New President for The White House Project

NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Project – founded by Marie Wilson in 1998 to enhance the public perception of women as leaders and to fill our nation's leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women – announces the appointment of its second President, Tiffany Dufu, on Inauguration Day, 2011.

"I can think of no better time to transfer the reins of power of The White House Project to the next generation than today, our country's official Inauguration Day," says Marie Wilson. "Tiffany is an extraordinary leader whose competence and passion for our mission will take the work to an entirely new level. For a founder, there is nothing more satisfying than leaving a loved institution in such worthy hands."

Ms. Dufu has furthered her life's work of advancing women and girls at The White House Project for the last four years, most recently as Vice President of Development and Administration. Over the course of her 15-year career she has raised nearly $20 million for nonprofits, forging new partnerships, support and strategies.

The White House Project's Board Chair, Beth Brooke, states, "On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled that we have selected Tiffany Dufu to lead The White House Project as our second President. I very much look forward to the Board's strategic partnership with Tiffany as she leads the organization to even greater impact, unlocking the potential of women leaders and benefiting our nation's businesses, politics and communities. Tiffany is a fearless leader with a passion for pragmatic solutions and an unwavering commitment to social justice."

Says Tiffany Dufu, "We want to catapult the U.S. from 72nd in women's political leadership to #1. I am eager to show our nation the progressive change that can happen when The White House Project arms millions of women with the tools to create new outcomes that benefit us all.

"The White House Project was founded to advance women's leadership in all sectors of society, up to, and including, the U.S. presidency. As an African-American woman of the next generation, I believe that this transfer of leadership across generational and racial lines is emblematic of our country's journey, and reflective of The White House Project's mission and results. My vision for my administration is to harness the power of the 11,000 women we've already trained to lead around the country – half of whom are women of color – and to leverage technology to train hundreds of thousands more. 

"Our proven approach paired with the creation of an innovative online experience will reach millions in the movement to advance women's leadership. Marie Wilson's legacy and vision will support us as we continue to build the pipeline of diverse leaders who will ignite change."

Marie Wilson says, "Powerful and wise generational transfers of leadership are crucial to every organization. The White House Project is a strong, vibrant, effective organization, poised to benefit from Tiffany's new leadership. As President Emerita, I look forward both to being a trusted advisor to Tiffany and to continuing to write, speak and generate new thinking about how, by leading together, women and men can make the work of running the planet easier and better for all of us."

About Tiffany Dufu

Ever since she accepted the Girl of the Year Award in eighth grade, Tiffany Dufu knew that she wanted to make a profound impact. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, the daughter of a homemaker and a minister, Ms. Dufu was an early feminist who challenged the perceptions of adults around her who often insisted "little girls can't lead." She knew that she needed not only to affect change, but also wanted to be public about it – so that other girls could be leaders, too.

As Associate Director of Development at the Seattle Girls' School, a nonprofit education institution committed to giving all girls the power to be innovative, confident, critical thinkers, Ms. Dufu raised $2 million in just under a year. As Major Gifts Officer at Simmons College, she managed a portfolio of more than 150 donors, and worked in recruitment to create a more diverse student body. While in Boston, Ms. Dufu was featured in a Boston Globe article that, within 24 hours, became the most-forwarded article in BostonGlobe.com history. She leveraged the overwhelming response to encourage a productive dialogue in the city about race relations, and soon became a fellow in LeadBoston and a catalyst for the Commonwealth Compact project, working to make Greater Boston a desired destination for people of color and women.

As Vice President of The White House Project, Ms. Dufu has forged new partnerships, has strengthened the Corporate Council and has refined the organization's strategy. Having now raised nearly $20 million toward the cause of women and girls, she has been featured in The New York Times, The Seattle Times and on NPR, and is a frequent speaker on nonprofit fundraising and women's leadership. She currently serves on the board of Harlem4Kids, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and holds a B.A. and M.A. in English and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington.

About The White House Project

The White House Project is a national, nonpartisan 501c3 whose mission is to advance women's leadership in all communities and sectors, up to and including the U.S. presidency. Its Corporate Council includes members such as Ernst & Young, Google and American Express, and it has earned the support of private entities such as the Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Through the annual EPIC Awards, which recognize women leaders in pop culture as positive role models, The White House Project has welcomed guests such as award-winning actress and board member Geena Davis, actress Meryl Streep and singer Melissa Etheridge, and has honored women such as actress Rosario Dawson, singer Jill Scott, writer Sheryl WuDunn, activist Kiran Bedi and more.

The White House Project sits at the nexus of politics, business and the media, leveraging the power of each in order to enhance the public perception of women, propel them into positions of leadership and to accelerate social justice and progress toward its vision: women and men leading side-by-side in order to create a more equitable culture.

For further information, please contact Davia Temin, CEO of Temin and Company, a founding Board Member of The White House Project and current Corporate Council Member.

Contact: Temin and Company, at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].

SOURCE The White House Project