NDN Collective Taps Next President to Lead Indigenous Activism

NDN Collective

Wizipan Little Elk Garriott will serve as the Indigenous activism organization’s next president. A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, he was principal deputy assistant secretary of Indian affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2021 until last year.

Garriott will work alongside the group’s founder, Nick Tilsen, who will continue as CEO.

Michele Ganeless

Comic Relief U.S.

Michele Ganeless was appointed CEO of this organization that raises money through live comedy events for programs that address intergenerational poverty.

Ganeless is a media consultant and former president of the cable television channel Comedy Central.

Consumer Reports

Phil Radford, chief strategy officer at Sierra Club, will start in February as president and CEO of the nonprofit consumer-protection group.

He succeeds Marta Tellado, who is stepping down after 11 years in the role.

JCC Association of North America

Barak Hermann will be the next president and CEO of this network of Jewish Community Centers across the United States and Canada, effective in June.

He is currently the CEO of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

The Dallas Morning News

The Marshall Project

On March 17, Katrice Hardy will become CEO of this nonprofit newsroom that covers criminal justice.

Currently she is executive editor and vice president of the Dallas Morning News.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Gretchen Goldman will be the next president of this advocacy group that focuses on climate change and security policy.

An environmental engineer, she served in the White House under President Joe Biden as the assistant director for environmental science, engineering, policy, and justice in the Climate and Environment division of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

More New CEOs

Krystal Atwater, a nonprofit consultant in Midland, Tex., is the new executive director of Thriving United, a nonprofit group that provides addiction-recovery services.

Brian Baker, development director for the Buffalo Trace Council of Scouting America, has been hired as director of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation.

Cinira Baldi has been tapped as CEO of Good360, a global organization that connects socially responsible companies with charities in need of product donations. Most recently she was chief development and communications officer at Project HOPE.

Trey Bearden has been promoted from chief program officer to CEO of ToolBank USA. He follows Patty Russart, who has led the disaster-relief organization since 2018.

Lianna Bishop will be promoted from operations director to executive director of the Zilber Charitable Foundation on February 14. She will succeed Gina Stilp, who has led the $357 million grant maker in Milwaukee since 2018.

Kristen Cometto-Russ is now CEO of Kids Kicking Cancer. She joined the group in 2023 and was most recently its chief strategy officer.

Graig Eastin has been appointed executive director of the American Nurses Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association. Most recently, he was interim vice dean for development and alumni affairs at the Duke School of Nursing.

JCC Association of North America

Naomi Feiner and Amit Granek, program officers at the Russell Berrie Foundation, will now serve as co-directors of its Israel office. They succeed Binny Shalev, who has retired after 19 years at the $165 million grant maker.

Gary Ginstling, former president and CEO of the New York Philharmonic, has been hired as executive director and CEO of the Houston Symphony.

Michael Groat, interim president and CEO of Lindner Center of Hope, will continue in the role permanently. He joined the Ohio mental-health group in 2023 as its chief clinical officer.

Nahela Hadi, a consultant in New Jersey who focuses on global public health, is now executive director of the Moms Helping Moms Foundation.

Liz Jellema has been promoted from chief operating officer to president of Creative Fundraising Advisors. She succeeds the consulting firm’s founder Paul Johnson, who will now serve as CEO.

Chisina Kapungu was promoted from director of learning and partnerships to executive director of WomenStrong International.

Traci Lester has been tapped as president of the Opportunity Agenda, a social-justice organization. Most recently she was a program consultant to the Hawthornden Foundation.

Carol Ahn Markowitz will be the next CEO of SBP, a national nonprofit for disaster resilience and recovery. She was most recently chief operating officer and senior vice president of finance at Loyola University New Orleans.

Ellen Pack has been promoted to co-CEO of Common Sense Media and will serve alongside its founder and CEO, James Steyer. Pack has worked at the children’s media watchdog for 12 years and was most recently its president and chief operating officer.

Mario Rossero, executive director of the National Art Education Association, will be the next director of the Andy Warhol Museum, in Pittsburgh.

