Skoll Foundation Promotes Marla Blow to CEO

Skoll Foundation

Marla Blow, president and chief operating officer, will become CEO of the $1.6 billion foundation on June 1. She has worked there since 2021.

Blow follows Don Gips, who will remain senior counselor at the grant maker, which was started by the billionaire Jeff Skoll.

Association of Fundraising Professionals

H. Art Taylor has been tapped as its next CEO. For the past 23 years, he has served as CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Taylor succeeds Mike Geiger, who is departing at the end of April after seven years at the helm.

Read more about Taylor’s new role in the Chronicle.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance

BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Bennett Weiner, executive vice president and chief operating officer, was promoted to president and CEO of the charity-watchdog group.

He joined the organization in 1980 when it was known as the Council of Better Business Bureaus before its 2001 merger with the National Charities Information Bureau.

Direct Relief

Direct Relief

Amy Weaver will become CEO of the humanitarian aid group on May 5. Currently she is president and chief financial officer at Salesforce.

Weaver will succeed Byron Scott, who has been its interim CEO since Thomas Tighe’s departure in December.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

A. Nicole (Nic) Campbell, general counsel, and Walter Sweet, senior vice president, have stepped up as interim co-CEOs and co-presidents.

They succeed Latanya Mapp Frett, who has led the group since 2023.

More New CEOs

Rachel Bender, chief program officer at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, will be its next executive director. She replaces Warren Scharf, who is retiring in June after 22 years as the leader of this group, which serves immigrants and low-income residents of New York’s Lenox Hill neighborhood.

Erica Bernal-Martinez has been promoted to CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. She has worked at the group since 1999 and most recently was chief operating officer of the NALEO Educational Fund.

Rebecca Brown, a human-rights lawyer and vice president of global advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, is the new president and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law.

Shonali Burke will start as managing director of the Pennsylvania theater People’s Light on June 1. She previously worked at Arena Stage in Washington, where she was chief marketing and strategy officer and vice president until last year.

John Paul Cerniglia will become president of SAT-7 USA, the fundraising and communications arm of the Christian media group SAT-7 International, on April 28. He previously served as senior vice president and chief development officer at Operation Mobilization USA.

Kyle Clifford will be promoted from chief development officer to CEO of Amfar, the Foundation for AIDS Research, effective January 1, 2026. He will succeed Kevin Robert Frost, who plans to retire at the end of the year after more than three decades there, including the past 18 as its leader.

Stephanie Doute, CEO of the League of Women Voters of California, has been tapped as CEO of Teach Democracy.

Shaneil Ealy will be the first executive director of the Women’s Leadership Network, in Arkansas. She has worked at the University of Central Arkansas for the past 20 years, most recently as associate vice president for its Division of Outreach and Community Engagement.

Hayley Eber will be the next executive director of the Van Alen Institute beginning in June. Currently she is the acting dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union. Eber follows Deborah Marton, who stepped down at the end of last year.

Chris Flaherty, former CEO of Clear Path for Veterans, is now CEO of Nation’s Finest, a nonprofit group that serves military veterans who are at risk of homelessness.

Tracy Canard Goodluck has been named executive director of the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute. Most recently she worked in the U.S. Department of the Interior as senior adviser to the assistant secretary for Indian affairs.

Justyna Gudzowska, a legal consultant and visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, has been named executive director of the Sentry, a watchdog group that monitors international conflicts for corruption and illicit finance.

Peter Hunt, director of operations at Valley Affordable Housing Corporation, has started as executive director of YouthBuild Boston.

Omar Ingram was promoted from co-executive director to executive director of the International Association of Blacks in Dance. He previously worked alongside Natasha Moreland Spears, who is departing.

Jeffrey Jiménez-Kurlander, learning and impact officer at the Surdna Foundation, has been appointed manager of strategic learning and evaluation at the Mellon Foundation.

Rowlands Kaotcha has been promoted from chief program officer to president and CEO of the Hunger Project. He has worked there for 23 years. In addition, Jenna Recuber was promoted from chief development and communications officer to deputy CEO.

John Morris, senior vice president at the Texas A&M Foundation, will become CEO and president of the University of Minnesota Foundation, starting May 1.

Ashley Occhino, executive director of the Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition, was named executive director of the Textile Society of America.

David Park has been promoted from senior vice president for strategy and communications to president of Learning Heroes. He will lead alongside Bibb Hubbard, who co-founded the education group in 2014 and will now serve as its CEO.

Adam Santalla Pierce, interim president of the Arts and Science Council since June, will remain at the helm permanently. He joined the supporting organization of Foundation for the Carolinas in 2017 and was most recently its vice president of community and artist support.

Melynda Burdette Wintrol, co-managing director of production and operations, has been promoted to managing director of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

Other Notable Appointments

Kristine Barras has been hired as development director at the Emily Whitehead Foundation, a nonprofit group that expands access to advanced cancer treatments such as cell and gene therapies. She was most recently director of partner development at the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia.

Sara Bolton was promoted from chief of staff to chief operating officer at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which has $1 billion in assets.

