October 27, 2023
LANL Foundation President & CEO Jenny Parks Stepping Down
Española, NM – Jenny Parks, President and CEO of the LANL Foundation, announced that she is stepping down from her role at the end of this year to pursue a new position as Senior Vice President of Strategic Philanthropy at Anchorum. Parks has led the LANL Foundation, the largest non-profit organization in the state dedicated solely to education, since 2015.
“We are so grateful to Jenny for leading us through a period of immense growth and change,” said LANL Foundation Board Chair Kathryn Harris Tijerina. “Under Jenny’s tenure, LANL Foundation expanded its Early Childhood programs; created a College, Career, and Community Pathways program; and prioritized our advocacy efforts to effect positive change in New Mexico. Though we will miss her terribly, the achievements under her leadership live on in our work here at the Foundation.”
For over 25 years, the LANL Foundation has served the people and communities of Northern New Mexico through programming and partnerships in the areas of early childhood, K-12 schools and districts, career and college pathways, scholarships, grants, research, and advocacy. During Parks’ tenure, the LANL Foundation awarded $7,275,950 in both Four-Year and Career Pathways scholarships to 1,466 deserving students from Northern New Mexico, and more than 1,000 grants totaling more than $9,874,000 were distributed to schools, school districts, non-profits, Pueblos, and tribal communities.
Additional accomplishments under Parks’ leadership include dramatically increasing LANL Foundation’s annual grantmaking, creating a Research and Evaluation department, opening a Santa Fe satellite office, and substantially increasing LANL Foundation’s income by more aggressively pursuing outside funding.
Parks was hired in 2015 after the departure of now-Representative Susan Herrera, the Founding Executive Director of LANL Foundation, who led the organization from its creation in 1997 to 2014. When Parks was hired, LANL Foundation had 15 employees. Today, 34 employees work at the Foundation. Prior to coming to the LANL Foundation, Parks served as President and CEO of the New Mexico Community Foundation.
“Leading this organization has been an honor of a lifetime,” said Parks. “Every member of our staff is talented and passionate about improving education and opportunity for the people of Northern New Mexico. This staff has inspired me for years and it is hard to leave such a wonderful workplace. I also want to thank the Board for their unwavering support and engagement. Their dedication and expertise are critical to both the day-to-day operations of LANL Foundation, as well as its long-term goals.
“I am looking forward to my new role at Anchorum, which is a great opportunity to continue my work in the communities of Northern New Mexico. In my new position, I’ll be focusing on many of the social determinants of health, including education, affordable housing, and access to healthy food,” Parks said.
Parks will continue as President and CEO until the end of the year, at which point the Board will appoint an interim director. The Board will also be forming a Search Committee that will be tasked with selecting the next President and CEO, whose appointment will be approved after a full vote by the Board of Directors.
Since 1997, LANL Foundation has been investing in education, learning, and human potential in Northern New Mexico. Through diverse programming and collaboration with key partners, LANL Foundation works to ensure that all New Mexicans have the skills and confidence they need to be self-sufficient lifelong learners who are engaged in their communities. LANL Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement of students’ access to academic and technical opportunities, leading to quality jobs by supporting college and career readiness in schools, districts, communities, Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations. For more information visit: www.lanlfoundation.org.
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