United States Artists Chooses Judilee Reed as Its Next CEO

United States Artists

Judilee Reed, program director of creative communities at the William Penn Foundation, has been hired as president and CEO of the artists group.

She succeeds Deana Haggag, who left in May to become a program officer in arts and culture at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

AmeriCorps

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Michael Smith to serve as CEO of the federal agency for volunteerism and national service.

Most recently, he was executive director of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and director of youth opportunity programs at the Obama Foundation.

Independent Sector

Dan Cardinali will step down this year as president and CEO and intends to take a sabbatical. He has led the group since 2016, a year after he joined its board.

Read more about Cardinali’s time leading Independent Sector in the Chronicle.

New England Public Media

Matt Abramovitz has been hired as its next president. He succeeds Martin Miller, who is retiring.

Most recently, Abramovitz was vice president of programming at New York Public Radio’s WQXR, a classical music station that he helped create in 2009.

More New CEOs

Carrie Berse, president of the Crouse Health Foundation, has been tapped as executive director of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. She succeeds Paula Miller, who has led the $74 million foundation since its inception in 2005.

John Biggins, president of American City Bureau, has been promoted to CEO. He swaps places with his sister, Leslie Biggins Mollsen, who has been the fundraising firm’s CEO since 2007 and will now serve as president.

Tehvon Fowler Chapman, executive director of Washington Concert Opera, has been named executive director of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Rick Cruz, chief revenue officer at Arabella Advisors, has been promoted to president. He succeeds Sampriti Ganguli, who plans to step down as CEO on April 15 to move to India.

Juan José Escalante has joined the National Dance Institute as executive director. He was most recently executive director of the José Limón Dance Foundation.

Hilary Harp Falk, chief program officer at the National Wildlife Federation, will be the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s next president and CEO. She succeeds William Baker, who has retired. He began working at the conservation group as an intern in 1976 and has served as its president and CEO since 1981.

Erin Waas has been named executive director of the Bairs Foundation, which provides direct financial assistance to help cover basic living expenses for people who have filed personal-injury lawsuits in court. She was most recently a senior advancement writer at the University of Buffalo.

New Top Fundraisers

Nadine Bullock-Pottinga will now serve as chief development officer at Hire Heroes USA. Previously she was president and CEO at the United Way of Shenandoah Valley.

Sandra Chen Lau, chief development officer at the Japanese American National Museum, will now be chief advancement officer at the American Film Institute.

André Coleman, associate director of philanthropy at Chorus America, has been hired as director of development at the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C.

Monica Lee Copeland has been appointed chief development officer at the Children’s Bureau of Southern California. Previously she was chief development officer at Planned Parenthood of Pasadena–San Gabriel Valley.

Brian Cowart, chief development officer at Disabled American Veterans, will now serve as its chief development and marketing officer at the United Service Organizations.

Janet Clarkson Davis, founding principal of the fundraising consulting firm Clarkson Davis, has joined the Ogunquit Playhouse as its director of development.

Julie Gibbs, vice president of development at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, has returned to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as its vice president and chief philanthropy officer. She previously worked there from 1988 until 1998.

David Sears, senior vice president of advancement and community engagement at Montgomery College, will next serve as vice president for institutional advancement at McDaniel College.

Other Notable Appointments

Kecia Bailey Alexander, regional director of human resources at Williams-Sonoma, has been named deputy chief of human capital at Think Together. In addition, Holly Perry has joined the provider of after-school programs as director of talent acquisition. Most recently she worked at Gifted Healthcare as director of recruitment.

Matthew Aruch has been named director of global education at Earthday.org. He joins the environmental group from the University of Maryland at College Park, where he was assistant director of the College Park Scholars Science, Technology, and Society Program and senior lecturer at the university’s A. James Clark Engineering School.

Meghan Cummings, executive director of the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, will become vice president of civic advancement at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation on April 1. Also effective on April 1, Rasheda Cromwell will be promoted from senior director of community strategies to vice president of community strategies.

Barbara Green-Flood has joined the Corporation for Supportive Housing as eastern region managing director. Most recently she was director of regional operations at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Child Welfare, and Community Services.

Kim Harmon, inspector general for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Inspector General Division, will serve as the next executive director of the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership within the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service. She succeeds Macel Ely, who has become the institute’s director of organizational improvement.

Colette Jones, chief marketing officer at Destination Cleveland, will join the Cleveland Foundation as chief marketing officer, effective February 28.

Rafael Maldonado, vice president and chief information officer at the National Automobile Dealers Association, has joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as vice president and chief information technology officer.

Bradford Mills, a vice president at the commercial real-estate firm Avison Young, is now chief operating officer at Caring for Friends. In addition, Stef Arck-Baynes has joined the Philadelphia food bank as its managing director of communications and corporate relations. Previously she was director of communications and marketing at Benefits Data Trust.

Judi Petkau has been promoted from program officer in the arts-education program to program director for teachers at the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Tamara Rojo, artistic director and lead principal at the English National Ballet, will now be artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet. She succeeds Helgi Tomasson, who is stepping down after 37 years there.

Lillian Singh has been appointed senior vice president of family economic opportunity at Share Our Strength. Most recently she worked at Prosperity Now as vice president for programs and racial wealth equity.

Nicole Systrom, founder of Sutro Energy Group, has been hired as chief impact officer at Galvanize Climate Solutions.

Dvon Williams is now chief communications officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Previously she was senior director of public relations and celebrity relations at National 4-H Council.

Edward Yim has been hired as utilities program director at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. He was most recently an energy policy adviser at the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment.

Departures

Richard Klein is stepping down after 18 years as exhibitions director at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. He has worked at the museum in Ridgefield, Conn., since 1990.

Goli Sheikholeslami, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, is departing to become CEO of Politico Media Group.

Ashwin Vasan, president and CEO of Fountain House, is leaving to become the health commissioner for New York under the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams. Mary Crowley, chief external affairs officer, will step up as interim president and CEO during its search for a new leader.

Legacy

Edward Bernard Rasmuson, a philanthropist and banker in Alaska, died on January 4 from brain cancer. He was 81. Rasmuson helped guide the sale of the family-owned National Bank of Alaska to Wells Fargo in 2000. He and his father, Elmer Rasmuson, directed the bulk of their family fortune to the Rasmuson Foundation, which was created by his father and grandmother in 1955 and has become one of the most prominent grant makers in Alaska. It now has $700 million in assets.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.