Mertz Gilmore Foundation Elects Three New Members to its Board
Aaron Tanaka, George Suttles, and Surina Khan–three visionary leaders–join the board of directors to advance Mertz Gilmore's vision for equity and justice and to increase alignments between the foundation’s investments and values.
The Mertz Gilmore Foundation is thrilled to announce the appointment of Surina Khan, George Suttles, and Aaron Tanaka to its board of directors. All three join today’s dedicated board, following in the footsteps of previous members such as civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, the first non-family Board member, in reinforcing our commitment to advance equity and justice.
“George, Aaron, and Surina each bring incredible wisdom and diversity of experience to Mertz Gilmore’s board. George has led others in philanthropy through similar journeys aligning investments with values; Aaron’s work has included pioneering new ways of leveraging impact investing approaches to advance grassroots community priorities; and Surina has been a steadfast and respected philanthropic leader in supporting racial, economic and gender justice movements in California and beyond. We are truly lucky to be building this next chapter of work with Surina, Aaron, and George,” shared Mertz Gilmore President Aditi Vaidya.
Board chair Andrea Sholler added, “With the addition of Aaron, George, and Surina’s vision and expertise, the Mertz Gilmore board is thrilled to advance its commitment to creating systemic change and bringing robust and clear strategic thinking in these challenging times.”
Aaron Tanaka is a community organizer, impact investor, and grantmaker. He is the co-founder and executive director of the Center for Economic Democracy, a national nonprofit resourcing social movements to advance alternatives to capitalist economics. At the Center, Aaron was a founding organizer of the Boston Ujima Project, which brings together neighbors, workers, business owners and investors to create a new community-controlled regional economy. In addition to his expertise in impact investing and new economic models, Aaron is steeped in grassroots social justice movements, having led environmental justice efforts for more than 15 years.
George Suttles brings a wealth of knowledge in the philanthropic and impact investing sectors. He is the executive director of Commonfund Institute, which works to create investment solutions and strategies for nonprofits, as well as educational programs and research that brings current best practices to all institutional nonprofit investors. Previously, George led work at a range of regional and national philanthropic institutions. Critically, George has experience helping funders to shift their investments to align with their vision and desired impact, most notably as Chair of the Investment Committee at the New York Foundation.
Surina Khan has, for over three decades, been a leader in the philanthropic and nonprofit social justice sector starting with local community-based publishing in New England and then shifting to national and global work on an array of social justice issues including gender justice, LGBT rights, human rights, and democratic and civic participation. She serves as CEO Emeritus and Senior Advisor to the Women’s Foundation California. During her tenure at WFC, she led the Foundation’s work to advance gender, racial, and economic justice. Surina served the social justice and philanthropic sector in a variety of ways including previous positions at the Ford Foundation, OutRight International, and Political Research Associates. She serves on several Boards including Funders for Reproductive Equity, Voices for Progress, and the American LGBTQ+ Museum. She is a recognized expert on gender, racial, and economic justice issues and is a frequent commentator on the power of women’s philanthropy.