Last week, CEO Alicia Philipp announced her plans to retire from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta by the end of 2020 after 42 years of extraordinary service and leadership. The announcement was made during keynotes at National Philanthropy Day and at the Atlanta Regional Commission’s annual State of the Region event. The Foundation Board and staff have been preparing for this transition for a couple of years with a robust, engaging and collaborative journey through research, assessment, updated bylaws, strategic plans, corporate governance and committee charters.
 
The Foundation established a search committee earlier this year that created a comprehensive request for proposal process to source an executive search firm partner. The search committee invited proposals from a number of top executive search firms across the country, all known for their work with foundations and the broader nonprofit sector. From among the respondents, the search committee conducted interviews with five leading firms. BoardWalk Consulting was the committee’s unanimous choice to be the Foundation’s executive search partner.   
 
According to Bert Clark, chair of the CEO search committee, “The committee was especially impressed by BoardWalk’s deep experience with community foundations across the country, its nuanced understanding of iconic transitions, and its demonstrated commitment to metro Atlanta’s nonprofit sector.”   
 
John Reid, chair of the Foundation’s Board, noted “Our mandate to the search committee is to conduct a deliberate, comprehensive and creative process, one designed to surface the very best prospects to become what will be the fourth CEO the Community Foundation has ever had.”