From Gail Mukaihata Hannemann, Board Chair of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum: “Kathy Ko Chin’s appointment to the Board of Trustees of The Kresge Foundation demonstrates how she and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum are leading voices in national health conversations. The APIAHF Board applauds Kathy for taking on this role and believes that with her experience and expertise, she will be a source of keen insight and valuable advice to an organization working to make crucial social investments invest in urban communities and support individuals and families. We also thank our founding Board member, Irene Hirano Inouye, for her service to The Kresge Foundation, as she steps down from that position, and to the nation.”
Kathy Ko Chin and Cecilia Muñoz Appointed to Kresge Foundation Board of Trustees
Irene Hirano Inouye, Lee Bollinger complete board service after 16 years
June 8, 2017 [DETROIT] – The Kresge Foundation Board of Trustees has appointed Kathy Ko Chin and Cecilia Muñoz to serve as trustees on the 12-member governing body for the private, national foundation that works to expand opportunity for people living in America’s cities. “Both Kathy and Cecilia have made it their life’s work to find solutions to the most pressing challenges affecting our democracy and the people most impacted,” said Elaine D. Rosen, Kresge board chair. “Their unwavering commitment to these issues is uniquely aligned with the strategic direction of the foundation and we look forward to their added perspective and contribution to Kresge’s work.”
Kathy Ko Chin is president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, which influences policy, mobilizes communities and strengthens organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The daughter of immigrants from China, Ko Chin’s 40-year career has been committed to building community institutions that contribute to a just and multiracial society. Recognized as an authority on national health policy, she is a renowned voice for the Asian American community and served on President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She has served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, as well as leading and participating in the investment and financing committees for Blue Cross of California’s Investment in a Healthy California Program, the Cal-Mortgage program and Catholic Healthcare West. Ko Chin, a native of Cleveland, earned a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.
“I am honored and excited to join Cecilia Muñoz, whom I worked closely with when she was at the White House, on the Board of Trustees of The Kresge Foundation, an organization widely recognized for its keen insight into the complex issues facing low-income and minority communities,” Ko Chin said. “As communities grow and change, the Foundation’s efforts are even more relevant, and the road forward will require us all to be strategic, dynamic, and compassionate. I look forward to working with the entire board to expand opportunities for all individuals, families, and communities.”
Cecilia Muñoz is vice president of policy and technology and director of the national network at New America, a think tank and civic enterprise committed to renewing American politics, prosperity and purpose in the Digital Age. Previously she was the director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Obama from 2012 until 2017, and also served as the White House director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Muñoz is the daughter of immigrants from Bolivia. Prior to her work in government, she was senior vice president for the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Hispanic policy and advocacy organization. Muñoz was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2000 for her work on immigration and civil rights, and has served on the boards of the National Immigration Forum, the Open Society Institute and the Atlantic Philanthropies. A native of Detroit, she earned bachelor’s degrees in Latin American studies and English from the University of Michigan and earned a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
“During my three decades of policymaking, I have learned to value The Kresge Foundation for its thoughtful investments, its focus on results, and its leadership in the philanthropic world; it gives me great pride to join the foundation’s board at this important moment,” Muñoz said.
Ko Chin and Muñoz will each serve a 4-year term, at which time, per the foundation’s governance rules, their board service may be extended to a maximum of 16 years. Cynthia Kresge, a trustee and the great-granddaughter of founder Sebastian S. Kresge, led the trustee search process and evaluated dozens of individuals before successfully recommending Ko Chin and Muñoz to the full board for approval.
In addition, two longtime trustees, Irene Hirano Inouye and Lee Bollinger, have stepped down from their Kresge trustee positions after 16 years on the board. Hirano Inouye, president of the U.S.-Japan Council, joined the Kresge board in 2001 and served as board chair from 2004 through 2006. Bollinger, president of Columbia University, also was appointed as a trustee in June 2001. During his service, he co-chaired the 2006 search committee that led to the hiring of Kresge President and CEO, Rip Rapson.
“It is hard to consider our board without Irene and Lee,” said Rosen. “Irene’s knowledge has brought Kresge to the forefront of good governance, and her grace and leadership has raised our board discourse to a superior level. Lee is an inspirational thought leader who has helped us realize the true breadth of the foundation’s philanthropic potential,” she said.
The Kresge Foundation is a $3.5 billion private, national foundation that works to expand opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and community development in Detroit. In 2016, the Board of Trustees approved 474 grants totaling $141.5 million, and made 14 social investment commitments totaling $50.8 million. For more information, visit www.kresge.org.