Welcoming A New Group of Innovative Leaders to the Council's Board of Directors

The Council on Foundations today announced the appointment of four nonprofit leaders to its Board of Directors, as well as the renomination of two current members for a second term. New members include: Martha I. Jimenez, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The California Endowment; Brandee McHale, Head of Citi Community Investing and Development and President of the Citi Foundation; Jennifer Ford Reedy, President of the Bush Foundation; and Mai-Anh Tran, Chief Financial Officer of the Ford Foundation.

• Martha I. Jimenez has served as chief advisor to The Endowment’s President and CEO on legal, operational and governance matters since 2014 and will leverage her extensive policy and operational experience in the non-profit, public and philanthropic sectors in her new role as Board member.
• Brandee McHale brings more than three decades of experience in corporate citizenship and philanthropy to the Council Board, much of which has focused on building equitable and inclusive communities and creating economic opportunity for underserved communities around the world.
• Jennifer Ford Reedy, who has been President of the Bush Foundation since 2012, will employ her background in consulting and strategic leadership to guide the implementation of our new strategic direction over the coming years.
• Mai-Anh Tran’s background in the financial services sector and in not-for-profit financial management will inform her contributions to the Board as the Council and our members navigate the economic landscape of 2021 and beyond.

“It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we welcome our four new members to the board,” said Council President and CEO Kathleen Enright. “With their combined expertise, leadership abilities and diverse experience I’m confident that they will help guide the Council in the years ahead and support our efforts to help philanthropy be a trusted partner in advancing the greater good.”

The Board of Directors represents a broad range of industry professionals whose strategic vision and in-depth knowledge of philanthropy position the Council at the forefront of important and timely conversations within the sector. As we enter 2021, Board members will be integral to connecting the Council more deeply to our member community and advancing the Council’s impact across the country and around the world.

Board Chair Tonya Allen said, “As we embark on the first year of a new strategic direction, the Board, and these new members, will provide invaluable insight and thought partnership. I look forward to working with Martha, Brandee, Jennifer and Mai-Anh to make progress on the audacious goals of the philanthropic sector, including helping the country to rebuild in the wake of the recent crises.”

The four new members were nominated to the board, along with returning members Kathleen McLaughlin and Ridgway White, in October of 2020 and began their term in the new year. Council Board members may serve up to two terms of three years each.

In addition to the four new members, the Council is pleased to acknowledge our newly appointed Board Chair, Tonya Allen.  Allen brings with her over 20 years’ worth of accumulated knowledge and experience in the philanthropic sector. She is the newly appointed President of the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis, MN and outgoing President and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, where her dedication to uniting grantmaking with urban planning and education reform resulted in significant community growth and achievement in Detroit, Michigan.

Allen is joined by three other newly appointed officers, including: Vice Chair Peter Laugharn of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Secretary Brennan Gould of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and Treasurer Juan Martinez of the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation.

###

About the Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations exists to help philanthropy be a trusted partner in advancing the greater good. Building on our 70-year history, we are charting a course where funders earn and maintain the public's trust by advancing equity, operating with high integrity, collaborating on broadscale challenges and serving as ethical stewards. Learn more about the Council and becoming a member by visiting www.cof.org.