March 18, 2022 | Read Time: 4 minutes
NewSchools Venture Fund
Frances Messano will be promoted from president to CEO in January 2023. She will be the first woman of color to lead the $80 million venture philanthropy group.
She will succeed Stacey Childress, who joined the organization in 2014 and is stepping down at the end of this year.
Elevate Prize Foundation
The foundation that awards an annual prize to social entrepreneurs has named four personnel changes.
Jewel Malone has been tapped as chief operating officer. Most recently she was executive director of YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.
Matthew Minor has been promoted from senior programs director to chief impact officer.
Cara Politi, a digital communications specialist at ICF Next, is now senior community manager.
Alex Rosales, a program associate for the Racial Equity Fund at the Miami Foundation, was hired as program manager.
New Profit
Shawn Dove, founder of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, is now a managing partner at New Profit.
More New CEOs
Delores Crowell, a lobbyist for AT&T, has been hired as executive director of the Georgia Film Foundation.
Eaton Dunkelberger, CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys, will become president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada on April 25. He will follow Chris Askin, who retired in January after leading the $137 million foundation for 22 years.
Sebabatso Manoeli-Lesame will be promoted from deputy executive director to executive director of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity, effective July 1. She will succeed Kavitha Mediratta, who has led the group since its inception in 2017.
Robert Reed, executive director of the Plano Symphony Orchestra, will become executive director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra on June 6. He replaces Rick Mackie, who retired in June 2021.
Other Notable Appointments
Jim Berry, chief financial officer at the global real estate developer Harwood International, has joined the Communities Foundation of Texas as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He succeeds Beth Bull, who has retired after 14 years at the $1.5 billion foundation.
Daniel Fitzmaurice, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, has been hired as chief of staff at Americans for the Arts. In addition, Adrianne Troilo joined the group as vice president of people and culture. Previously she was chief administrative officer at the American Society for Engineering Education.
Lariza Garzón will now be director of North Carolina and Mid-South operations at the Hispanic Federation. An immigrant from Colombia, she was most recently executive director of the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, in Dunn, N.C.
Joanna Hootnick has been named chief advancement officer at the National Comedy Center, a museum in Jamestown, N.Y., that is dedicated to the history of comedy. Most recently she was vice president and principal gifts officer at Teach for America.
Amanda Kodeck, a consultant to nonprofit groups on fundraising, leadership development, grants, and research projects, is now chief giving officer at MileOne Autogroup. She will oversee MileOneCares, its philanthropic arm that will support nonprofit groups near the car company’s 77 franchises in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Ellen Liu has been promoted to vice president of grant making and capacity building at the Ms. Foundation for Women. She has worked there since 2011, most recently as senior director of grant making and capacity building in which role she designed its Activist Collaboration Fund.
Patrick MacRae, director of public programs and education at the Garden Conservancy in Garrison, N.Y., has been named director of gardens and horticulture at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.
Andrew Seidel, director of strategic response at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has been appointed vice president of strategic communications at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He succeeds Naomi Paiss, who is retiring.
Elizabeth Seuling, who was previously chief development officer at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, has been appointed chief development officer at the Marshall Project. In addition, Chavon Carroll has joined the nonprofit journalism group as deputy director of development for local fundraising. Most recently she was vice president for development and external affairs at Heart of America.
Departures
Diane Kaplan will step down as president and CEO of the Rasmuson Foundation early next year. She was the $800 million foundation’s first employee when the Rasmuson family hired her as a part-time administrator in 1995 to oversee its $5 million in assets.
Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center, is leaving after 25 years to become president of Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism agency.
Robert Ross plans to step down as president and CEO of the California Endowment in the summer of 2024. He became the leader of the $4.6 billion grant maker in 2000. A successor has not yet been named. Ross has appeared in the Chronicle many times over his 22 years at the California Endowment. Read his advice to other foundation leaders of color in this opinion piece from 2021.
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