Don Chen Selected as the Surdna Foundation’s Next President

The Surdna Foundation has announced the selection of Don Chen as its third president. Chen is well known in the philanthropic sector as the director of the Ford Foundation’s U.S. States, Detroit and Just Cities & Regions Programs. He has been with the Ford Foundation for nearly 11 years, having joined in 2008 as a program officer. Before his long stint there, Chen had gained recognition as a founder, CEO and executive director of the housing, community and urban development coalition, Smart Growth America (SGA). He led the organization in its efforts to create healthier and more sustainable communities across the nation for almost nine years. With a master’s of environmental studies and urban environmental policy from Yale University, Chen’s career has always been highlighted by his focus on environmental and community health in the context of urban environments. His first job out of college was as a research director for the Surface Transportation Policy Project, which sought to show the ways in which transportation and land use policies affected communities. It was just after this that he co-founded SGA and rose to the national stage. Coincidentally, Surdna was an initial investor and provided core support for SGA in its earliest days.

Now, 18 years later, Chen is taking the helm of Surdna with a plethora of experience under his belt. In addition to his full-time career positions, he has also served on numerous organizations’ boards. These include the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, West Harlem Environmental Action, the Environmental Leadership Program, and Grist Magazine. Additionally, Chen has authored many widely-read articles and policy pieces on social equity, environmental policy, land use and transportation issues. The selection of Chen was “unanimous and enthusiastic” according to Surdna’s press release. The board chair, Peter Benedict II, conveyed this notion as well: “Don has the track record, experience and deep commitment to social justice values that we were looking for,” stated Benedict in the press release. “Don has collaborated with the foundation for over 20 years, first as a grantee and later as a peer funder. When the board met Don, his passion, purpose and authenticity were abundantly clear and magnetic. That is the kind of leader that we, and the world, need now.” Don Chen succeeds outgoing president, Phillip Henderson, who has presided over a period of growth and success at Surdna since he started in 2007.