calif.): Elected Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music and marketing at Electronic Arts (Los Angeles), to be chair of the Board of Directors.

Grand Rapids Community Foundation (Mich.): Elected Marilyn A. Lankfer, a lawyer at Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett (Grand Rapids), to be chair of the Board of Trustees. Also elected to the board: Thomas R. Hilliker, director of trust and investment at Macatawa Bank (Grand Rapids), and Michael Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of Hoffman Jewelers (Grand Rapids).

Grand Street Settlement (New York): Elected Catherine Gellert, director of United Continental Corporation & Windcrest Partners (New York), to be president of the Board of Directors.

Kalamazoo Community Foundation (Mich.): Elected Donald J. Vander Kooy, a community volunteer in Kalamazoo, to the Board of Trustees.

Learning and Leadership in Families (Washington): Elected Louise W. Wiener, founder and president, to be chairman of the Board of Directors.

Minneapolis Foundation: Elected Meria Carstarphen, superintendent of the Saint Paul Public School District, to the Board of Trustees.

Minnesota Council on Foundations (Minneapolis): Elected Holly Sampson, president of the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation (Minn.), to be chair of the Board of Directors.

National Constitution Center (Philadelphia): Elected George H.W. Bush, former president of the United States, to be chairman of the Board of Trustees.

New York Junior Tennis League: Elected Tory Kiam, president and chief executive officer of Kiam Ventures (New York), to be chairman of the Board of Directors.

Outward Bound (Long Island City, N.Y.): Elected Robert Miller, president of Hyperion Books (New York), to be chairman of the Board of Directors.

Woods Fund of Chicago: Elected Laura S. Washington, a communications professor at DePaul U. (Chicago), to be chair of the Board of Directors.