What's New

Dear Colleagues:

As we begin the New Year, I am excited to be assuming a new role at the Surdna Foundation, as the Senior Director of Programs and Strategy, overseeing the program side of the Foundation and working closely with our President and Chief Financial Officer on the strategic direction for the Foundation (for more information click here).

I joined Surdna almost seven years ago and have been privileged to lead the Sustainable Environments program for the past three years, building on the accomplishments of the foundation in the areas of climate change, transportation, and smart growth and initiating new work around the green economy.  In this new capacity, I will be working more broadly to enhance the overall impact of the Foundation's programs, ensuring that they collectively further our mission to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States and national action on sustainability.  I'm thrilled to be taking up the challenge and thankful for the support of staff and Board in the next phase of our work together.

My promotion will lead to a change in leadership of the Sustainable Environments program, not in the program's overall vision. The Board recently affirmed its commitment to the program's goal of improving people's lives through investing in innovative solutions to environmental problems and to our three program priorities.  During the transition, while we are searching for a new Director, I will still oversee the program, but will be increasingly relying on my incredible team in the Sustainable Environments program - led by Helen Chin, along with Beth Herz and Amara Foster.  In addition, we will be working closely with a consulting team that will provide portfolio assistance to ensure there is enough capacity to support our grantees and respond to developments in the field.  The search for a new Director will be underway shortly; we will share a position description with all of you and hope that you will help us identify strong candidates.

I am also particularly grateful for the relationships I have built with all of you and proud of our work to demonstrate the interconnections between the environment, the economy, and social equity. You have stretched my thinking and help shed light on exciting new areas of opportunity for the foundation and I will be counting on that continuing moving forward.

I look forward to working together in my new role.  Please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email if you have any questions.

All my best,

Sharon