We asked Kris Kaminishi to share a reflection from this past year’s Cabinet meetings. Kris has been a member since 2007 and has served on the Pooled Fund Grant, Partner Grant, and Member Engagement Committees. She also has served on the Inclusiveness Initiative and the Pooled Fund Grant Task Force.

What is Cabinet? Members sometimes ask with curiosity and intrigue! Cabinet consists of the committee leaders of our five operating committees. In 2019-20, the committees and their leadership included: Impact Assessment (IAC) leaders; Margit Rankin and Ginny Tretheway; Intersect leaders: Maura Fallon, Janet Frohnmayer and Patricia Keegan; Member Engagement (MEC) leaders: Denise Allan and Nancy Elliott; Partner Grant leaders: Amy Corey and Kay Stimson; and Pooled Fund Grant (PFGC) leaders: Lorraine del Prado, Aru Chandorkar, and Christine Atkins.

Cabinet members meet four times per year to discuss topics through the lenses of their individual committees. Often, one committee’s journey informs another’s and Cabinet becomes a forum for discussion. This past year, topics discussed included: Intersect Takeaways, Living our Values, Leading during COVID-19, and Leadership Transitions. One of the common recurring themes was working closer with and in community, which includes grantees, Intersect speakers, community partners, guest discussion leaders, and more. Every committee has been working towards the realization of Transforming Together (our strategic plan), and is committed to continuing to put the Foundation’s values into action through their work. Members will continue to lean into sharing power, embracing discomfort, and entering partnerships and conversations with a learning mindset. 

IAC incoming chair Ginny Tretheway shares her thoughts on Cabinet: 
“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to be part of Cabinet because it has added a layer of education and appreciation for the breadth and depth of our programs.  As we discuss our particular committee responsibilities, we can recognize intersections and opportunities to build upon the work of other committees. The better we get to know each other, the more effective we can be for the benefit of all of our members and our programs.”

Pooled Fund Grant Committee incoming chair, Aru Chandokar added:
“Instead of working in our own silos, Cabinet meetings give us an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the work done by all committees.”

Aviva Stampfer is the Cabinet’s staff partner and connection to the greater work of the Foundation.  Her creativity, organization, and knowledge fuel our work.  Beth McCaw joins every Cabinet meeting and provides timely updates on the Foundation and what’s on the horizon.  We so appreciate Beth and Aviva.

As the Cabinet Chair for the past two years, I’m honored to have served alongside so many amazing leaders who have become friends. The fabulous Christine Atkins will be the next Cabinet Chair, and she and I will co-lead until I term off in December 2020. The Cabinet Chair role comes with an ex-officio Board of Directors seat so Christine will assume her seat along with the rest of the incoming Board class in January 2021. I view our work at the Foundation as a marathon and, Christine, I hand the baton to you for the next leg of our journey! II know you will do an excellent job.

If you’re curious about what’s happening at Cabinet, I encourage you to ask your Committee Chair. It’s always something new and exciting. Thank you and have a wonderful summer!