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Wildlife Conservation Society Will Install New CEO in July

By  M.J. Prest
February 28, 2025
Adam Falk has been named the new President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Amanda Gentile
Adam Falk has been named the president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Adam Falk will become president and CEO of the conservation group on July 1.

He is currently the president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a $2.1 billion grant maker in New York.

Americans for the Arts

Erin Harkey will be the next CEO of the arts advocacy group, effective at the end of March.

She has served as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for the past eight years.

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation

Mandy Price has been named managing director of the global venture-philanthropy firm. She will be based in its Dallas office.

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Wildlife Conservation Society

Adam Falk will become president and CEO of the conservation group on July 1.

He is currently the president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a $2.1 billion grant maker in New York.

Americans for the Arts

Erin Harkey will be the next CEO of the arts advocacy group, effective at the end of March.

She has served as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for the past eight years.

Erin Harkey joins Americans for the Arts as its new CEO starting at the end of March 2025.
Americans for the Arts
Erin Harkey joins Americans for the Arts as its new CEO.

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation

Mandy Price has been named managing director of the global venture-philanthropy firm. She will be based in its Dallas office.

Price is the co-founder and CEO of the social enterprise Kanarys.

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Jennifer (J.R.) Littlejohn is joining the $8.5 billion foundation as vice president of environment and science.

A career foreign-service officer, Littlejohn was most recently acting assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Ryan Seacrest Foundation

Meredith Seacrest Leach, executive director and chief operating officer, has been promoted to CEO. The nonprofit was started by her brother, the radio and television host Ryan Seacrest, to create media-production studios for patients in pediatric hospitals.

In addition, Nicole Mead was promoted from vice president of business development and operations to senior vice president of operations, and Carin Zaleski has been hired as director of development. Most recently she was director of operations at Small Change Entertainment.

Mandy Price joins the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation as a Managing Director.
Lori Wilson
Mandy Price joins the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation as a managing director.

More New CEOs

Awo Ablo, executive vice president at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, is joining Co-Impact as its president for programs and strategy. She will work alongside its founder and CEO, Olivia Leland.

Jermaine Archer, a program associate for criminal-justice grant making at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, was appointed executive director of Rehabilitation Through the Arts. A former program participant there, he is the organization’s first formerly incarcerated leader.

Alexandra Bell has been named president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a policy organization founded by the physicists Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. Previously she was deputy assistant secretary for nuclear affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability.

Jason Bryant was promoted from director of programs to executive director of Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs, a nonprofit group that works to create employment options for previously incarcerated people.

Amy Celico, a partner and co-lead of the China practice at the global advisory firm DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, has been tapped as executive director of Schwarzman Scholars.

Eric Co has been promoted from vice president for resiliency to CEO of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, a Hawaii grant maker with $178 million in assets. He will lead alongside Alex Harris, who has been promoted from vice president of programs to president. They succeed Terry George, who will retire on July 1 after 22 years there.

Clayton De Fur has been promoted from senior adviser to executive director of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, a $23 million grant maker at the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

Sally Draper, senior vice president at Rosecrance Behavioral Health and executive director of the Rosecrance Foundation, has been hired as executive director of the National Anti-Vivisection Society. She will also serve as president and director of strategic partnerships at the International Foundation for Ethical Research.

Michael Fosina has been promoted from chief operating officer to president of Calvary Hospital. He succeeds Jeff Menkes, who has been its CEO since 2017.

Amy Gray, CEO of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network Foundation, is now president and CEO of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

Franklin Guerrero has been promoted to chief development officer and executive director of the Chapters Health Foundation. He was previously vice president of major and planned gifts at Capital Caring Health, an affiliate of Chapters Health.

Erica Hare will be promoted from chief finance and strategy officer to CEO of Aspire Living and Learning, a charity that offers support services to neurodivergent children and adults across New England. Her new role is effective July 1.

Traci Lester, a program consultant at the Hawthornden Foundation, is the new president of the Opportunity Agenda, which advances social-justice issues.

Melanie Markowicz will begin in March as executive director of Midtown Detroit, which leads community and economic development efforts in eight city neighborhoods. Currently she is executive director of the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership.

J.R. Littlejohn is joining the Packard Foundation as its new Vice President of Environment and Science.
Amanda Guslani, Packard Foundation
J.R. Littlejohn is joining the Packard Foundation as its new vice president of environment and science.

Christine Morin, chief operating officer at the Trustees of Reservations, has become CEO of Cradles to Crayons, which provides donated clothing and other necessities to children in need. She succeeds the charity’s founder and longtime CEO, Lynn Margherio.

Mary-Kate O’Hare will be the first woman to serve as executive director and CEO of the Bruce Museum, beginning on April 7. She is currently head of art advisory and director of Citi Private Bank Art Advisory.

Stephen Robert has been promoted from chief operations officer to president and CEO of the One More Child. He succeeds Jerry Haag, who will now serve as the CEO of the One More Child Foundation.

Jessica Salinas and Phillip Sanders have been promoted to serve as co-presidents of New Media Ventures and New Rising Ventures. They have been co-leads of New Media Ventures’ investment and portfolio management for the past four years.

