The Youngstown Foundation is announcing the appointment of Lynnette H. Forde as its new president, effective immediately.
Forde was selected following an extensive national search after Executive Director Janice E. Strasfeld announced her plans to retire in July 2020 after 15 years of service.
“We had a pool of exceptional candidates, and Ms. Forde set herself apart with a mission-focused approach to organizational leadership” said Distribution Committee Board Chairperson Eugenia Atkinson.
“Lynnette is highly accomplished with a strong skillset in non-profit advocacy and donor relations. Her proven track record of success makes her the perfect candidate to meet the challenges our community will face moving forward,” Atkinson said.
Forde has nearly two decades as a non-profit executive. Most recently, she served as the vice president of Government Relations & Development for Circle Health Services and The Center for Families and Children, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive health care, behavioral health, early childhood education and workforce development services in Cuyahoga County.
During her tenure as vice president, Forde focused on building stakeholder relationships and fundraising from governmental and philanthropic sources. Prior to that, she served as the associate vice president for Institutional Relations at United Way of Greater Cleveland and was senior director of Foundation Relations for Case Western Reserve University.
Forde has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected to lead The Youngstown Foundation. I am excited to begin working with the board, staff and bringing the community together to both continue and build upon the foundation’s legacy of excellence,” said Forde.
Founded in 1918, The Youngstown Foundation is the largest community foundation in Mahoning Valley, the fourth oldest in the country, and ranked in the top 100 nationally. With more than $130 million in charitable funds, the foundation awards over $7 million annually in grants to benefit the city of Youngstown and its vicinity. To learn more, visit www.youngstownfoundation.org….
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