Facilitating Leadership Transitions with Strategic Planning & Culture-Building Support in Local Place-Based Family Philanthropy
Akonadi Foundation is a pioneer in racial justice philanthropy founded in 2000 by progressive donors, campaign activists, and civil rights advocates Quinn Delaney and her husband Wayne Jordan. The Foundation supports the development of powerful social change movements to eliminate structural racism. After 15 years as President of the Foundation, Quinn was ready to take on the role of President Emeritus and Board Chair and partnered with Walker & Associates Consulting to conduct a national search for the Foundation’s first President, after the Founder, and provide transition support pre- and post-hire.
“This was an important transition point for the Foundation and Walker & Associates Consulting delivered. They held our hand and guided us through a thoughtful, collaborative search process; recruited an unbelievable pool of experienced, diverse leaders; and helped us secure the incomparable Lateefah Simon in 2016. We could not have been happier with how smoothly Lateefah integrated into our organization and with her ability to heighten our visibility and impact. Walker & Associates also contributed significantly to the strengthening and evolution of our team culture and organizational strategy facilitating multiple retreats and helping us chart a sharpened path forward.”
~Quinn Delaney, Founder and Board Chair, Akonadi Foundation
After more than six years of transformative leadership as President, Lateefah moved to Akonadi’s Board of Directors and embarked upon an exciting campaign for Congress. Walker & Associates was, again, tapped to support Akonadi at a critical point of transition.
“When it was time to seek new leadership, we could not have imagined working with anyone else. Now the bar was set high, and it was tough to envision what our next chapter might look like. However, with their guidance across another inclusive and responsive process, we were delighted to select Raymond Colmenar as our new President in 2022. Ray came to us with 16 years of relevant strategic planning; program design and implementation; and organizational redesign and development experience at The California Endowment. He has already strengthened our team and deepened our community partnerships while maintaining focus on our racial justice organizing and policy advocacy work to lead to enduring systems change in Oakland and Alameda County.
Walker & Associates has been an incredible thought partner and is truly part of the extended Akonadi family. They bring unique skill sets, calming assuredness, and deep connections in the field that makes their work feel less transactional and more relational. Their contributions to the continuation of our critical work over more than eight years are meaningful to us, personally and professionally.”
~Quinn Delaney, Founder and Board Chair, Akonadi Foundation