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Tabinda Sarosh, interim CEO of Pathfinder International since July, will remain at the helm on a permanent basis. She was president of the humanitarian group’s work in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa from 2022 until last year.

Ian Shaw, a lawyer for commercial litigation, labor employment, and personal injury defense at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, has been named president of the Brewer Foundation, the charitable affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.

Shannon Sullivan, vice president of revenue strategy at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, has been named CEO of Teen Cancer America. She succeeds Simon Davies, who is retiring after 13 years as its executive director.

Shawn Thornton has been named president of Joni and Friends, a Christian group that serves people with disabilities. He is the senior pastor of Calvary Community Church, in Westlake Village, Calif.

Scott Wester, president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, will become president and CEO of Cottage Health on April 7. He will replace Ron Werft, who is retiring after 38 years at the nonprofit health-care system in Santa Barbara, Calif., including 25 years as its leader.

Dallas Foundation

The $596 million community foundation has named three new executives.

Ricky Garcia, former senior program manager of community services at the Charles Schwab Foundation, has been appointed senior director of strategic grantmaking and data.

Derek Klein is its new vice president of marketing. Most recently he was global digital marketing manager at Argon Medical Devices.

Dawn Townsend has been promoted from vice president of marketing and communications to vice president of programming.

Other Notable Appointments

Kelsey Andersen was promoted from manager of grants and information systems to director of grant-making effectiveness at the Arcus Foundation.

Alan Berube is now senior vice president at the Policy and Innovation Center. Most recently he was interim vice president and director of Brookings Metro, a division of the Brookings Institution that focuses on policy concerning the well-being of cities and regions.

Niko Campbell, director of advancement services at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, is now assistant vice president for advancement services and donor relations at Morgan State University. In addition, Chris Hartlove has joined the university’s institutional advancement team as associate vice president for fiscal operations. Previously he was chief financial officer for Baltimore County Public Schools and Carroll County Public Schools.

Christa Danilowicz has joined Housing Assistance as vice president of philanthropy. She was previously director of fundraising events and strategy at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

Jeffrey Gillooly has been appointed vice president for university advancement at Assumption University. Most recently he was chief of staff and senior executive director for board relations and volunteer engagement at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation.

Hana Greenberg, director of government affairs for the Target Corporation, has been appointed vice president of advocacy and public finance at Arnold Ventures.

Lauren Hall has been tapped as chief development officer at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Hall was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, and most recently she served as chief development officer at the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Kathleen Heckman, interim vice president for university advancement at the University at Buffalo for the past year, will remain in the post permanently.

Mike Krenn is joining the Conrad Prebys Foundation to manage the Prebys Venture Impact Fund, which will make $50 million in impact investments throughout the San Diego region. A technology entrepreneur, he was most recently CEO of Connect San Diego and the founder of Tech Coast Angels and EvoNexus.

Ben Leslie, chief development officer at Folds of Honor, is now chief development officer at the United Service Organizations.

Meredith Seacrest Leach has been promoted to executive director and CEO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
Ryan Seacrest Foundation
Meredith Seacrest Leach has been promoted to executive director and CEO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

Sean MacCready, executive director of scholar and donor services at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, has been hired as director of development at Engineering Tomorrow.

Autumn McDonald, a senior fellow at New America and head of New America CA, has been tapped as vice president of community investments and partnerships at the East Bay Community Foundation.

Leslie Pelton, vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, has joined the John A. Hartford Foundation as a senior program officer.

Gladys Reed has been tapped as chief philanthropy officer at United Way Miami. Most recently she was senior vice president and private client services manager at Ocean Bank.

Kent Spaulding, vice president of development and chief development officer at North Memorial Health, will start on April 7 as vice president of institutional advancement at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Amee Spondike, senior executive director for museum advancement at the Rhode Island School of Design, will start on April 1 as vice president for advancement of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Stephen Swanick has joined Abilities in Motion as executive vice president of growth and strategic initiatives. Most recently he was a business-development consultant for nonprofits in the Philadelphia area.

Jordan Tannenbaum, chief development officer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, has been hired as senior vice president of institutional advancement at Brandeis University. He graduated from the university in 1972.

Nora Trebbe Maroulis, director of campaign planning and partnership at Historic New England, was appointed chief advancement officer at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

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Departures

Khari Brown, president and CEO of Spark the Journey, is departing after 24 years at the youth-development group in Washington.

Gina Duncan will step down in June after three years as president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Mark George is leaving after 15 years as president and CEO of the Music Institute of Chicago. Sue Polutnik, vice president and chief operating officer, will step up as its interim leader.

Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch since 2023, has departed. Federico Borello, deputy executive director and chief programs officer, will serve as its interim leader while it searches for a permanent replacement.

Kris Lotlikar will step down as executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies on March 31. He will remain a member of its Board of Directors.

Marty Martinez, who has led Reach Out and Read for three years, will depart on March 24. Erin Henry, chief development officer, will serve as interim CEO during the literacy group’s search for a permanent successor.

Vanessa Reed, president and CEO of New Music USA since 2019, will leave on May 2 to become the first woman chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, in England.

Andrew Steer is stepping down after four years as president and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Executive LeadershipTransitions
M.J. Prest
M.J. Prest has been writing about major gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004.
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