MENLO PARK, Calif. – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has announced that its next board chair will be Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, who has served on the foundation’s board since 2003. Walter Hewlett, a member of the board since the foundation’s creation in 1966 and its chair since 1994, will remain on the board after the transition takes place in March 2014.
Dr. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the congressionally chartered National Academy of Sciences. As an independent, non-profit organization, the Institute of Medicine advises government agencies, health professionals and institutions, and the public on ways to improve health. Dr. Fineberg was dean of the Harvard School of Public Health and later provost of Harvard University. He serves on the boards of directors of a number of nonprofit organizations.
Mr. Hewlett noted that while he intends to stay on the Hewlett Foundation’s board for the foreseeable future, it is nevertheless extremely valuable for boards of directors to evolve and grow. “I’m so pleased that Harvey Fineberg has agreed to chair the board,” he said. “He is creative and visionary, and he has a deep understanding of how organizations work. This succession plan provides essential continuity for the foundation and helps ensure that its governance remains strong well into the future.”
“It is an honor to be asked to serve as chair of the Hewlett Foundation’s board,” said Dr. Fineberg. “Walter Hewlett has done an extraordinary job of leading the board and instilling the values of Bill and Flora Hewlett in the foundation. My goal is to do whatever I can to make sure that the Hewlett Foundation continues to tackle important problems facing society in a thoughtful and effective way.”
About The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. A full list of all the Hewlett Foundation’s grants can be found here.
Contact:
Eric Brown
Hewlett Foundation Director of Communications
650-234-4500 x5743
ebrown@hewlett.org