An experienced and mission-driven strategist
WATERBURY, CT -- The Leever Foundation is delighted to welcome Saran D. White as its inaugural Executive Director effective December 3, 2018. The Foundation is excited to announce that it was successful in its search for an exceptional professional to lead the organization into a new era of innovative grant making and community impact. “We are pleased to welcome Ms. White, an experienced and mission-driven strategist, who will lead the Foundation in its work creating opportunities for people, especially children, in greater Waterbury to fulfill their potential and become productive members of society,” said Andy Leever, Foundation President, and son of the Foundation’s founders Harold and Ruth Ann Leever. “We are confident that Ms. White’s twenty-plus years of experience strengthening the capacity of organizations and systems that increase equity, access and justice in under-resourced communities will benefit Waterbury’s children, youth and families.”
Ms. White notes that “It is an honor to work with the Board of Directors of The Leever Foundation and the greater Waterbury community to cultivate a new chapter for the Foundation that continues to achieve Harold and Ruth Ann Leever’s vision.” She has an impressive background in philanthropy, K-12 education, civic engagement and organizational effectiveness, and has worked with renowned nonprofits, foundations and thought leaders to effectively implement innovative strategies through collaborative projects and grantmaking.
Saran comes to Waterbury from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). In her position as the Washington, DC Program Director, she directs a multimillion-dollar grants portfolio that focuses on anti-poverty initiatives. Prior to CNCS, Saran directed strategic transformation projects for the DC public school system and served as the executive director of a family foundation working to improve the foster care system. Saran developed and led a groundbreaking, statewide civic engagement initiative in collaboration with the James Irvine Foundation in California.
An avid lifelong learner, Saran has completed several post-graduate fellowships, including the American Express Leadership Academy, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation entrepreneurship training and the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. Saran holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Administration degree from CUNY Baruch School of Public and International Affairs. Saran enjoys hiking, volunteering, black and white photography and exploring diverse cultures through music, food, and dance.
About the Leever Foundation
Harold and Ruth Ann Leever created the Leever Foundation in 1991 after decades of dedicated philanthropy. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for people, especially children, in greater Waterbury to fulfill their potential and become productive members of society. Harold and Ruth Ann were vibrant and passionate individuals, grounded by tradition and guided by intense curiosity; this curiosity, in concert with sparks ignited early on, inspired them to lead lives of creativity and innovation.
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Contacts:
Andy Leever
Lori Hart
The Leever Foundation
203-572-5975
Chair@LeeverFoundation.org
Website: www.leeverfoundation.org