The Barr Foundation today announced the appointment of two new trustees: Dr. Karilyn Crockett, Professor of Urban History, Public Policy & Planning at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and Sam Gill, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation, beginning September 1st.
“As we work to understand the realities and possibilities of this moment and how Barr can best live its mission to invest in people and communities across our region, I am incredibly grateful these extraordinary leaders have agreed to serve on our board.” said Barr Foundation President and CEO, Ali Noorani.
“With extensive leadership experience in the nonprofit public sector, Karilyn understands like few others the needs, opportunities, and solutions that work for cities. And Sam,” Noorani continued, “based on his years of experience in the philanthropic sector, brings a perspective on what philanthropy has been and needs to be in order to meet the challenges that face all Americans.”
At MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Dr. Karilyn Crockett’s research focuses on large-scale land use changes in twentieth century American cities. Previously, Crockett served in a variety of leadership roles at the City of Boston—including, Director of Economic Policy & Research, Director of Small Business Development, and also the City’s first Chief of Equity. For nearly a decade, she led Multicultural Youth Tour of What’s Now (MYTOWN), an award-winning education and tourism organization that she founded. She holds a PhD from the American Studies program at Yale University, a Master of Science in Geography from the London School of Economics, and a Master of Arts and Religion from Yale Divinity School.
Based in New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii, The Doris Duke Foundation is a private foundation that seeks to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future through work across three areas: Arts & Culture, Nature, and Health & Well-being. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Gill served as senior vice president and chief program officer at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and as a vice president at Freedman Consulting, LLC.
Barr began expanding its board in 2017 with the appointment of Sue Tierney and Lee Pelton, who will conclude his service after nine years this August. Their addition was a first step in Barr’s planned evolution from a family philanthropy to a legacy foundation. Co-founder and then board chair, Barbara Hostetter, shared about this decision in this 2017 blog post. With Sam and Karilyn, Barr’s board will expand to ten trustees.
“Karilyn Crockett and Sam Gill will enrich the Barr Foundation with their considerable experience and shared commitment to Barr’s values”, said Jim Canales, Barr’s board chair. “As Ali Noorani leads the foundation in writing its next chapter, having Karilyn and Sam’s partnership on the board in the years ahead will help to expand our horizons and ensure that Barr is meeting its full promise.”
Canales added: “As we welcome our new trustees, we pay tribute to Lee Pelton, who has been an extraordinary partner to all of us since joining our board in 2017. His wide-ranging intellect combined with his humanity and values of service to others have been a gift to Barr. We are a better institution for his stewardship these past nine years.”