Michera Brooks, former executive director of Leadership ISD, was appointed chief of staff at the Jeremiah Program, which works to end generational poverty for single mothers and their children. In addition, Melea Nalli has joined the organization as chief operating officer. Previously she was assistant superintendent and interim co-superintendent of Portland Public Schools, in Maine.

Michelle Chamberlain was appointed vice president of external relations at the Salk Institute. Since 2008, she has worked at Claremont McKenna College where she was most recently dean of the Robert Day Scholars Program and vice president for advancement and student opportunities.

Nupur Chaudhury Goldson has joined the New York Community Trust as program director for Westchester County. Most recently she was a consultant to nonprofit groups, specializing in strategic advising and program management.

Zoe Costanzo has been tapped as chief development officer at the Museum of the City of New York. Most recently she was senior director of individual giving at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – a Living Memorial to the Holocaust.

Kyle Funakoshi, senior director of leadership giving at the National Park Foundation, will join the National Forest Foundation on April 16 as its inaugural chief advancement officer.

Wendy Lugo Gallegos, who retired after 31 years as a teacher in Florida’s Collier County Public Schools, was appointed director of program services at the Immokalee Foundation.

Robin Peterson Gibbs, executive director of family philanthropy at Brown University, will be the first chief philanthropy officer at Social Finance.

Solomon Greene has been named executive director of land and communities at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Until earlier this year, he was principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research.

Lisa Hanneman, development director at Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook, has been appointed chief development officer at Blessings in a Backpack.

Kim Harris, senior associate vice president for advancement and campaign director at Colgate University, has been promoted to vice president for advancement.

Tysus Jackson, program director for individual giving at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has been appointed chief development officer at the Apollo, the historically Black theater in Harlem. In addition, Joy Profet has been tapped as chief growth officer. Most recently she led product marketing for Amazon Prime Video Advertising’s Customer Experience.

George Kelemen, executive director of the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies, was hired as senior vice president of program partnerships, campaigns, and advocacy at Share Our Strength. In addition, Leah Ray has joined the poverty-relief organization as chief revenue officer. Most recently she was chief strategist for nonprofit and foundation clients at Social Capital.

Phyllis Kim, chief advancement officer at the KID Museum, has returned to WAMU as director of development. She previously worked at the public-media station from 2016 to 2020 as corporate and foundation relations officer.

Rasmia Kirmani, founder of the National Public Housing Network, is the new chief program officer for community safety at the Center for Justice Innovation.

Jennifer Carpenter Low has joined the Developmental Disabilities Institute as senior director of development and public affairs. Until last year, she was vice president of marketing and communications at United Way of Long Island.

David Lowing will be the first senior director of corporate and foundation relations at the BrightFocus Foundation, which raises money for research on Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Most recently he was chief institutional relations officer at Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation.

Jenny Mack has been hired as chief communications and marketing officer at the Waverley Street Foundation. Most recently she was head of brand and communications at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Tony Martinez Jr., president and CEO of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, has been hired as vice president of university advancement at Dominican University.

Bryan Matluk has been named major and planned giving officer at the Frances Perkins Center, the Maine monument to the first woman to hold a presidential cabinet position. Until last year, Matluk was director of development at the Boston Dance Theater.

Kelly Moody, a nonprofit consultant in fundraising strategy and donor engagement, is joining the J. Paul Getty Trust as vice president of development and institutional advancement.

Jaren Sorkow, California director of strategic partnerships at Build.org, has been hired as state director of the Children’s Defense Fund’s California office.

Jennifer Sorenson, director of development at Team Red, White, and Blue, has been hired as chief donor-engagement officer at Rise Against Hunger.

Steve Toal was promoted from chief development officer to executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer at the Deborah Hospital Foundation. He has worked there since 2011.

Melissa Wooten has been promoted from program officer to senior program officer at the William T. Grant Foundation. She will continue to oversee the William T. Grant Scholars and Mentoring programs.

David Zackon has been promoted to chief advancement officer at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He has worked at the humanitarian-aid organization for more than 18 years, most recently as executive director of global resource development.

Departures

Teri Hansen, president and CEO of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation since 2015, will retire once a successor has been named.

Keith Woods, chief diversity officer at NPR, will retire after 15 years at the public media organization. His last day will be May 2.

Legacies

Ted Comet died on March 19 at age 100. He spent his 75-year career working at a variety of Jewish communal organizations, including leadership roles at the American Zionist Youth Foundation, the Council of Jewish Federations, and the World Council of Jewish Communal Service. At the time of his death, he was on staff at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee as honorary associate executive vice president.

Marian (Cindy) Pritzker, a Chicago philanthropist and co-founder of the Hyatt Foundation, died on March 15 at age 101. Her late husband was Jay Pritker, who built Hyatt Hotels into a multinational chain. In 1979, the couple created the Pritzker Architecture Prize, a $100,000 award given annually through the Hyatt Foundation to honor lifetime achievement in architecture. Following her husband’s death in 1999, she gave $15 million to build the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

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