MIAMI, Feb. 5, 2004 – After 13 years at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Vice President and Chief Program Officer Penelope McPhee is leaving to take a position as the president of an Atlanta-based foundation that funds programs in Georgia, South Carolina, Montana and Arizona.
McPhee will assume her new post at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in April. As the foundation’s president, McPhee will direct the implementation of the foundation’s strategic plan, which will focus its grant making and other resources on promoting positive change in people’s lives and building and improving the communities in which they live.
“The Blank Family Foundation could not have found a person better-suited for the mission of their foundation. Penny’s depth of experience and commitment to the field, her brilliant power of analysis and organization, and her strategic thinking skills make her a perfect fit. The Knight Foundation hates to lose her, but I couldn’t think of a better place for her to be going,” said Hodding Carter III, president and CEO of Knight Foundation.
McPhee’s departure marks the end of a distinguished career at Knight. A national leader in the arts, she joined the foundation in 1990 and helped launch the national Arts and Culture Program. She became vice president and chief program officer in September 1996.
As Knight’s chief program officer, McPhee has directed an annual payout of $90 million and managed a staff of 25. In this capacity, she helped lead the foundation through its recent strategic planning process that resulted in its three successful programs: Journalism Initiatives; the Community Partners Program, which funds non profits in 26 U.S. communities; and the National Venture Fund, an initiative that funds innovative leadership and organizations that integrate their contributions into our programs nationally and in the Knight communities.
“I’ve been privileged to be part of Knight Foundation’s important mission over the last 13 years, working with an incredibly talented staff and committed board of trustees to fulfill the Knight brothers’ aspirations,” McPhee said. “The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is poised to make a significant impact on communities and on philanthropy. I share its goals and values, so I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the family and staff to make a difference in people’s lives.”
McPhee came to Knight after a successful career as an author and television producer. Her television programs have won five Emmys, as well as prestigious awards from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Association of Television Program Executives. For seven years she was on the staff of WPBT, Miami’s public broadcasting station, where she launched its cultural affairs department and served as executive producer of cultural programming.
“Penny’s social and cultural awareness, her involvement in community development and her ‘heart’ for a broad variety of societal issues equip her well for the work and future direction of our Foundation,” said Arthur M. Blank, chairman of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “My family and I, as well as our foundation staff, are excited about the future direction of the foundation, and we look forward to working with Penny in bringing our plans to fruition and beyond.”
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.