Hilary Pennington

Hilary Pennington has extensive work experience in various leadership roles within the non-profit sector. Hilary currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Global Programs at the Ford Foundation since January 2018. Prior to this, they worked at the foundation as the Vice President of Creativity and Free Expression from September 2013 to January 2018.

Before joining the Ford Foundation, Hilary was an Independent Consultant and the Executive Director of The Generations Initiative from April 2012 to August 2013.

Hilary also held a key position at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where they served as the Director of US Education Postsecondary Success and Special Initiatives from October 2006 to March 2012. In this role, they led a team in the development of a major new program area for the foundation.

Additionally, Hilary has experience working at the Center for American Progress as a Senior Fellow from June 2006 to January 2008. Prior to that, they served as the CEO of Jobs for the Future from June 2000 to June 2005 and as the Founder, President, and CEO of the organization from July 1984 to June 2000.

Hilary has also served in various advisory roles, including a role as a Fellow at Harvard University in 2000 and as the Co-Chair of President Clinton's Presidential Advisory Committee on Technology in the same year. Hilary was also a member of President Clinton's Presidential Transition Team in 1992.

Before their career in the non-profit sector, Hilary worked as a Senior Analyst at Aetna Life Casualty from January 1983 to January 1984 and as a Public Service Researcher in Mikumi, Tanzania from January 1980 to January 1982. Throughout their career, they have focused on strategic leadership, program development, and policy formulation in the fields of education, workforce development, and youth transitions.

Hilary Pennington's education history includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1977. Hilary then went on to pursue a Masters degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford in 1978. Later, Hilary completed their MBA at Yale University's School of Management in 1983. Their education journey further continued with a Masters in Theological Studies from Episcopal Divinity School in 2008.