California

The San Diego Foundation has appointed Kathlyn Mead as president and CEO. Mead previously served as chief operating officer of the California Endowment.

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has announced Erika K. Wood as its chief community impact officer and Manuel Santamaría as vice president of strategic initiatives and grantmaking.

Louisiana

The Greater New Orleans Foundation has announced that its second annual Pitch It! innovation challenge will open on July 28. With support from the Kresge Foundation and Chevron, GNOF will fund an innovative product, process, service, or approach that supports a new way of doing business for the organization and meets a need in the community. Organizations that apply by August 22 will be invited to pitch their idea on October 17. Cash prizes of $25,000, $7,500 and $5,000 will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners.

Michigan

The Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation, in partnership with PNC Bank, have announced that Re2Pect Your Community, a free event, will be held on July 30. Hosted by high school students from the Jeter's Leaders program as part of its bi-annual community service project week, the event is designed to inspire and empower residents to work together to improve the Kalamazoo community.

North Carolina

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation, a permanent endowment at the Foundation for the Carolinas, has announced grants totaling $360,000 to twenty-three organizations working to help children and youth in the county. Recipients include the Ada Jenkins Center, the Bell Foundation, the Bruce Irons Camp Fund, and Charlotte Speech and Hearing.

Ohio

The Columbus Foundation has announced that its Columbus Youth Foundation affiliate has awarded $30,000 in support of new recreation space at the Columbus Collegiate Academy, the flagship middle school of the United Schools Network. The grant will enable the academy to replace, refurbish, and realign blacktop into recreation space for CCA students and the public.

Texas

The Communities Foundation of Texas in Dallas has announced a gift of two premier restaurant spaces in the mixed-use Hall Arts development from entrepreneur Craig Hall. Monies derived as a result of the gift will be placed in a donor-advised fund that will help support arts groups in Dallas. State law restricts producers of wine sold in Texas from owning the premises where wine and other alcoholic beverages are sold at retail. Since the Halls are producers of premium wines from the Napa Valley and elsewhere, the donation to the community foundation complies with the appropriate laws while still providing for the development of needed restaurants in the arts district.