Yale’s Law School Dean Will Be the Ford Foundation’s New President
Published in Chronicle of Philanthropy
By Alex Daniels
The Ford Foundation has named Heather Gerken, dean of Yale University Law School and a former Obama campaign adviser, as its next president.
Gerken, the law school’s first woman dean, will replace longtime president Darren Walker in November.
In addition to serving as an Obama campaign adviser in both the 2008 and 2012 elections, Gerken clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
Gerken is recognized as one of the country’s leading experts on constitutional law and election law. A founder of the “nationalist school” of federalism — which often emphasizes the importance of state sovereignty and the protection of state interests against potential overreach by the national government — she has focused her work on federalism, diversity, and dissent.
The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For nearly 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Learn more at www.fordfoundation.org.
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