Rose Lincoln Hamilton to retire after 11 years of service to Pierce County region
Rose Lincoln Hamilton, who has served as President & CEO of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (GTCF) since 2004, has announced that she will retire in June 2015, after more than 11 years leading one of the state’s largest community foundations.
Ed Grogan, President, Summit Financial Group and Chair of GTCF’s Board of Directors said, “We are proud of Rose’s tireless work to make this region and this community stronger. During her tenure, GTCF has grown from $48 to more than $107 million dollars in charitable assets, awarded nearly $34 million in grants and scholarships, and provided crucial leadership on important issues facing our community. Many of the initiatives that Rose has helped drive, including the Youth Philanthropy Board, Be the Spark, and micro-grants to individuals, have garnered attention as national models.”
Building on her decades of experience leading innovative programs and collaborative relationships between the corporate and nonprofit sectors, Lincoln Hamilton championed increased focus on partnerships, fresh ideas, and community engagement at GTCF.
“Rose has devoted eleven years to increasing the reach of GTCF,” said Bradbury Cheney, Executive Director of the Ben. B. Cheney Foundation. “Her leadership and collaboration with other funders has led to increased partnerships that have supported numerous community efforts. Under her tenure these positive outcomes have further established the Community Foundation as a valuable community asset.”
“It’s been an honor and privilege to work with passionate people who invest in making our community an even better place to live, work, and play. I am proud of the work we’ve done together over the last decade,” Lincoln Hamilton said in her announcement.
“I have learned so much during my time here and am grateful to be part of an organization impacting thousands of lives every year. After I retire, I look forward to staying involved in community efforts.”
"Rose is leaving GTCF in a position of great strength with a dedicated board and experienced staff to carry out the new business plan that has recently been unveiled,” shared Kit Severson, a former board member and new fundholder of GTCF. “The greater Tacoma community is more vibrant and engaged due to her leadership and she has set the path for greater positive impact in the years to come."
GTCF, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2015, made important strides during Lincoln Hamilton’s tenure, including:
- helping set a new standard for how major funders collaborate to change systems and create a better quality of life in this community, through partnerships with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Raikes Foundation, The Russell Family Foundation, and the Foundation for Tacoma Students
- establishing the organization as a leader in achieving organizational excellence, including attaining the first National Standards Certification for U.S. Community Foundations in Washington State, and implementing philanthropic innovations such as impact investing
- applying best practices in grantmaking by offering professional development and capacity building grants to strengthen nonprofits
- welcoming a diverse and expanding set of donors and fundholders and $73 million in new gifts, including 30 new scholarship funds and 50 nonprofit agency endowments
“A measure of Rose’s leadership is the strength of the GTCF team, at both the staff and the board level; and the strength of the partnerships she has created across the community,” said Grogan. “She has led the board through a proactive and thoughtful 18-month planning process around the Community Foundation’s future and has committed to staying with us through a successful search process.”
The board of directors, co-led by its Chair, Ed Grogan, Past Chair, T. Gary Connett, and Vice Chair, Sheri Tonn, will conduct a national search for Lincoln Hamilton’s successor. Lincoln Hamilton will serve as an advisor to the board in the search process.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Lincoln Hamilton was the Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Director of Community Relations at Safeco Corporation. During this time she focused on developing community relations strategies designed to increase neighborhood assets and bringing neighbors together around common interests.
Lincoln Hamilton currently serves on the board of directors of Commencement Bank, Philanthropy Northwest, Foundation for Tacoma Students, Lakewold Gardens, Pacific Bonsai Museum, Tacoma Housing Authority, and University of Washington Tacoma’s Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Advisory Committee.
The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation helps strengthen the community by fostering generosity and connecting people who care with causes that matter. We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities. As a community foundation, GTCF invests in building a thriving, engaged and caring community. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1981, the Community Foundation manages more than 450 funds, $107 million in assets, and has distributed more than $94 million in grants and scholarships.
> Read Rose Lincoln Hamilton's letter to the board announcing her plans to retire after 11 years of service to the Pierce County region.