Mariko Silver, President of the Henry Luce Foundation, will step down in mid-September 2024, concluding five years of transformative leadership, to become President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
Since assuming her role in 2019, Mariko has guided the Foundation with exceptional vision and dedication. She brought intellectual brilliance, strategic foresight, and an invigorating energy that has left an indelible mark. Her ability to lead and convene people around ideas has been instrumental in shaping the Foundation’s direction. Under her stewardship, the Luce Foundation undertook a strategic overhaul, revisiting and refining our mission, values, and commitments to better reflect the evolving landscape, all while preserving our 80-year legacy of mission- and program-focused philanthropy.
Mariko’s leadership has significantly expanded our worldview of philanthropy, emphasizing how organizations can adapt to changing power dynamics. She has championed a more informed and nuanced approach to grantmaking, amplifying diverse voices, investing in leadership development, enriching public discourse, fostering dialogue across divides, and nurturing knowledge communities and institutions.
Mariko also heralded change by opening the candidate pool for Luce Scholars, expanding opportunities for immersive leadership experiences for diverse groups. Her tenure has been marked by her effective outward-facing efforts, broadening the Foundation’s reach into new and influential spaces. She has been a dynamic spokesperson, enhancing our visibility and engaging with audiences we had not previously reached.
Mariko has also been pivotal in launching groundbreaking initiatives such as the Democracy, Ethics, and Public Trust Program and Asian American Voices. Under her leadership, the foundation has deepened its commitment to supporting exhibitions of and by American artists of color and significantly increased grantmaking in support of Indigenous leaders and culture bearers.
During her tenure, there have been notable increases in grant allocations. Since 2019, support for Indigenous communities has grown to over $18 million, a significant rise from the $3 million allocated from the Foundation’s inception in 1936 through 2018. Funding for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities has surged by over $6 million. Contributions to the American Art Program and support for African American groups have also doubled during this period.
Henry Luce Foundation Board Co-chairs Debra Knopman and Terry Adamson said, “Finding a successor who can build on Mariko’s remarkable leadership will be challenging. Nevertheless, the Board of Trustees is confident that the international search process we are initiating will identify and recruit a new President and CEO, who, as our leader, will continue to advance the Foundation’s mission.”
Dr. Knopman and Mr. Adamson added, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mariko, for her visionary leadership of the Henry Luce Foundation and unwavering commitment to fostering a more democratic and just world. We look forward to honoring her and celebrating her many accomplishments in the coming weeks.”
The Board has asked Sean Buffington, Vice President for Programs, to serve as Interim President of the Foundation upon Ms. Silver’s departure, until the search is concluded, and a new President and CEO is installed.
