Dear friends,
On behalf of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation board of directors, it is my pleasure to announce that Shawn Morehead will be joining the Foundation as president and CEO on July 13. Shawn succeeds Dick Ober, who has so ably and admirably led the Foundation for the past 16 years.
Shawn currently serves as executive vice president and chief program officer at the New York Community Trust, the community foundation for New York City, Westchester and Long Island, which makes more than $200 million in grants annually. She has been with the Trust for 15 years.
Shawn was the board’s decisive choice among an outstanding pool of candidates after a comprehensive national search. She combines deep knowledge of community foundations with a sharp intellect and an engaging personality and leadership style. Shawn shares our commitment to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s purpose and values and our passion for the role of community foundations in advancing lasting, positive social change. She also has strong ties to New Hampshire. Her mother was raised in Dover, she attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and her parents now live in Laconia.
In her current role at the Trust, Shawn has overseen an annual $60 million grantmaking program and secured and led the distribution of a $35 million fund to improve public education. She has led collaborative philanthropic initiatives to support young immigrants and engage the public in government, and raised funds and led grantmaking for a $73 million COVID-19 relief fund. Shawn is widely respected for her ability to bring people with varied viewpoints together — from the public, private and philanthropic sectors — encouraging communication and building common ground.
Shawn will continue the tradition of excellence embodied by Dick Ober, who has served our Foundation so well and is viewed by his peers across the country as a leader in the field of community foundations. We will be forever grateful for Dick’s vision, determination and enduring optimism.
We hope you will join us at our Annual Meeting on June 11 in Manchester, when we will honor Dick and introduce Shawn. In the meantime, and on behalf of the entire Foundation community, thank you, Dick and welcome, Shawn!
Sincerely,
Joe Morone
Chair, Board of Directors
Read more about our next president and CEO in our press release.
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