Humanity United Chooses Srik Gopal as Managing Partner (Transitions)

Humanity United

Srik Gopal, vice president of strategy and program at the Democracy Fund, will become managing partner of Humanity United in January. He succeeds Randy Newcomb, who departed this year to become a senior adviser at the Omidyar Group. Both the Democracy Fund and Humanity United are grant makers established by the Omidyar Group.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Sandra Jackson-Dumont has been appointed director and CEO of this new museum founded by the Star Wars creator and filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments.

Most recently, Jackson-Dumont was chairman of education and public programs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She will take the reins of the museum, which is still under construction in Los Angeles, in January.

Melville Charitable Trust

Susan Thomas, program director at the $156 million foundation, has been promoted to president, effective January 6. She succeeds Janice Elliott, who is retiring on December 31 after seven years as executive director.

Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation

Jehuda Reinharz, president of the $1.6 billion foundation, will now also serve as CEO following the death of Morton Mandel, who was the chairman and CEO of this foundation he established with his late brothers.

More New CEOs

David Greco, president and CEO of Social Sector Partners, has been hired as executive director of All Stars Helping Kids.

Jim Langford is the new executive director of the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty. Most recently he was the co-founder and president of the Georgia Meth Project and the Georgia Prevention Project.

Hugo Mogollon, executive director of Community Foodworks, will now be executive director of Freshfarm.

Council on Foundations

Margaret Bandera, chief financial officer at the American Physical Society, has joined the grant-makers group as chief operating officer. She previously worked for 13 years at the National Philanthropic Trust as chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and chief administrative officer until 2017.

Feeding America

Katie Fitzgerald, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer. Based in Chicago, she will begin her new role on January 13.

Other Notable Appointments

Gwynne Gauntlett, director of digital strategy in the Office of Alumni and Development at Columbia University, has joined the United Nations Development Program as senior adviser for digital marketing and fundraising.

Jenny Parker, who works in Chief of Staff’s Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as senior adviser to the CDC Foundation, has been named vice president of the foundation’s new infectious-disease programs department.

Bruce Smith, associate vice president for development and academic coordination at Dartmouth College, has been appointed chief development officer at St. Paul’s School, a private school in Concord, N.H.

Annie Wong has joined the Blue Shield of California Foundation as director of finance, operations, and grants. Most recently she was senior manager of technical accounting, reporting, and governance at Blue Shield of California.

Diane Wortis, deputy director of philanthropic engagement at Jacob’s Pillow, has been appointed director of development of the Cape Ann Museum.

Departures

Dale Erquiaga will step down as president and CEO of Communities in Schools on March 31. He will remain with the organization as a visiting fellow at its Milliken Center for Innovation and Student Success.

David Fukuzawa, managing director of the Kresge Foundation’s Health Program, plans to retire next year. He joined the $3.7 billion grant maker in 2000.

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M.J. Prest has been writing about major gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004. Email M.J.