The Nathan Cummings Foundation Taps Sharon Alpert as Next President and CEO

 

A seasoned philanthropic leader, Sharon is currently the vice president for programs and strategic initiatives at the Surdna Foundation, a 100‐year‐old family foundation focused on fostering just and sustainable communities throughout the United States. In this role, Sharon works alongside Surdna’s president and vice president of finance to oversee all operations of the nearly $1 billion organization. She was the lead architect of Surdna’s first strategic plan, which created a deeper culture of collaboration both internally and externally. Under Sharon’s leadership, Surdna refreshed strategies across all of its programs, redesigned its office of grants management and launched a new communications department. She also created and drove new board initiatives to transform program oversight and expand mission‐related investing.  

 

Sharon has more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of inequality and environmental issues. Having spent more than a decade with the Surdna Foundation, Sharon also brings with her deep experience working with a multi-generational family dedicated to social justice. Her service at the Surdna Foundation was defined by her commitment to collaboration, innovation, and creating a culture of learning.

 

“In our search for a President and CEO, we looked for a leader who will foster a culture of collaboration, advance our strategic direction, and reflect a personal passion for our mission,” said Adam Cummings, chair of the Nathan Cummings Foundation’s Board of Directors. “In Sharon, we found all three. Her decades of experience, keen focus on creative and collaborative philanthropy and excellent management abilities will move the foundation forward into the next phase of our work.”

 

Sharon holds both a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in agricultural, resource and managerial economics from Cornell University.