• Billie Blair's Resignation from SFCF

Brian Byrnes named President and CEO of Santa Fe Community Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2009
Contact: Jerry Jones, Chair
Phone: 670-4505

Brian Byrnes named President and CEO
of Santa Fe Community Foundation

Brian Byrnes, president and chief executive officer of the Vermont Community Foundation from 2003 to 2008, has been named president and chief executive officer of the Santa Fe Community Foundation.

Byrnes, who is currently interim executive director of the Chez Panisse Foundation, founded by celebrity chef Alice Waters, will begin his new duties December 31. He replaces Billie Blair, who announced her resignation as president in July. Blair and Byrnes will work together into mid-January to assure a smooth transition, announced Jerry Jones, chair of the Board of Directors.

The SFCF Board of Directors unanimously approved Byrnes’ selection on Monday following a local and national search that elicited more than 220 applications.

Jones said the Board selected Byrnes because of his record in Vermont where he grew assets from $70 million to close to $170 million in five years, instituted a new business model and tripled grant making, while creating long term social change.

“We believe Brian is the person to take the Foundation to the next level and are excited to have his family move to Santa Fe,” Jones said. “We thank Billie for her eight years of service, which tripled SFCF’s assets, doubled the number of funds and increased our leadership role in the community.”

Byrnes has been managing director of the Tides Foundation, deputy executive director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and education director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

He was a member of the Council on the Future of Vermont and held a gubernatorial appointment to the Vermont Human Rights Commission.

He has been active in the national Council on Foundations’ Community Foundation Leadership Team, and currently serves as chair of the Governance Committee of CFLeads: Community Foundations Leading Change.

Brian’s civic and volunteer activities include participation in and facilitation of visioning efforts in a variety of diverse geographic and affinity-based communities, both urban and rural. He has also served on numerous boards of community organizations, and on the Anti-Sexual Violence Partnership and the Addison County Poverty Task Force.

He has a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from St. Meinrad College in Indiana, did graduate studies in theology at the Aquinas Institute at St. Louis University and earned master’s degrees in music from the New England Conservatory and New York University.

Byrnes said he is attracted to Santa Fe because of its inspiring history of giving. “Philanthropy is an emotionally and spiritually satisfying part of life, and the Santa Fe Community Foundation has proven that it is a strong and effective hub of resources for nonprofits and donors. The opportunity to do good here is enormous,” Byrnes said.

Interviewed by the Santa Fe New Mexican this week, Byrnes said he is optimistic about giving. “The key is to view donors as people who have aspirations and dreams for their community,” he said. “The job of a community foundation is to help them realize those aspirations and dreams, help them learn about needs and help them lead by developing a philanthropic strategy.”

He also told The New Mexican that:
• Donors and nonprofits alike need to focus on impact and “how to help society continue to innovate with fewer resources.”
• The work of a community foundation is also to help the entire community of philanthropists, nonprofits, and community leaders come together to build a shared vision for the future

Byrnes has been partnered for 27 years to Bernard Schlager, Ph.D. Together they have three adopted children. Scott, 25, who lives in Vermont with his wife and infant son; Alan, 19, who is attending Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vt.; and Ned, 17, a high school junior, who will move to Santa Fe.

He was among four finalists for the position.

Since 1981, in partnership with the people of the area, the Santa Fe Community Foundation has helped local residents meet their charitable goals, made grants to vital community organizations, convened on issues of importance to the community and built assets of close to $30 million.

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