The Opportunity of a Lifetime

On October 20, 2013, I first met Barbara and Amos Hostetter in Palo Alto, California. Through a mutual friend, we were introduced to compare notes on philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and board governance. I knew they had a search underway for a new president of the Barr Foundation, based in Boston, but that was not the focus of our conversation that sunny Sunday morning. As a devoted, lifetime Californian, fully engaged in leading the Irvine Foundation, the Barr opportunity wasn’t something I’d seriously entertained.

And yet.

I came away from our several hours together deeply moved by Barbara and Amos’ vision, commitment, and generosity, and I was inspired by the values that imbued their philanthropy. I walked away intrigued by the ways I might be of service as they sought to realize the full promise of their philanthropic vision. And I know they too came away interested in exploring these possibilities.

That initial meeting led to several others in Boston, and within a month, I was appointed the first president and first non-family trustee of the Barr Foundation, and my husband and I made the cross-country journey.

It’s hard to believe that eleven-plus years have now passed since that moment. As I prepare to hand the baton later this year to Barr’s next president, I do so with immense gratitude for the opportunity that Barbara and Amos offered to me; with great pride in a talented team of Barr colleagues from whom I have learned so much; with awe and reverence for the powerful and high-impact work of Barr’s partners whom we are privileged to support; and with great excitement for Barr’s next chapter, one that I will continue to be a part of as I assume the board chair role from Barbara.

I realize that stepping into the board chair role after serving as president is a unique opportunity, one that offers important continuity as we continue Barr’s journey from a family foundation to a legacy foundation, as Barbara and I have written about in the past.

This shift in my role will enable Barr to benefit from a new leader who can bring fresh thinking, new energy, and different perspectives to leading the Foundation’s day-to-day work. Enabling our new president’s success as they propel this organization into the future will be my primary purpose as volunteer board chair. And I will remain engaged in the years ahead as I devote additional time to my role as a managing director at Pilot House Associates, the Hostetter’s family office.

“This will be the opportunity of a lifetime for our next leader as all of the ingredients are in place: a strong board, a talented staff, core values that Barr embodies in our work each and every day, and focused strategies for impact.”

I have long believed that the mark of a successful leader is leaving a strong organization in a position for a successor to thrive and take it to the next level. Indeed, this will be the opportunity of a lifetime for our next leader as all of the ingredients are in place: a strong board, a talented staff, core values that Barr embodies in our work each and every day, and focused strategies for impact.

It has been such an honor to lead this organization since 2014, and I am excited to continue as president this year as we undertake the search for my successor. Throughout 2025, we will remain focused on our ambitious goals, with no intention to take the foot off of the pedal. We have much to do this year, and we will proceed with the same urgency and focus that typifies Barr’s approach.

These past eleven years of working in partnership with the Hostetters have been inspiring, energizing, and enjoyable, most of all because serving as Barr’s president affords the privilege of meeting and working with such extraordinary leaders in communities across our region. And it is the work of Barr’s partners that assures me that our future is bright, and that the years ahead hold even greater promise as we continue to realize the full ambition of Barr’s philanthropic purpose.