Foundation President Howe Returns to Academic World After 13 Years PDF Print E-mail
Legacy of growth, serving diversity, community leadership


October 17, 2006 - Oakland, CA – Michael M. Howe -- whose 13-year Presidency of the East Bay Community Foundation led to its financial and grantmaking growth, a re-orientation to serve the East Bay’s growing ethnic diversity, and increasing engagement to solve community problems – announced his departure today in order to return to academic life.


Howe, 66, said that he had been discussing his departure plans with the Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff over the past year, and that he will return to academia to bring together a national professional organization with a highly respected university, as well as to teach.


Howe will step down Oct. 31, but will remain as President Emeritus through the end of 2006 to provide continuity while the Board of Directors searches for his successor.


“I’m not sure there is any individual in the Bay Area’s philanthropic sector with a track record of success over a long period of time matching Mike Howe’s,” said James P. King, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “I know Mike is looking forward to the next stage of his career, and so we’re fortunate he’s agreed to devote part of his time to ensure the Foundation continues its growth and success during the transition period.”


King said the Foundation’s Board has formed a committee to oversee the selection of a new chief executive and to ensure an orderly transition.


He also said that long-time Board member Karen Stevenson will take a leave of absence from the Board to serve as interim President. A former Vice-Chair and Secretary of the Board, Stevenson has also served on the Board’s Executive, Governance, Finance, Community Investment, and Equity & Inclusion committees.


Stevenson has extensive management experience, both in the corporate and non-profit sectors. A lawyer for more than 25 years, she most recently served as Chief Legal Officer of Knight Ridder, overseeing the merger of the company that closed in June.


During Howe’s tenure, the Foundation’s charitable assets under management soared from $17 million to over $260 million and annual grantmaking increased from less than $1 million to $22 million annually, propelling it onto the list of America’s 50 largest community foundations.


But Howe emphasized yesterday that he was proudest of his accomplishments focusing the Foundation’s “community leadership.”


“I take great satisfaction in the Foundation’s work engaging the public in thoughtful exploration of important issues and assembling resources -- social and financial -- to create real, achievable solutions to some of the most pressing problems in Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” he said. “This work has required the Foundation and its diverse stakeholders to take risks, take principled stands on contentious issues, to speak out, take action against injustice, and to act in concert with community partners to assure that the East Bay becomes a better and more nurturing place for children, youth and their families – a level of engagement often absent in philanthropy.”


“I’m particularly proud of reforming the Foundation into an institution that reflects – in the complexion of its staff, in its values and its priorities – the wonderful ethnic diversity of the East Bay.”


Howe said he was looking forward to returning to the academic world to continue this work on the national level and to share his experience with graduate students in order to put others on the path to careers of community service.


Before joining the East Bay Community Foundation in 1993, he was part of the team that launched the Marin Community Foundation. Before that, Howe was Associate Professor of Sociology and Founding Dean of the College of Professional Studies at the University of San Francisco.


Howe serves on the governing boards of numerous organizations dedicated to building networks to empower community residents and youth, including The John Gardner Center at Stanford University, the Coalition of Foundations for Youth and the Institute for Community Peace. He also helped lead the Council On Foundations’ recent effort to design and implement National Standards for community foundations.


In the state, he is one of the founders of the California League of Community Foundations and serves on the Board of Northern California Grantmakers. In the East Bay, he was a founding board member of the Oakland Child Health and Safety Initiative, the East Bay Public Corridor Safety Partnership and the Richmond Children’s Foundation. In 2003 Howe was honored as the Outstanding Foundation Professional at the annual National Philanthropy Day celebration.