Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Names Four New Board Members

Group brings nationally recognized expertise in the arts, education and community relations

NEW YORK, February 9, 2004 – Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. today announced the election of four prominent nonprofit leaders and policymakers to its Board of Directors. The group further enhances the depth of the board’s experience in the arts, education and community relations. The announcement was made in New York City at the largest meeting of family and private foundations, the Council on Foundations’ Family Foundations Conference. Named to the Board of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors were:

• Steven A. Minter, past President, Cleveland Foundation and Executive-in-Residence, Cleveland State University;
• Abby M. O’Neill, past Chair, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Rockefeller Financial Services;
  Marnie S. Pillsbury, Executive Director of The David Rockefeller Fund; and
• Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and Chief Executive Officer, WETA

“These knowledgeable and talented individuals are joining us at a dynamic time in both our organization’s growth and in philanthropy in general,” said Eileen Rockefeller Growald, Chair of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. “Having access to their considerable wisdom will help us to bring critical insights to donors looking to achieve lasting impact on the most challenging issues of our time.”

Steven A. Minter has earned a national reputation for his ability to forge collaborative relationships among community entities, both on the national level and most notably, in Cleveland, Ohio. He currently serves as Executive in Residence at Cleveland State University, a post he assumed after his retirement as President and Executive Director of the Cleveland Foundation, the nation’s oldest and second-largest community foundation. During his 28-year tenure at the Foundation, Mr. Minter was deeply involved in Cleveland’s revitalization and in building a strong and vibrant local community.

Mr. Minter has also served on the boards of Community Foundations of America, the American Public Welfare Association; the Council on Foundations; The Foundation Center; Child Welfare League of America; and the National Community AIDS Partnership. He currently serves on the corporate boards of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and KeyCorp.

The eldest grandchild of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Abby M. O’Neill has held numerous leadership positions in the arts, education and financial services. She has led the boards of Rockefeller Financial Services, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Greenacre Foundation and Bradford College. She has also served as Vice Chair of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and as Trustee of the Asian Cultural Council. Ms. O’Neill currently serves as an Honorary Trustee of the Parent-Child Home Program of Nassau County; a Trustee of the Community Foundation of Oyster Bay; and the Youth & Family Counseling Agency of Oyster Bay.

Education and arts issues have been at the core of Marnie S. Pillsbury’s many philanthropy-related positions, which include her current roles as Executive Director of the David Rockefeller Fund, Trustee of the Stuart Family Foundation, and philanthropic advisor to David Rockefeller. Ms. Pillsbury is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the President’s Council for the International Women’s Health Coalition; the International Council for the Museum of Modern Art; and the Advisory Committee for the David Rockefeller Fellows Program at the New York City Partnership. She serves as a Trustee or Board member of Rockefeller University; World Learning Inc., and the Women’s Campaign Fund. A graduate of Wellesley College, Ms. Pillsbury also holds an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Sharon Percy Rockefeller has been president and CEO of WETA – Washington, D.C.’s flagship public television and radio stations – since 1989. Prior to assuming the CEO position, Ms. Rockefeller served on WETA’s Board of Trustees for seven years, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for 12 years, including four years as Chair. She has also held board positions at Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and the Smithsonian American Art Commission. Ms. Rockefeller currently serves on the Boards of PepsiCo, Sotheby’s and the Museum of Modern Art, and is a member of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery of Art and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Trustee of both The Phillips Collection and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. A graduate of Stanford University, Ms. Rockefeller is active in the fields of education, fine arts, government and women’s issues, and received the Charles Frankel Prize from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1994.

About Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is an independent, nonprofit service that develops and manages effective giving programs. Headquartered in New York City, it traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage philanthropy “as if it were a business.” He set the style of family giving by specifying that grants would be used “for the well-being of people throughout the world.” In the past decade, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has advised on and managed more than $850 million in annual giving to more than 40 countries. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors also includes The Philanthropic Collaborative, a donor-advised fund for international giving and special projects.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 9th, 2004 at 1:14 pm.