September 16, 2022 | Read Time: 7 minutes
Independent Sector
Akilah Watkins will become its president and CEO in January. Currently she is the president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress.
Watkins will replace Dan Cardinali, who announced at the beginning of the year he would step down after leading the nonprofit association for six years.
Lumina Foundation
Michelle Asha Cooper, deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education, will start on October 3 as vice president for public policy.
She will also serve as executive director of the $1.6 billion foundation’s office in Washington, D.C.
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Ken Jones has been promoted from vice president and chief financial officer to senior vice president and chief operating officer. He will also serve as the $9.5 billion foundation’s chief equity officer.
In addition, Kristen Mack has been promoted from managing director of communications to vice president for communications, fellows, and partnerships, in which role she will oversee the MacArthur Fellows program and partnerships with other grant makers.
Rockefeller Foundation
On December 1, Natalye Paquin will become chief operating officer, where she will be in charge of its offices in the United States, Italy, Asia, and Africa. She will also oversee the $7.7 billion foundation’s departments in employee services, human resources, information technology, legal, innovation, and finance.
She is currently president and CEO of Points of Light, a charity that was founded by former President George H.W. Bush to facilitate community change.
Paquin will succeed Steven VanRoekel, who is departing after five years.
More New CEOs
Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together, will remain CEO of the education group in California as it merges with Orenda Education, which will continue to operate as a program of Think Together under the leadership of its founder and CEO Robin La Salle.
Mendi Blue Paca has been promoted from chief community-impact officer to president and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. She succeeds Juanita James, who is retiring after 11 years at the $264 million foundation in Connecticut.
Tom Daniel, a professor of biology at the University of Washington, has been hired as CEO of the Washington Research Foundation. He succeeds its interim CEO Susan Coliton, who has overseen operations since Ron Howell retired in July 2021 after nearly 30 years at the helm. Coliton will now return to her role on the foundation’s board as a director and chair of its grants committee.
Alexandra Gordon was promoted from managing partner to president of Matter Unlimited, a social-impact consulting firm.
Tiffany Hamilton, chief diversity officer at Pace University, has been tapped as CEO of the YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester.
Gabrielle Madison, director of community relations at Thomson Reuters, will be the first president of Bonton Farms, a nonprofit group that operates two farms, a farmer’s market, and a café in South Dallas.
Becky Payne will be promoted from executive vice president to president and CEO of the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation on January 1. She will overlap with Laura Landy, who has led the $95 million foundation since 2006 and will become president emeritus and senior fellow before retiring at the end of 2023. In addition, Alan Lieber will be promoted to chief operating officer and chief health care strategist in January. Currently he is the foundation’s executive vice president.
Diane Quest, chief external affairs officer at Points of Light, will serve as its interim president and CEO, starting on December 2.
Michael Rosenberg, managing director of Princeton University’s McCarter Theatre Center, will become president and CEO of the New York City Center on November 1. He will succeed Arlene Shuler, who is stepping down after 19 years of leading the performing-arts group.
Maria Tucker, a consultant and founder of the Three Palms Group, will now serve as executive director of the Jeremiah Program’s new Las Vegas campus.
Tony Valenzuela, executive director of the Foundation for the AIDS Monument, has been named executive director of the One Archives Foundation. He is the first Latino person to lead the LGBTQ+ organization in Los Angeles.
Mother Jones
The nonprofit news outlet has announced three changes to its fundraising staff.
Emily Cozart Mohammed, director of philanthropy at Vote Solar, has returned as vice president of development. She previously worked at Mother Jones as associate director of development until 2018.
Beth Eisenstaedt has been promoted from associate director of development to deputy director of development.
Lisa Schachter was hired as advancement officer. Most recently she was director of the Smith Fine Arts Series at Western Oregon University.
Penumbra
The St. Paul group has hired three new staff members to guide the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing.
Chris Berry, assistant professor of acting and stage voice at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has been appointed arts director.
Camille Cyprian is now wellness director. A consultant at Centered Spaces, she previously served as the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Minnesota Council on Foundations.
Christine Smith, senior program director at People Serving People, has been hired as equity director.
Other Notable Appointments
Stephen Ackley-Ortiz, director of development at Yale University’s Law School, has been named chief development officer in the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University.
Eric Foushée, acting vice president for college advancement since July at Bates College, has been named to the post permanently. He follows Sarah Pearson, who retired on June 30 after a decade leading the college’s fundraising.
James Husson, senior vice president for university advancement at Boston College, will become vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania on October 17.
Lisa Kugler, general manager at Beacon Care Services, has been appointed senior vice president for Shatterproof’s Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards program.
Yury Kukushkin has been promoted from investment director to managing director of the JDRF T1D Fund, the diabetes-research group’s venture-philanthropy arm with $175 million in assets.
Daniel Lee has joined the Council on Foundations as executive-in-residence. He most recently served as executive director of the Levi Strauss Foundation until 2021.
Tina MacVeigh, senior vice president of global network strategy at United Way Worldwide, will now serve as executive vice president and chief learning and leadership development officer at the YMCA of the USA.
Melissa McCoy, chief advancement officer at Abilities First, has been named chief strategy and advancement officer at the Sarasota Ballet.
Crystal Pascucci-Clifford has joined InterMusic SF as director of development. A cellist and composer, she most recently served as associate director of development at the Oakland School for the Arts.
Nicole Perry, deputy commissioner of executive affairs and chief of staff at the New York City Department of Small Business Services, has been hired as chief platform officer at NYC Kids Rise. Sarah Sable has also joined the college-savings nonprofit group as chief financial empowerment officer. Most recently she was chief program officer at Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners.
Departure
Ellen Katz, president and CEO of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, will be leaving the organization before June 2, 2023. She has led the $975 million foundation since 2015.
Legacies
Ray Cope, who was first president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, died on August 30 at age 81. He led the North Carolina foundation from 1991 until his retirement in 2004.
George Irish, vice president and eastern director of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation of California and the Hearst Foundation of New York, died of a heart attack on September 13. He was 78. Prior to joining the two Hearst foundations in executive roles, he was president of Hearst Newspapers until his retirement in 2008.
Tina Ramirez, the founder of Ballet Hispánico, died on September 6 at age 92. She established the dance company in 1970 and served as its artistic director until 2009.
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