Priya Sarathy Jones has been promoted to co-executive director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center and will serve alongside Joanna Weiss, its co-founder. She joined the organization six years ago as its national campaigns director.

Elizabeth Silkes, executive director of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, will be the next CEO of the Grand Canyon Conservancy.

Kristine Torjesen will become president and CEO of the faith-based research group Biologos in March. She will succeed Deborah Haarsma, who left at the end of 2024 after 12 years at the helm.

Michelle Perez Vichot, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Billerica, was appointed director of the ‘Quin House Impact Fund, which makes grants to Boston-area nonprofits.

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Kristina Newman-Scott is joining the $2.6 billion foundation as its new vice president for arts.

Most recently, she was the inaugural executive director of the Jerome L. Greene Performance Art Space at New York Public Radio/WNYC.

Other Notable Appointments

Susie Brown, president of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, will become managing director of client foundations at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation on February 27.

Chris Dax, senior director of development at the University of Maryland at College Park, has been tapped as vice president of philanthropy at USA Lacrosse.

Monique Michelle Dozier, vice chancellor for advancement at the University of California at Riverside and president of the UCR Foundation, has been appointed vice chancellor for university advancement at North Carolina A&T State University.

Sean Duffy, a strategic communications and media consultant in Colorado, has been named senior vice president of communications at the Daniels Fund.

Bob Fass, chief advancement officer at the Webb Schools, was named vice president for college advancement at Pitzer College.

Joseph Giraldi, who co-founded the CJBK Media Group, is joining Sesame Workshop as its chief operating officer.

James Husson will start as vice president for alumni affairs and development at Harvard University on April 1. Currently he is vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania.

Cheryl Jereczek, chief development officer at Bethany Christian Services, has joined Opportunity International as chief philanthropy officer.

Audra Lewton, a lawyer who focuses on estate and charitable planning, will serve as the first director of planned giving at the New York Community Trust. In addition, Emily Karol has joined the $3.3 billion community fund as development director for Westchester. Previously she was director of fund development at International Development Enterprises.

Lindsay Kist has been promoted to vice president at the Winter Park Health Foundation. She joined the $140 million grant maker in 2018 and was most recently its senior director of community impact and engagement.

Jennifer March, executive director of the Citizens Committee for Children, has joined New York Foundling as its new chief advancement officer.

Bruce Pankey, chief finance and administration officer at Counterpart International, has been appointed chief financial officer and treasurer at Americares.

Matthew Weinstein will become vice president of university development and alumni engagement at California Polytechnic State University on March 1. Currently he is associate vice president for development at Carnegie Mellon University.

David Whitmore will join Binghamton University on March 10 as its vice president of advancement and chief advancement officer, as well as executive director of the Binghamton University Foundation. He is currently vice president for advancement and academic affairs at Syracuse University.

Departures

Gerry Brisson will step down as president and CEO of the Gleaners Community Food Bank once a successor has been named. He has led the group for 19 years.

Betsy Cohen, executive director of Youth Communication, will step down on June 30. She has worked there for seven years and has been its leader since 2020.

Eric Jolly, president and CEO of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation since 2015, plans to retire this year.

Gretchen Wollert McLennon is stepping down after five years as president and CEO of Ballet Memphis.

Greig Metzger, executive director of the Little Free Library since 2019, intends to retire in June.

Peter Miller will retire after six years as president and CEO of the Meadows Foundation on December 31. The Texas grant maker has $694 million in assets.

Steven Nadel is departing after 24 years as executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Dennis Parker is retiring after six years as executive director of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.

Deborah Rutter will step down at the end of 2025 after 11 years as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Kenneth Sigmon Jr., vice chancellor for university advancement at North Carolina A&T State University and president of the Foundation for North Carolina A&T State University, has retired after 10 years at the historically Black institution.

Legacy

Cecile Richards, who served as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund from 2006 until 2018, died on January 20 from brain cancer. She was 67.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.