We are very pleased to announce that we have appointed a new CEO, Mary Hancock.
Mary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied charity management and leadership. She was a case worker for several years, working in the charitable housing sector before moving to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in Human Rights Law from Birkbeck, University of London.
Mary and her husband live in his home county of Somerset, where they’re raising two young boys, renovating their home and attempting to tame their unruly apple trees. While her husband spends his free time surfing on Devon’s north coast, you’ll find Mary in her element rooting through a car boot sale or bidding on bargains at the local auction house.
Mary will be taking on the role from 24th February. She is joining us from Somerset Community Foundation, where she served as Operations Director for nearly 12 years, leading on policy, financial reporting, procurement, and human resources. She’s deeply passionate about working with donors and community leaders to help them bring about positive and lasting change in their local community.
Dinah Cox, Devon Community Foundation’s interim CEO, said: “Mary shares our commitment to strengthening communities and tackling inequalities, and our vision of a Devon that works for everyone, today and tomorrow. She brings with her a wealth of skills and experience, and a deep understanding of community foundations and how they enable people to make a positive difference through place-based philanthropy. We are delighted that she will be taking on the role of CEO and we are excited about her plans to develop and expand on our work generating and distributing funds that create the change Devon’s communities want to see.”
Following Mary’s appointment, Dinah will return to her role as chair of Devon Community Foundation’s board of trustees. We would like to thank Dinah for stepping into the Interim CEO role to guide the organisation through this transition period and to our trustee Caroline Harlow, who has taken on the role of Acting Chair during this time.
