The Fine Foundation announced that Susan Brownlee, the Foundation’s Executive Director, will retire at the end of November 2017. Ms. Brownlee will be succeeded by Kathy Lachenauer, currently Associate Dean for Advancement at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering.
Milton and Sheila Fine launched The Fine Foundation in 2007, and Ms. Brownlee has served as Executive Director since its inception. Ms. Brownlee will continue to serve as a member of the Fine Foundation’s board of directors. She is also a member of the board of directors of The Grable Foundation, where she previously served for a decade as Executive Director; the Staunton Farms Foundation; and the Eben Demarest Trust.
In commenting on Ms. Brownlee’s retirement, Milton Fine stated: “The Fine Foundation has benefitted greatly from Susan’s thoughtful leadership and the insights and passionate interest she has brought to the projects we have supported. Susan has been a wonderful partner and friend of our family, and we thank her for her impactful guidance over the past decade.”
In her current position at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Lachenauer has led alumni engagement and philanthropy for the University’s largest and oldest College. Ms. Lachenauer previously served as Executive Director of Family House, a community-based nonprofit providing affordable housing to patients and families who have traveled to Pittsburgh for medical care. Prior to Family House, Ms. Lachenauer held a series of positions with Carnegie Mellon, including Associate Vice President for University Advancement, where she oversaw budgeting and planning for a 200-person division responsible for private philanthropy, marketing, and alumni relations. Ms. Lachenauer received her B.A. and M.B.A degrees from Stanford University with a focus on nonprofit finance, marketing, and administration.
In welcoming Ms. Lachenauer to her new position, Sheila Fine stated: “Milt and I are enormously pleased that Kathy will be joining us to lead our charitable programs. We know firsthand Kathy’s sophisticated intelligence, creativity, and enthusiasm, having worked with her fashioning grants for innovative programs at Carnegie Mellon. We appreciate the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that Kathy will bring to the Foundation.”
The Fine Foundation is a family foundation that supports projects primarily in the Pittsburgh region in arts and culture, Jewish life, and science and medicine. Since its founding in 2007, the Foundation has provided more than $30 million in grants.