The William Penn Foundation has announced that Kathryn J. Engebreston, its president since October 2001, has died of cancer.

As president of Philadelphia's largest regionally focused foundation, Engbreston, who was 48, led the implementation of the organization's new strategic plan. According to David Haas, chairman of the foundation's board of directors, Engebreston's proudest accomplishments included the foundation's efforts to advance Pennsylvania's economic competitiveness, develop plans to create world-class waterfronts along the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, advance early childhood policies in the state, and strengthen Philadelphia's cultural institutions.

"She brought a highly focused approach to the foundation's grantmaking, helping us to reach new levels of accountability," said Haas. "We are grateful to Kathy for all she did for our organization and this community, and we will honor her memory as the foundation continues to strive for a better region."

Prior to joining the foundation as president, Engebretson served as a member of its board of directors. Her career included stints as chief financial officer of BET Interactive, vice president for finance at the University of Pennsylvania, treasurer of the city of Philadelphia, a principal with Morgan Stanley, and vice president at Lehman Brothers. She was a gradate of Luther College, held an M.S. in statistics from the University of Minnesota, and earned M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

In January, the foundation announced that Feather O. Houstoun, also a former member of the foundation's board, would succeed Engebretson as president on March 1.