Thomas C. Kiernan to Succeed Lewis M. Feldstein in June 2010

 
Concord, NH – The Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announced today that it has named Thomas C. Kiernan of Arlington, Virginia to the position of President.  Kiernan will succeed Lewis M. Feldstein, who has led the Foundation since 1986, when he retires in June 2010. Kiernan’s appointment follows an extensive national search begun by the Board of Directors last July.

“The most important step we took early in this search was to solicit input from scores of Foundation friends as to the most important qualities for our next President,” said James W. Varnum of Etna, who chairs the Board of Directors and the executive search committee. “Among the attributes identified were extensive management experience, an ability to articulate and engage people in the vision of the organization, and excellent listening and consensus building skills.  In Tom Kiernan we have found a leader who has proven himself in each of these areas and more. Tom has strong connections in New Hampshire and he understands the unique characteristics of our state.  We are delighted to welcome him and his wife Kathy back.”  

Thomas C. Kiernan has 25 years of national and state leadership experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.  Since 1998 he has served as President of the National Parks Conservation Association, a 90-year-old organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 24 field offices and 165 employees around the country.  He served as Executive Vice President and President of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire from 1994-1998 and worked previously as a Deputy Assistant Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency, Principal of E3 Ventures, and a Senior Management Consultant with Arthur Andersen and Company.  He has chaired numerous state and national commissions and coalitions. Kiernan received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Computer Modeling from Dartmouth College and his MBA with an emphasis in Public Sector Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

“I am deeply honored to be joining the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s team of boards, staff, donors and partners,” Kiernan said.  “The Foundation, under Lew Feldstein’s extraordinary leadership these last 24 years, has become a purposeful leader and supporter of community life in the state.  While I have very much enjoyed working in our nation’s capital these last 12 years, my family and I have longed to return to New Hampshire with its strong tradition of civic engagement.  So it is with great enthusiasm that we return to a state that I love and a mission that is ever more important.”

Lew Feldstein said, “Leaving an organization, colleagues and work that I love has been made much easier by the appointment of a successor with the integrity, the talent and the leadership of Tom Kiernan.” During Feldstein’s tenure, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has become one of the largest and best known community foundations in America. Charitable assets have grown from $25 million in 1986 to over $400 million in 2010.  Feldstein is frequently cited as among the most influential people in the state and has been named among the top 50 nonprofit leaders in the country.

The Foundation will honor Lew Feldstein and welcome Tom Kiernan at its 2010 annual meeting on Tuesday, June 15 in Manchester. The public is invited to attend.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation serves communities throughout New Hampshire, southeastern Maine and eastern Vermont. The Foundation manages a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and corporations, and awards more than $30 million annually in grants and scholarships. The Charitable Foundation is nonpartisan, frequently playing the role of convener and catalyst on a broad spectrum of issues. Based in Concord, the Charitable Foundation roots itself in the communities through regional advisory boards. More information is available at www.nhcf.org or by calling 603-225-6641.