The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has announced the promotion of FELICIA MADSEN to the position of communications director. Madsen has worked at the foundation since 2011 as a communications officer for its conservation and science program area. Earlier, she served as chief strategy officer and political director for San Francisco environmental nonprofit Save The Bay, and worked in Washington, D.C., and Chicago in a number of political and advocacy positions, including director of outreach for the U.S. Senate Budget Committee and as a community organizer for Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area (now Planned Parenthood Illinois). In addition, she currently serves on the board of Sacred Heart Community Services, an organization working to reduce poverty in the Silicon Valley.

The William and Flora Hewlitt Foundation has announced the appointment of TJ BLISS as program officer in its education area, where he will be responsible for the foundation's open educational resources (OER) grant program. Bliss most recently was director of assessment and accountability at the Idaho Department of Education and prior to that was an OER policy fellow at the International Association for K-12 Online Learning.

The Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation has announced the appointment of MOIRA FLAVIN as program officer. Flavin previously served as policy associate for early childhood education, education, and youth services at the Citizens' Committee for Children and participated in the Campaign for Children. Earlier, she worked at the New York City Administration for Children's Services, and served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member in Boston. 

The Heinz Endowments has announced that its president, GRANT OLIPHANT, was elected board chair of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, effective January 1, 2015. Oliphant, who was appointed president of the endowments this April, has been on CEP's board since 2012 and will succeed Greater Cincinnati Foundation president KATHY MERCHANT, who will continue to serve the organization as a board member. "It has been my pleasure, and a true learning journey, to serve as chair of CEP's board for the last three years," Merchant said. "CEP is truly fortunate to have Grant Oliphant, with his wealth of private and community foundation experience, as our next board chair."
 
The Ford Foundation has announced the election of PAULA MORENO to its board, as well as the appointment of KOFI APPENTENG as board chair. Moreno, a social justice pioneer who previously served as Colombia's minister of culture, founded and directs Manos Visibles, a nonprofit that promotes social inclusion and peace building in Colombia. Appenteng, a partner at Constant Capital (Ghana) Ltd., chairs the boards of the Africa-America Institute and the International Center for Transitional Justice and also serves on the board of the Instituto de Empresa Fund. A member of the Ford Foundation board since 2007, Appentang will succeed IRENE HIRANO INOUYE as chair.

The YMCA of the USA has announced that NEIL NICOLL, its president, will step down at the end of the year. Nicoll has led the organization since 2006 and prior to that worked in the YMCA system for forty-six years in executive roles in Seattle and the greater Boston and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. Nicoll got his start in the Y movement in 1968 as a program director at the Howard County branch of the YMCA of Greater Baltimore.

In other news, Barnard College has announced the appointment of six new board members: actor DYLAN McDERMOTT, executive coach and leadership development consultant TERRY NEWMANN, telecommunications executive ALLEN SALMASI, Warren Wilson College president STEVEN SOLNICK, Brazilian philanthropist CAROLINA STEINBRUCH, and renowned choreographer TWYLA THARP. Newmann and Tharp are alumnae of the college; McDermott, Salmasi, and Solnick are parents of Barnard students or alumnae.