The Ford Foundation recently announced the appointment of David Barth as the director of its Youth Opportunity and Learning program. Barth, a graduate of Boston University and the National Law Center at George Washington University, arrives at the Ford Foundation after 20 years of service at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). His most recent role at USAID was as mission director for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he led U.S. efforts in spurring economic development, enhancing social services and increasing political stability. His time at USAID also includes service as deputy chief of staff for USAID, acting deputy assistant administrator for Legislative and Public Affairs, and director of the Office of Education. His career work has had an emphasis on development and education for youth in conflict areas, particularly during his time as director of the Office of Middle East Programs and regional legal advisor for Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Morocco, and Lebanon. Barth is very well-recognized for his public service and altruism, having been the recipient of the Harold Shapiro Public Service Award, the tri-annual Silver Light Award for altruism and numerous commendations and awards for his service at USAID, including multiple Superior Honor Awards. The Ford Foundation welcomes his global-scale and multi-perspective expertise which it believes can be applied in the domestic setting to his role leading the Youth Opportunity and Learning Program in supporting and empowering historically marginalized youth. “We are thrilled that David is joining the Ford Foundation and continuing our robust history of working on education to strengthen youth outcomes and opportunities,” affirmed Darren Walker, president of the foundation. “In order to address inequality in a meaningful way, it is imperative to build and support the next generation of leaders and ensure pathways of success for all young adults.”
Rebecca C. Villarreal has been chosen as the Kresge Foundation’s newest program officer for its Education Program, which is committed to promoting access and increasing success of low-income, underrepresented and often first-generation higher education students. Villarreal joins the Kresge Foundation from the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities (APLU). The APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization focused on advancing the education efforts of public universities in North America. While at the APLU, Villarreal worked in project management in the Office of Urban Initiatives leading the execution and administration of grant funds to support project goals. Perhaps her most notable project was the managing of a $2.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research transformational change and increase student success at urban public research universities. Prior to her time at the APLU, Villarreal held a variety of teaching, administrative and research positions at the University of Maryland, the National Association of College Admission Counseling and Oakland University. Her educational background consists of a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Maryland. With a career and education that has been focused on improving and increasing access to higher education, Rebecca C. Villarreal is surely a fitting addition to the Kresge Foundation’s leadership. “Given her experience with public university systems and how they can better serve students, Rebecca is going to play a vital role in helping our team meet its goals of increasing the nation’s postsecondary attainment rate, advancing mobility, addressing economic inequality and strengthening urban communities,” stated William F.L. Moses, managing director of the Education Program. “Rebecca brings exactly the sort of evidence-based skills required to address these pressing challenges.”
The Board of Directors of the Grameen Foundation, a global anti-poverty nonprofit organization, has selected Steve Hollingworth as its next president and CEO. Hollingworth has extensive leadership experience as head of major organizations and projects, coming to the Grameen Foundation after serving as CEO of the chronic hunger and poverty-focused international nonprofit organization Freedom From Hunger since 2011. However, Hollingworth’s career is mostly defined by his work prior to Freedom From Hunger when he served for approximately 26 years with the global humanitarian agency Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE). For 22 of those years, he worked in the field and as a country director in dozens of countries across four continents. Subsequently, he progressed to become the chief operating officer (COO) of CARE. His educational background helped prepare him for his globe-spanning career. Hollingworth first went to college in Rock Island, Illinois, obtaining his bachelor’s in economics from Augustana College. He then travelled to study in the United Kingdom where he attended Victoria University in Manchester, earning his master’s in economics and development studies. Steve Hollingworth is considered a leading expert in international development and will be a crucial part of the Grameen Foundation’s future ambitions in the fight against poverty around the planet. Robert Eichfeld, Chairman of the Grameen Foundation Board of Directors expressed his support for the selection of Hollingworth, saying that he “has a passion for the mission of Grameen Foundation—to help the poor realize their potential to get out of poverty. He has world class experience in field operations around the globe and in senior management positions in NGOs that focus on the needs of the very poor.” Steve Hollingworth succeeds the Grameen Foundation’s founder and 18-year CEO Alex Counts.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust recently named Stephanie Cuskley as its new CEO. Cuskley has a varied background, working in banking, public service and philanthropy. She began her career as an investment banker with Drexel Burnham Lambert and then was hired as an executive vice president at Integrated Resources. She later moved on to JP Morgan Chase, working in high yield investment banking and becoming known for the development of LeadershipMorganChase, a company-wide effort which successfully made sweeping changes to company operations to foster a cooperative leadership culture which increased company productivity drastically. After her time at JP Morgan Chase, Cuskley moved into the public sector and served on the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues. Further moving into the social service sphere, she also served on the Resources Committee of the United Way of New York. Cuskley’s most recent position was in executive leadership as head of CEO of NPower, a national nonprofit focused on educational technology access and support. “Stephanie’s outstanding background in organizational development and management, combined with her strong commitment to public service, will be immensely beneficial to the ongoing development of the Trust,” said the trustees of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. Stephanie Cuskley succeeds John R. Ettinger, who has served as CEO of the Helmsley Charitable Trust since 2012 and overseen its organizational development and steady growth.
Chera D. Reid is the Kresge Foundation’s new director of strategic learning, research and evaluation. This new position signifies the foundation’s shifted focus to investment in learning. Reid previously served as a program officer for Kresge’s Education Program, making this new appointment a promotion from within. Reid earned her bachelor’s degree in English and African American Studies at the University of Virginia and then her master’s in higher education from the University of Michigan. She also went on to obtain a Ph.D. in higher education from New York University. She was recognized early on, receiving the K. Patricia Cross Award for Future Leaders in Higher Education from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Before her time at Kresge, Reid worked in program development for MDRC, a nonprofit and nonpartisan education and social policy research organization. She also was an educator, teaching at LaGuardia Community College and New York University. Reid has additional leadership experience from her time at New York Needs You and the Phillips Academy Institute for Recruitment of Teachers. She currently serves on the Postsecondary Access and Attainment steering committee at Grantmakers for Education and will continue to do so while performing her new duties at the Kresge Foundation. “Under Chera’s leadership, Kresge will boost its ability to understand and reflect on the implications of our work, as well as our commitment to learning hand-in-hand with our peers and partners,” said Ari Simon, Vice President, Chief Program and Strategy Officer.
