We are pleased to announce that three new senior program officers have joined the Murdock Trust team! As we have shared in recent updates, the Trust is in the process of a sectoral redesign. This new model of grantmaking and programming allows our team to specialize in the needs and nuances of each sector. The new hires we announce today represent an exciting step forward in this work for our Community Engagement & Civic Services and Arts, Culture, & Education sectors.
Civic Engagement & Community Services
Jennifer Groth joins our team as senior program officer for our Civic Engagement & Community Services sector. Jennifer comes to the Trust following a position as director of policy and partnerships at Rural Development Initiatives, where she developed and led programs to increase resources to rural places and build skills in civic engagement and public policy advocacy. Jennifer’s past experience includes work with Coos County Airport District, Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation, City of Coos Bay, and Boys & Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon, and she has served in board leadership for several nonprofits. She has an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a B.A. from Kansas State University, and has won multiple awards for her civic and community service in Oregon.
In her role, Jennifer will help facilitate grants and programming in our Civic Engagement & Community Services sector alongside Rudy Carrasco, senior director, and Jeremy White, senior program officer. This sector specifically serves the needs of nonprofits that support community development, strengthen our democracy, serve through faith-based ministry, and help transform the lives of people with immigrant/refugee, unhoused, and low-income backgrounds. We are so grateful for the deep experience and expertise Jennifer will bring to this critical role through her work with rural communities, civic engagement, and so much more!
Arts, Culture, & Education
We are also thrilled to welcome Elaine Charpentier Philippi as senior program officer for our Arts, Culture, & Education sector. Elaine joins us following 12 years, the last seven as executive director, at In4All, an education nonprofit in Oregon that brings educators and business leaders together to engage students who are historically underserved, increasing interest and relevancy in key subjects. Elaine has served on a number of boards and committees in Oregon and has her doctorate in educational leadership from Lewis & Clark College, a master’s in social work from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s in social work from Pacific University Oregon.
We are also honored to announce that Michelle Boss Barba joins us as senior program officer for Arts, Culture, & Education. Michelle comes to the Trust with seven years of philanthropic leadership at The Oregon Community Foundation, with the last five as program officer for arts and culture. Prior to this role, Michelle served as founding artistic director of Ethos Music Center in Portland, OR, where she designed and implemented programming for rural and urban communities throughout the state. Michelle has taught ethnomusicology at Portland State University, served on several nonprofit boards, and regularly presented on the arts as service and on creating equitable arts access for diverse communities. Michelle holds a B.A. in English and Music from the University of Portland and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, where she also completed coursework towards her Ph.D.
Joining Lorin Schmit Dunlop, senior director for Arts, Culture, & Education, Elaine and Michelle will help facilitate grants and programming for nonprofits providing vital community service through performing and non-performing arts programs, museums, media, private K-12, informal education like zoos and aquariums, and more. We know that their esteemed history of investment in our communities through educational and arts access and equity will be vital as we deepen our support to nonprofits in this sector.
These three hires are an exciting moment for the Trust team, because they mark the result of many months of careful listening and strategic planning. We look forward to sharing further updates to our Trust team, application process, and sectors in coming announcements. For now, join us in giving the warmest of welcomes to Jennifer, Elaine, and Michelle!
