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Board of Trustees announces a strategic transition

Lawrence J. Burns, president & CEO of The Children’s Foundation, has shared his plans to leave The Foundation at the end of 2022, focusing on the next chapter of his career which includes consulting. Larry has served at The Foundation since 2016, providing transformational leadership to redefine The Foundation.

He has overseen more than $40 million in grants in his time at The Foundation, helping to grow its list of community partners from only a handful to more than 140. The impact he has helped create under his leadership is profound and will affect the lives of children and families for generations to come.

In 2021, The Children’s Foundation Board of Directors adopted its three-year strategic plan, which includes eight strategic initiatives to continue The Foundation on its road of success. One of these initiatives includes looking ahead to the next generation of leadership, preparing The Foundation well for this transition.

“We will always be grateful for Larry’s vision and commitment, and look forward to continuing to learn from him and have him as part of our team as an ambassador,” stated the Board in a letter to the community.

“These last six years have been the most rewarding of my career,” Larry shared. “The Board has been supportive of our re-pivoting into a community-based foundation for children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. The future of The Children’s Foundation is extremely bright”.

To find the best possible successor to Larry’s work, Board Chair Luanne Thomas Ewald has created an executive search committee and is engaged with a national search firm, Witt Kieffer. Please email childrensfoundationceo@wittkieffer.com with any suggestions or input.

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