The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation has chosen Donna E. Shalala to lead the organization’s sprawling philanthropy initiative, former President Bill Clinton announced on Friday. Shalala was a cabinet member in the Clinton administration and is an old friend of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s. Ms. Shalala, 74, is currently president of the University of Miami.
The change of leadership comes at a pivotal time, as the charity faces ongoing scrutiny over its fundraising practices. It is currently causing political turmoil for Hillary Clinton’s imminent 2016 presidential campaign rollout. Reports have surfaced that Hillary Clinton used a personal email address while serving as a secretary of state. Clinton said Thursday she will release her emails to the public after a House committee issued a subpoena requesting the State Department probe Clinton’s use of private email address for official matters.
Shalala’s appointment to CEO of the Clinton Foundation is an exciting development for the charitable foundation. “I don’t know in my long life that I ever worked with anybody who had quite the combination of policy knowledge and concern, political skills, a personal touch with people, a sense of innate fairness,” the former president said of Shalala, according to AP. “She’s a remarkable person.” Reportedly, Ms. Chelsea Clinton, vice chairwoman to the philanthropy initiative had a key role in persuading Ms. Shalala to leave Miami to run the charity.
The philanthropy organization has defended its decision to lift a self-imposed ban on collecting contributions from foreign governments saying it would review its fundraising policies if Clinton pursued a second run at the White House. The Clinton Foundation is a $2 billion global philanthropic enterprise that has provided a platform for the Clintons in disease prevention, poverty and the empowerment of women.
Learn more about Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton’s charity initiatives by reading our profile on the philanthropic family.