After a vote on June 18, the Meyer Foundation board of directors recently announced the appointment of Janice Thomas as the foundation’s next president and CEO.
Thomas becomes the first Black woman to lead the private foundation in its 80-year history.
An experienced leader in Greater Washington philanthropy and nonprofit finance and operations, Thomas has twice stepped in as the foundation’s interim president and CEO, serving during pivotal periods including the lingering aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and again amid recent growing threats to the nonprofit sector and the Washington metropolitan area economy.
Most recently, she served in the role of chief operating officer.
“Janice is the right leader for this moment and into the future,” says Meyer Foundation board chair Tram Nguyen, who is also co-executive director of New Virginia Majority. “She brings a deep commitment to equity, integrity, and a belief that our values must live not only in our mission statement but also in our actions and decisions. Janice has a gift for guiding teams through uncertainty while staying grounded in purpose. Her combination of financial acumen and strategic thinking fosters trust and brings people together through clarity and compassion.”
She succeeds Dr. George L. Askew, who led the foundation through the latest iteration of its strategic plan.
Thomas said she is ready to take the organization’s helm.
“In the tradition of my predecessors throughout Meyer’s 80-year-history,” said Thomas, “I am honored to lead the Foundation with humility, imagination, and a profound belief in the collective power that has always existed in our region.”