The Henry Luce Foundation is pleased to announce that Ian H. Solomon, Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, and Sewell Chan, the Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune, have been elected to its Board of Directors.

Solomon is an experienced leader with a diverse background in public service, higher education, the private sector, and leadership, while Chan is an accomplished journalist with a passion for strengthening public understanding of pressing issues.

“Ian Solomon and Sewell Chan are significant additions to the Luce Foundation Board. Their experience and expertise are intrinsic to our mission. The Foundation is fortunate to have the benefit of these two dynamic leaders to help inform the Foundation’s strategies across all our programs,” said Board Chairs Terry Adamson and Debra Knopman.

Solomon leads a faculty of scholars and practitioners committed to advancing solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges. He previously served in the U.S. Senate as a legislative counsel to then-Senator Barack Obama, as a U.S. executive director for the World Bank Group, and as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.

“The Henry Luce Foundation champions the power of bold ideas and constructive dialogue to address many of the world’s great challenges and opportunities, a mission that drives my own work and is close to my heart,” said Solomon. “I am excited to share my insights and experiences with the Board while learning from their great work.”

Sewell Chan shapes the editorial strategy of the innovative The Texas Tribune. In the past, he served as the deputy managing editor at the Los Angeles Times and the deputy op-ed editor at The New York Times. He began his career as a local reporter at The Washington Post.  

“The Luce Foundation’s mission — the pursuit of a more democratic and just world, through the deepening of knowledge and understanding — deeply resonates with me. I’m very honored to join its Board and I look forward to supporting and advancing the Foundation’s crucial work,” Chan said.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ian and Sewell to the Luce Foundation,” President and CEO Mariko Silver said. “Each brings vast experience and unique perspectives, which will allow us to approach our work in new and innovative ways. I am confident that their expertise will continue to bring great value to the foundation for years to come.”

Solomon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and his juris doctor from Yale Law School. Chan earned a social studies degree from Harvard University and a master’s in political science from Oxford, where he studied on a British Marshall scholarship.