Alaska Community Foundation Selects Alexandra McKay as New President and CEO
An executive at the state’s largest charitable funder is hopping over to lead another philanthropic asset manager. Alexandra “Alex” McKay is the choice of The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) to become its new President and CEO.
McKay most recently served as vice president of strategies and impact at the Rasmuson Foundation, where she managed a portfolio of $30 million in grant programs and led the foundation’s strategic plan to increase social impact in communities across Alaska. Also, as executive vice president and chief counsel for the $2.8 billion Casey Family Foundation from 2008-2016, McKay helped develop long-term strategic plans and implement a $130 million annual budget.
“After working for more than twenty years in philanthropy, I am thrilled to join the Alaska Community Foundation and to work with donors and community partners across the state,” says McKay. “Alaskans are generous by nature and ACF is a way for Alaskans to invest in the future of our state today and for future generations. I look forward to working with the ACF team to build upon their already considerable success and expand the support we give statewide.”
McKay, a graduate of East High School in Anchorage, holds a bachelor’s degree in social psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, is a graduate of Stanford University Law School, and earned a Master of Law from the University of Washington. McKay has served on several local and national boards, including Philanthropy Northwest, the United Way of Anchorage. and Outer Coast College.
“The board launched a nationwide search last fall to ensure we had a pool of qualified candidates for this important role,” says ACF board chair Gabe Kompkoff. “Among the many well-qualified individuals we interviewed, Alex’s skills and experience stood out. The board and I believe Alex’s background, which includes extensive work across the state at the Rasmuson Foundation, fits particularly well with The Alaska Community Foundation’s affiliate model. We feel confident that Alex is the right person to lead ACF into its next chapter.”
Managing more than $200 million in assets and more than 2,200 separate philanthropic endowments, ACF and its affiliates distribute more than $10 million annually to charitable projects and nonprofits.