Smithsonian Institution Brings in Former CIA Executive as Deputy Secretary and COO (Transitions)

Smithsonian Institution

Meroe Park has been hired as deputy secretary and chief operating officer, beginning January 27.

She spent 27 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, rising to become executive director and chief operating officer before leaving in 2017. Most recently she was executive vice president of the Partnership for Public Service.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Robert Greenstein, founder and president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will step down on December 31, 2020. He has guided the organization for nearly 40 years.

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

José Domínguez, director of development partnerships for the mid-Atlantic region at the League of Conservation Voters and a fellowship coach at the Obama Foundation, has been named vice president and chief operating officer, a newly created position.

Read more about recent staff changes at the philanthropy group.

Save the Children U.S.

Janti Soeripto will now become president and CEO. She joined the global humanitarian organization in June as president and chief operating officer.

Soeripto succeeds Carolyn Miles, who is leaving after 22 years, including eight years in the top role.

More New CEOs

Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of 22nd Century Group and a professor of business at the College of William and Mary, has been named president and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He follows Mitchell Reiss, who stepped down in October after five years at the helm.

Ellen LaPointe, president and CEO of Northern California Grantmakers, is departing to become CEO of Fenway Health on March 9.

Peter Juma Lugendo will now be president and chief operating officer of KickStart International. He has worked for the global antipoverty organization since 2003, most recently as director of finance, IT, and supply chain.

Jocelynne Rainey, chief administrative officer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, has been tapped as president and CEO of Getting Out and Staying Out, which serves formerly incarcerated people in New York.

Elizabeth (Biz) Voudouris, executive vice president of Business Volunteers Unlimited, has been promoted to president. She succeeds Brian Broadbent, president and CEO of the volunteering group since 2005. Voudouris will also become CEO upon Broadbent’s retirement in the spring of 2021.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

The $8.9 billion community foundation has announced three senior appointments.

Stuart Burden has been promoted to vice president of corporate and foundation relations. Previously he was vice president of corporate responsibility.

Jessica Weare, philanthropy and civic-engagement manager at Microsoft, is now vice president of corporate responsibility.

Therese Wilson has become executive vice president of donor engagement and corporate responsibility, as well as chief of staff. She joined the foundation in February as interim vice president of human resources.

Other Notable Appointments

Kate Bukowski, a former director of corporate relations at the Democratic Governors Association, will now serve as chief development officer of the National Governors Association, a bipartisan association of the 55 governors of states and territories.

Matthew Carr, director of evaluation at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, will now serve as the strategy, learning, and evaluation director at the Walton Family Foundation.

Patrick Canagasingham, CEO of the Canadian charity Children Believe, will join Habitat for Humanity International as chief operating officer in March.

Doug Harrell, university controller and vice president of finance at Tulane University, has been appointed deputy director for finance and administration at the New Orleans Museum of Art. He succeeds Gail Asprodites, who has retired after 13 years in the role.

Clarence (Tres) Mullis will begin serving as vice president for development, alumni, and parent relations at Gettysburg College on February 24. Most recently, he was executive director of university development at Washington and Lee University.

Rochelle Williams, project director and co-principal investigator for the Advance Resource Coordination Network at the Association for Women in Science, has been appointed senior director of programs at the National Society of Black Engineers.

Departures

Ben Francisco Maulbeck will step down as president of Funders for LGBTQ Issues this summer. He has led the group for seven years.

Carla Monroe-Posey, executive director of St. Vincent Home for Children since 2014, will retire early in the new year.

Legacies

Charline McCombs, a San Antonio philanthropist, died on December 12 at age 91. With her husband, Red McCombs, their family has given more than $125 million to civic causes in Texas. Red McCombs is the billionaire founder of Clear Channel Communications and the former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Vikings professional sports teams. The couple was married for nearly 70 years.

Send an email to people@philanthropy.com.

M.J. Prest has been writing about major gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004. Email M.J.