BUSINESS PEOPLE

Foundation promotes key staff members

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation recently announced the promotion of eight staff members. “These new roles will play an integral part in our work moving forward, implementing our new strategic plan,” said Sharon L. Davies, president and CEO.

■ Tayo Clyburn, chief strategy officer and senior adviser to the president, will serve as a guide and resource to staff in carrying out the foundation’s new strategic plan. He will work across the senior team and program leadership to identify strategic opportunities to innovate and create change through the foundation’s programs.

■ Damien Conners, senior program officer for defending inclusive democracy, will lead and carry out programs and projects that defend inclusive democracy and strengthen the public’s commitment to democracy, increasing its ability to recognize antidemocratic threats and its willingness to act in democracy’s defense.

■ Sarah Dahm, strategic project manager, will plan and direct project schedules and budgets and identify risks and resolutions. This involves advancing internaland external-facing projects and programs including DEI initiatives.

■ Elizabeth Gish, senior program officer for democracy and community, will lead and carry out programs that help create inclusive communities where everyone can participate in shaping their future. She will be engaged in the Dayton community, as well as other communities, with a focus on amplifying voices, promoting mutuality, encouraging collective action and enhancing and deepening democratic engagement with an eye toward justice, inclusion and equity.

■ Mindy LaBreck, vice president for people and culture, will provide leadership for organizational effectiveness and culture, talent development and advancing an inclusive and equitable organizational culture that innovates for democracy. She will also provide leadership for the development and administration of personnel policies and benefits; adoption of information technologies; talent recruitment, development and assessment and facilities management for the Dayton campus.

■ Valerie Lemmie, senior adviser for state and local government, brings a wealth of experience as an appointed official in state and local government along with years of experience as director of exploratory research at the foundation. A pracademic and proven leader, Lemmie will advise and collaborate with staff and affinity organizations to make threats to democracy visible through government actions, holding public officials accountable to the public and support critical democracy-building efforts locally and statewide.

■ Alex Lovit, senior program officer and historian, will focus on analysis of threats to democracy and providing historical context on these topics. He will work closely with communications and the five program areas as a historical consultant and will publish in a variety of mediums.

■ Sarah Murphy, communications manager, will manage communications work for external audiences across mediums and platforms, including maintaining knowledge of and an understanding of the status of all communications projects. She will play a key role in increasing the visibility of the work of the foundation.

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research.