Urvashi Vaid, a Prominent LGBTQ Leader, Has Died; Major Homelessness Group Gets New CEO

Vaid Group

Urvashi Vaid, a lawyer and prominent LGBTQ activist who most recently worked as a gender-equity consultant to social-justice organizations, died on May 14 from cancer. She was 63.

Vaid was the executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1989 to 1992, during which time she confronted President George Bush about the federal government’s failure to respond to the AIDS epidemic. She was a co-founder of the Donors of Color Network, led the Arcus Foundation from 2005 until 2010, and previously worked at the American Civil Liberties Union and the Ford Foundation.

Read this recent Chronicle interview with Vaid about the importance of donors of color.

Field Foundation of Illinois

Daniel Ash, associate vice president of community impact at the Chicago Community Trust, will join the $56 million foundation as president on June 20.

He will succeed Mark Murray, who has served as interim CEO since Angelique Power departed in September to lead the Skillman Foundation. Murray will now return to his role as chief operating officer.

National Alliance to End Homelessness

Ann Oliva, vice president for housing policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, has been named CEO of the homelessness group.

She succeeds Nan Roman, who is departing after 40 years there.

More New CEOs

Heidi Gras, interim executive director of LifeCircles Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, will remain in the role permanently. Gras succeeds Luke Reynolds, who became chief of home and community-based services at Brio Living Services in January.

Happy Mwende Kinyili, director of programs, will become co-executive director of Mama Cash on July 1. Until a second co-executive director is hired, they will work alongside Zohra Moosa, who is departing before the end of 2022 after almost 10 years there.

This summer, Colette Pierce Burnette will become president and CEO of Newfields, a nature and arts center in Indianapolis. Currently she is president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University.

Ryan Schoenfeld, who has served as interim CEO of the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research since August 2021, has been appointed to the position permanently. He joined the $500 million foundation in 2018 and previously was its chief scientific officer.

Other Notable Appointments

Lisa Archibald, a visiting professor at the American International College of Arts and Sciences in Antigua, has been appointed regional director at Entrepreneurship for All. In addition, Karen Johnson has been hired as chief operating officer. Most recently, she was chief of operations at MOS Consultative Services.

Bradley Hodges, founder of the biopharmaceutical company Prothelia Therapeutics, has been appointed partner of CureDuchenne Ventures, the investment arm of CureDuchenne that makes strategic investments to develop promising therapies and seek a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In addition, Lianna Orlando has been promoted from senior director of research to vice president of research at CureDuchenne.

James Kellerhouse, vice president for philanthropy and chief development officer at the Albany Med Foundation, has been named Hartwick College’s next vice president for institutional advancement. He will join the college on July 11 and will succeed Paula Lee Hobson, who is retiring at the end of June.

Veronica Mallett will now be chief administrative officer at the More in Common Alliance, a partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health to eliminate racial health disparities. Most recently, she concurrently served as president and CEO of MMC Ventures and executive director of Meharry Medical College’s Center for Women’s Health Research.

Sepi Sepasi will become chief financial officer at the Mellon Foundation on July 5. Currently she is vice dean of finance and administration at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Shawn Tucker, associate vice president and director of athletics at New Jersey City University, has been named vice president for athletics development at Rutgers University Foundation.

Arturo Weldon is joining NeighborWorks America as executive vice president and chief information officer. Most recently he was associate chief technology officer for the District of Columbia Government.

Sophy Yem has been promoted from program officer to senior program officer for philanthropy at the Surdna Foundation.

Departure

Susan Steele, president and CEO of the Buell Foundation, plans to retire later this year. She has worked at the $451 million foundation in Denver for 30 years.

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