Ford Foundation Appoints Diane Samuels as Vice President for Talent and Human Resources
New York / 13 June 2019 — The Ford Foundation announced today that Diane Samuels will serve as vice president for Talent and Human Resources. Samuels was previously a director in the department and brings over 20 years of experience in the philanthropic, for-profit, and government sectors. She succeeds Samantha Gilbert who served as the foundation’s first vice president in this role—an appointment that signaled the organization’s deep commitment to staff and organizational development. Samuels will report directly to the president and serve as an officer of the board of trustees.
Prior to joining Ford, Samuels served as managing director of operations at the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. In that capacity, she oversaw human resources, strategic planning, and operational management for the build-out of offices in Albany and New York. She also held positions in human resource management at the Rockefeller Foundation for 13 years.
Samuels, who immigrated to the US from Jamaica in 2000, began her career in human resources working for Jamaica Broilers, one of the country’s largest employers...