The Satterberg Foundation has named Sarah Walczyk as its new executive director, effective February 1.
The Seattle-based family foundation is one of Philanthropy Northwest's sustaining partners, strongly committed to regional philanthropy, promoting a just society and a sustainable environment. It was named to honor Elmer and Ruth Satterberg, longtime residents of the Pacific Northwest with a legacy of positive involvement in the community.
“We are thrilled with Sarah’s deep community connections and long history of working with our family,” said Mashanda Lazarus, board chair. “I know the rest of the board joins me in expressing how fortunate we all feel that Sarah has agreed to take on this new level of leadership, and that she will rise to the high standard set by our founding executive director, Mary Pigott for Satterberg’s first 25 years.”
Walczyk joined the Satterberg Foundation in 2013, after 14 years in nonprofit management and fundraising leadership roles in the Seattle area, including roles at the Science and Management of Addictions, Powerful Voices, YouthCare and the Seattle Art Museum. As the foundation's administrator and program officer, she has overseen day-to day operations and supported the family to execute strategies that promote a just society and a sustainable environment by managing the Open Grants portfolio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Evergreen State College.
“The Satterberg Foundation core values of lifelong learning and trusted relationships are beginning to pave new directions in how funders can co-create strategies with grantees," she said. "I’m honored to be selected to help lead this work that is so aligned to my own core beliefs about how we build stronger communities.”
Pigott helped guide the foundation through its first formative decades, serving as the only in-office staff until 2013, when the foundation began its recent growth phase with annual investments increasing from $400,000 to $20 million. New initiatives and innovations in recent years have built on the values of trusted relationships, including the Community Partnerships program with multi-year investments of between $250,000 and $1 million annually intended to offer growth support to sector intermediaries such as community foundations, regional associations of grantmakers and public foundations in Washington and California.
Pigott will remain on the foundation’s board of directors. “Sarah has the right combination of skill, savvy and humility to steer Satterberg into its next era, and I’m excited to see where she will lead us," she said.
