In early 2025, the Barr Foundation Board of Trustees announced that Jim Canales will conclude his tenure as President by the end of 2025, when he will continue as a trustee and step into a new leadership role as Chair of the Board.
Barr’s board has retained the global executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to partner with the Foundation on a national search for a new President. The board has constituted a Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Barbara Hostetter.
On March 21, 2025, the Search Committee released the position specification.
On August 13, 2025, the Board of Trustees announced that Ali Noorani will be the new president of the Barr Foundation. To learn more about Ali Noorani, please read our release in News + Insights.
To provide Barr’s next president with maximum flexibility, Barr has decided to defer the recruitment of a new Vice President for Strategy and Programs (to succeed Roger Nozaki, who stepped down from the position in May 2025, as we announced last Fall).
Mariella Puerto, Director of Barr’s Climate program, has assumed additional responsibilities as Interim Vice President for Strategy and Programs. We are grateful to Mariella for her willingness to step in to this important leadership role.
Read Jim’s reflections on his nearly 11-year tenure as president and trustee of the Barr Foundation.
