Announcing Our New Executive Director, Leticia Peguero
January 2013
The Board of Directors of the Andrus Family Fund (AFF) and the Andrus Family Philanthropy Program (AFPP) is proud to announce the appointment of Leticia Peguero as its new Executive Director, effective February 18, 2013.
Ms. Peguero comes to us with over 18 years of experience in social justice programming and philanthropy work. She most recently served as Regional Vice President of the Posse Foundation, where she managed the organization’s sites in Los Angeles, Boston, New Orleans and Houston. Ms. Peguero replaces Steve “Kelly” Kelban, founding Executive Director of AFF and AFPP, who retired in October.
Prior to joining the Posse Foundation, Ms. Peguero was the Deputy Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships, where alongside the Local Funding Partnerships team she oversaw a $6.5 million portfolio that leveraged the power of partnerships by combining resources with local grantmakers to fund creative, pragmatic and community driven projects. Ms. Peguero’s extensive experience working in New York City’s non-profits includes her role as Manager of Community Relations for the YWCA of the City of New York and Associate Director of Adult Education at Planned Parenthood of New York City where she was responsible for designing, implementing and managing a program to train healthcare professionals in New York City and the Caribbean on how to integrate HIV prevention services into reproductive care in a culturally appropriate and relevant manner.
Ms. Peguero is a graduate of the National Urban Fellows, one of the country’s top leadership development programs. Ms. Peguero also works in her community, especially focusing her efforts on providing capacity and strategic advice to small organizations run by people of color in New York City. She is a Board member of the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault and co-chairs their fundraising committee. Ms. Peguero holds a B.A. from Fordham University and graduated with honors from the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College with a Masters in Public Administration.
Andrus Family Fund’s Mission Statement
The Andrus Family Fund, guided by the Transitions Framework and principles of racial equity, seeks to foster just and sustainable change in the United States. Specifically, we aspire to advance efforts leading to community reconciliation and improving outcomes for youth who are leaving the foster care system.
About the Andrus Family Fund and the Andrus Family Philanthropy Program
The Andrus Family's most prominent endeavor is the Surdna Foundation, established by family patriarch, John Emory Andrus, in 1917. Currently, the foundation has assets of more than $800 million and is among the dozen largest family foundations in the country. Surdna’s work is focused on fostering the development of just and sustainable communities across the United States.
In January 2000, the Board of Directors of the Surdna Foundation launched the Andrus Family Philanthropy Program (AFPP) to engage the more than 400 extended family members in philanthropy and public service. AFPP is an emerging alliance of programs that promote and develop meaningful opportunities for the entire Andrus family for public service, voluntarism, education, and training in philanthropy and non-profit work.
As part of AFPP, the Andrus Family Fund (AFF) was established to give fifth-generation family members ages 25-45 an opportunity to learn about and participate in organized philanthropy. While AFF is legally a fund of the Surdna Foundation, AFF defines and manages its own grant making program and process. Through AFF, a new generation of Andrus family philanthropists is identifying and implementing its own philanthropic vision.