The New York City-based James Beard Foundation has announced the restructuring of its board of trustees as part of a reorganization it has been undergoing to strengthen its commitment to financial discipline, transparency, ethics, and good governance.

The organization, which is dedicated to furthering the practice and appreciation of the culinary arts, announced the election of Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder and CEO of the French Culinary Institute; Larry Stone, a master sommelier and a partner in Rubicon, a San Francisco restaurant; and Jason Wright, a senior vice president at Merrill Lynch to the board. The organization also announced that the remaining members of the board had agreed to step down. The new board members will recruit additional trustees who are representative of the organization's various constituencies, including corporate sponsors, chefs, restaurateurs, culinary industry leaders, the educational community, and the general public.

"The restructuring of the board demonstrates the commitment of both former and current board members to galvanize the foundation around its mission, objectives, and the values on which it was founded," said Beard Foundation executive director Edna Morris. "Whether we are coming or going, we are all committed to moving in the same positive direction."

Hamilton will act as president of the new board, whose members will serve on a voluntary basis for three-year terms with no financial compensation. "I sympathize with the burden that the former board had to bear after so many years of service and dedication to the foundation," said Stone. "But this point of departure allows us to move the foundation's restructuring forward in a way that makes it more accessible to all members and revitalizes the entire organization."