It is an exciting time for RPA, with consistent growth in our global philanthropy, and we are confident in Berit and Heather’s ability to continue expanding our strategic offerings
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 26, 2014
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), one of the world’s leading nonprofit philanthropic consulting services, welcomes two new hires: Berit Ashla from the David Brower Center as Vice President for advisory services and Heather Grady as a Senior Fellow with a special focus on global philanthropy, both based in San Francisco.
“It is an exciting time for RPA, with consistent growth in our global philanthropy, and we are confident in Berit and Heather’s ability to continue expanding our strategic offerings,” said Melissa Berman, President and CEO of RPA. “I am looking forward to working with these talented experts to help donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy across the United States and worldwide.”
The two new hires are:
- Berit Ashla, Vice President: As former Executive Director of the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA, Berit will be based in San Francisco to oversee RPA’s West Coast-based advisory work and develop new donor relationships. She brings a wealth of experience in sustainability, foundation governance, and grant making. Prior to leading the David Brower Center, an innovative arts and sustainability center, she was the Philanthropic Director of Foundation Source, leading advisory services in the Western US. She also served as the Senior Advisor for Special Projects at Tides, leading their donor engagement and fund development activities. Berit has a B.A. from Amherst College and serves on the boards of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Abundance Foundation, the Nia Community Fund, and the Downtown Berkeley Association. She starts on September 15th.
- Heather Grady, Senior Fellow, Global Philanthropy: Heather will lead RPA’s strategy and program development in global philanthropy, including collaboratives, global programs, research, publications, and other initiatives to extend RPA's global impact. Before joining RPA, Heather helped launch the collaboration between the UN, Hilton, Ford, and MasterCard Foundations and the Foundation Center as a part of her efforts to accomplish the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, encouraging meaningful philanthropy. She was also Vice President of Foundation Initiatives at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she oversaw about $65 million annually in grants and program-related investments primarily in Asia, Africa, and the U.S. Prior to her role at the Rockefeller Foundation, Heather was the Managing Director of “Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative,” a partnership between with Columbia University, The Aspen Institute, and the International Council on Human Rights Policy. She has a B.A. from Smith College and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School at Harvard University, and has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia. She started on July 23rd.
RPA also continues to cultivate leaders from within by promoting two members of its current team— Chris Page and Mae Hong. Previously a Senior Vice President, Chris Page will unite and lead all of RPA’s donor services work as Executive Vice President. At the Chicago office, former Director Mae Hong will continue to build RPA’s presence in the Midwest now as Vice President.
About Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit organization that currently advises on and manages more than $200 million in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations, and major foundations. Continuing the Rockefeller family’s legacy of thoughtful, effective philanthropy, RPA remains at the forefront of philanthropic growth and innovation, with a diverse team led by experienced grantmakers with significant depth of knowledge across the spectrum of issue areas. Founded in 2002, RPA has grown into one of the world’s largest philanthropic service organizations and, as a whole, has facilitated more than $3 billion in grantmaking to nearly 70 countries. RPA also serves as a fiscal sponsor for more than 25 projects, providing governance, management and operational infrastructure to support their charitable purposes. For more information, please visit http://www.rockpa.org.
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