The Arizona Community Foundation announced that Steve Seleznow will retire from his role as President and CEO of Arizona’s statewide community foundation after 13 years of leadership. Seleznow has been a transformative CEO and will continue to lead ACF through March 31, 2023. The ACF Board of Directors selected Carlson Beck—a national executive search firm focused on philanthropy and nonprofit leadership recruiting—to lead the search for the foundation’s next CEO.
“Steve’s contributions to the growth and impact of the Arizona Community Foundation over the last 13 years have been extraordinary,” said Robbin Coulon, ACF Board Chair. “His shared commitment to improving lives for all who call Arizona home and his collaboration and leadership in the nonprofit sector have helped inspire a greater sense of community. We deeply appreciate all that Steve has done to advance ACF’s mission and brand during his tenure. He has positioned ACF for years of future success. The board and staff are especially grateful for his strong leadership throughout the pandemic during one of the most challenging periods in our history.”
Strength in ACF’s Leadership Position
During this time of CEO succession, ACF remains in a very strong position to successfully transition to new leadership. The organization’s assets under management have grown from $473 million in 2011 to over $1.4 billion in 2022. A large-scale technology transition was completed in 2021, replacing all legacy systems with best-in-class technology to improve overall operating performance and allowing the organization to better serve its donors and the community at large. Under Seleznow’s leadership, ACF created four successful loan programs, created the New Arizona Prize with four innovative prizes being awarded to address community challenges, developed the corporate philanthropy work at ACF to over 48 corporate clients, and started the Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy named in 2020 to honor philanthropists Marc Kellenberger and Richard Tollefson. Recent restructuring strengthened ACF’s ability to serve all communities across the state and provided opportunities to improve internal processes. During Seleznow’s tenure, ACF received 12 four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating for a charitable organization, and is certified in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
Finding ACF’s Next Leader
ACF’s Board of Directors is committed to finding the right leader to steward the organization into the decades ahead and advance its mission to improve lives through the power of philanthropy. Leezie Kim, Vice Chair of the Board, is leading the work with executive search firm Carlson Beck, in collaboration with a subcommittee of the board. The ACF CEO Search Committee includes the following members:
- Leezie Kim, Esq., Chief Legal Officer, Fox Restaurant Concepts LLC
- Robbin M. Coulon, Esq., Director of Legal Services, Area Agency on Aging Region One
- Shelley Cohn, Community and Arts Volunteer
- Eve Ross, J.D., Community Volunteer
- Heidi Jannenga, Chief Clinical Officer & Co-Founder, WebPT
- Charley Freericks, Senior Vice President, Catellus Development Corporation
- Javier Cárdenas, Director, Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center
- Richard Morrison, Chairman, Morrison Enterprises
- Christy Burton, Burton Family Foundation (Community Member)
Community partners and donors are invited to share their thoughts about potential candidates and capabilities by emailing the search team at ACFExecutiveSearch@carlsonbeck.com.
Established in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation is a statewide family of charitable funds supported by thousands of Arizonans. With five regional offices serving communities across Arizona, ACF is among the top 25 community foundations in the nation with more than $1 billion in trust and endowment assets, and is certified under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. Since inception, ACF and its affiliates have awarded more than $1 billion in grants, scholarships, and loans to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government agencies. More information is available at azfoundation.org.
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