Effective June 1, Alvertha Penny was appointed President and CEO of The Community Foundation of South Alabama. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Penny spent six years at the California Community Foundation as vice president of programs. With an endowment of $55 million, The Community Foundation of South Alabama focuses its work on promoting philanthropy to positively impact its community, build strategic partnerships, and develop effective leadership.

Penny also served as the family and community development program director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she led the $30 million, comprehensive multi-year urban community revitalization demonstration effort. With a Masters of Science in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans, Penny is well suited to oversee the Community Foundation’s numerous grant and scholarship programs that support eight counties in Southern Alabama.

An instructor with The Grantmaking School for nearly five years, Penny’s broad professional experiences, paired with expertise in strategic grantmaking and theory, make her an invaluable asset to the program and the field of philanthropy. Penny now resides in Mobile, Ala. and is a member of the Nonprofit Finance Fund Board of Directors based in New York.

Established in 1992 with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy promotes effective philanthropy, community improvement, and excellence in nonprofit leadership through teaching, research, and service. The Johnson Center is recognized for its applied research and professional development benefiting practitioners and nonprofits through its Community Research Institute, The Foundation Review, The Grantmaking School, and Nonprofit Services

Grand Valley State University attracts more than 24,400 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 77 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from regional centers in Muskegon and Traverse City. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.

For more information, contact Robert Shalett, communications director for the Johnson Center, at 616-331-7585.