Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund Will Install Next CEO in January

Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund

Andrea Cristina Mercado will become its president and CEO, effective January 2. She will also lead its 501(c)(4) arm, the Climate Equity Action Fund.

Mercado is currently executive director of Florida Rising Together and the New Florida Majority Education Fund.

J. Paul Getty Trust

Pierre Ouillet will become executive vice president for finance and operations at the $12.5 billion foundation on November 11. He currently works at the University of California at San Diego, where he is vice chancellor and chief financial officer for both the university and health sciences.

Ouillet will replace Steve Olsen, who retired over the summer after six years as its vice president, chief financial officer, and chief operating officer.

Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation

Jon Bennion, director of government relations at the Washington Companies, has been named executive director of the $980 million foundation in Montana.

He succeeds Mike Halligan, who is retiring after 22 years at its helm.

More New CEOs

Susan Aryan Antolin is the new executive director of Women for Afghan Women. The daughter of Afghan refugees, she co-founded Advancing Girls and was most recently director of community and mentorship at the 30 Birds Foundation.

Cecilia Aviles, operations executive at the Sutter Health Bay Area Medical Foundation and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, has been appointed CEO of LifeLong Medical Care.

Beatrice Gurwitz, deputy director of the National Humanities Alliance, has been named executive director of the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum.

Tim Kerrihard, former chief development officer at Special Olympics Pennsylvania, has become executive director and CEO of Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He follows Carl Webster, who has retired after 23 years as its leader.

Kate Riley was promoted to president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. She has worked there since 2010 and was most recently vice president of government and public affairs. Riley follows Patrick Butler, who is retiring after 14 years as its leader.

Dennis Vega, acting deputy administrator for management and resources at the U.S. Agency for International Development, has become president and CEO of the global-development organization Pact. He succeeds Caroline Anstey, who has retired after four years there.

Other Notable Appointments

LaKoya Gardner has been promoted to director of the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She was previously director of programs and associate director of development for the institute for the past four years.

Elizabeth Goldberg, chief development officer at CHRIS 180, has been named vice president of strategic fundraising at Alloy Fundraising, a consulting firm in Atlanta.

Cynthia Hall Kouré, a fundraising consultant in Boston, has become director of foundation relations at the Home for Little Wanderers.

Jackie Barry Hamilton, chief financial officer at Sense Labs, will now serve as chief financial officer of BlueHub Capital, a nonprofit community development financing organization. She replaces Lisa Zappala, who will remain executive vice president of finance until she retires early in 2025.

Susan Lane has been tapped as director of philanthropy at 1% for the Planet and will oversee the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at the National Philanthropic Trust. Most recently she was chief philanthropy officer at Mercy for Animals.

Kevin Perkins has joined the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as chief financial officer and vice president for administration. Previously he was chief financial officer and treasurer at the Critical Path Institute. (The Mott Foundation is a financial supporter of the Chronicle.)

Terrance Pitts, a fellow at the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at New York University’s School of Law, is joining the Proteus Fund as director of the Solidarity Collaborative.

Wulan Pusparini, who recently completed a PhD in the ecological and socioeconomic factors of wild meat consumption and biodiversity conservation in Indonesia, is now director of research and evaluation for the Arcus Foundation’s Great Apes and Gibbons Program.

Drew Rabe has been appointed managing director and head of philanthropy at Brown Brothers Harriman, based in the investment advisory firm’s New York office. Most recently he was a managing director at Arabella Advisors.

Anne Readhimer was promoted from vice president of community impact to chief impact officer at the North Texas Food Bank.

Bradley Renner, director of development at the Joffrey Ballet, has been named executive director of the Orlando Ballet Company and School.

Xian Zhang will become music director of the Seattle Symphony, starting in the 2025–26 season. She plans to continue serving as music director of the New Jersey Symphony.

Departures

Nell Bang-Jensen will depart in October after five years as artistic director at Theatre Horizon, in Philadelphia.

Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art since 1995, plans to step down next year.

Legacy

Joann Lang, a philanthropist in New York, died on September 2 at age 98. A longtime member of the Board of Directors at Safe Horizon, she helped the organization purchase its first emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence in 1993. It was named Lang House in honor of her and her late husband, Todd Lang. She also served on the board of the Jewish Home and Hospital for 30 years.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.