Middlebury, VT - President & CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation, Brian T. Byrnes, announced this week that he will step down from his post after 4 ½ years to accept a position as the managing director of Tides Foundation and senior vice president of Tides Network in San Francisco. Byrnes was appointed to his position at the VCF in July 2003, succeeding David Rahr, who served as the founding president when the organization was incorporated in 1986.

In announcing his resignation, Byrnes said, “My love for the people of Vermont and the work of the VCF made this decision an extremely difficult one. I made it, however, for a number of family-related reasons, as well as for the unique professional opportunity that this new position affords me.”

During Byrnes’ tenure, the VCF made significant changes in its work and role in the community. The Foundation began this evolution by asking its many constituents – Vermont-focused philanthropists, grantseekers, and community leaders – how it could best serve their needs. Their feedback prompted the VCF to develop a new strategy aimed at helping Vermont-focused philanthropists and nonprofit organizations to learn, lead, and grow in their practice of philanthropy. In 2007, the VCF launched a program called Understanding Vermont, which includes a publication and companion website that summarize important social, economic, and environmental trends in the state where philanthropy can make a difference. By creating programs that build on philanthropic momentum, the Foundation aims to increase donor engagement, nonprofit capacity, and charitable capital for the state.

Between 2003 and 2007 assets at the VCF grew from roughly $70 million to more than $160 million, and in 2006, it awarded nearly $14 million in grants to nonprofits. In a recent annual report Byrnes noted, however, “We are measured not by what we have but by what we do with it.” To that end, the Foundation has committed itself to making a difference in Vermont, not just through its grantmaking, but through investing a portion of its assets in support of development and financial services that benefit the underserved in the state. For this cutting edge work, the VCF has been nationally recognized among the country’s 700 community foundations and also ranks in the top 10% nationally for total grants awarded and gifts received, despite being relatively young in the field.

Byrnes’ new position with Tides Foundation will provide him with an opportunity to work in a broader arena. Tides Foundation offers domestic and international philanthropic services and actively supports social justice, environmental sustainability, and a global respect for human rights. According to Tides founder and CEO Drummond Pike, “We are beyond fortunate to have Brian Byrnes join the Tides senior leadership team and take over management of Tides Foundation. His remarkable record at the Vermont Community Foundation, as well as his established record as an extraordinary manager and thinker, make him an ideal match for Tides’ growing portfolio of innovation minded philanthropic programs.”

Byrnes will continue with the VCF for the next several months and transition plans are well under way. “We’re sorry to see Brian leave,” says Board Chair Deborah Granquist, “He has been an extraordinary force at the VCF, and thanks to his leadership, we’re very well-positioned to continue on our established course. We will be in the enviable position of being able to offer a position that will be sought by outstanding individuals from Vermont and across the country.”