Heinz Endowments President Announces Retirement

Maxwell King, president of the Heinz Endowments, in Pittsburgh, has announced that he plans to retire as head of the grant maker next spring, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“I love the work,” said Mr. King, but it’s “time to go on to the next phase of life. I will be 64. That ain’t young.”

The foundation will consider external and internal candidates to replace him, Mr. King told staff members yesterday in an e-mail message.

Mr. King, who was the editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper before joining Heinz in 1999, has pushed for greater openness and accountability among grant makers, both in his job at Heinz and as chairman of the Council on Foundations, an association that represents many of the nation’s biggest philanthropies.

He caused controversy in 2002 when he decided to take $3.7-million away from the Pittsburgh Public Schools and announced the withdrawal at a news conference. The money was later restored after changes were made in the school system.

Before he retires, Mr. King said, he plans to focus on making city and county government more efficient, on improving the quality of Pittsburgh’s public school system, and on developing economic opportunities.