New York, NY, June 6, 2024 – Governor Thomas H. Kean has stepped down from his role as chair of the board of Carnegie Corporation of New York, effective June 6, 2024. During Kean’s last meeting of the board, the trustees named him honorary trustee in recognition of his 22 years as chair and almost 30 years of service to the philanthropic foundation.
Kean, former governor of New Jersey, is succeeded by the board’s vice chair, Janet L. Robinson, retired president and CEO of the New York Times Company. Trustee Kurt L. Schmoke, president of the University of Baltimore, has been elected vice chair.
In honor of Kean’s service, the board approved a $500,000 grant to Drew University, where he served as president from 1990 until 2005. The grant will support the Thomas H. Kean Theatre & Dance Internship Fund and underwrite summer internships for college students enrolled in the Theatre Arts and Dance programs.
“We are deeply grateful for Governor Kean’s unwavering commitment to the Corporation and delighted to share in his love of the arts through the foundation’s grant to Drew University,” said Robinson, who has served on the board for a total of 18 years. “A devoted and natural leader, a true believer in the power of philanthropy, and a trusted advisor to us all, Tom has led by example. He set high standards that we will strive to meet and emulate. It is a great honor for me to follow in his footsteps.”
“I am honored by the Corporation’s generous support for students at Drew University,” said Governor Kean. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have led this great institution and the philanthropic initiatives that allow Americans to lead the kinds of productive lives that make our democracy and our economy the envy of the world. I have every confidence that Janet will be a dedicated and diligent successor and that Kurt will provide essential support as vice chair. The board is in an excellent position to advise the Corporation’s president, Dame Louise Richardson, a person of utmost intellect and integrity.”
As president and chief executive officer of the New York Times Company from 2004 until 2012, Robinson was responsible for operations at all of its newspaper properties and led its transformation from print to digital media. Since her distinguished career as a media executive, she has assumed numerous board-level positions, including at nonprofit organizations such as the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Public Radio, Lifespan, the Preservation Society of Newport County, and Salve Regina University.
In addition to his leadership in higher education, Kurt Schmoke served as mayor of Baltimore for 12 years following his election in 1987 as the first African American to hold the position. Schmoke first joined the Corporation board in 2007 and has served for more than 13 years since then.
“Working with Tom has been a pleasure. He is a true example of a great American who projects inspired civility and is concerned about improving the quality of life for people, not only in the United States, but around the world,” said Schmoke. “I share his belief that there is nothing more worthwhile, satisfying, and fulfilling than service. I look forward to continuing his legacy while working alongside Janet and Louise.”
Kean was responsible for recruiting Dame Louise Richardson to join the Corporation, first as a trustee, and then as president starting in January 2023. An international expert on terrorism, Richardson has also been a leader in higher education, including as head of the University of Oxford and the University of St. Andrews.
“It’s been a joy to work closely with Governor Kean over the years. His wisdom, gleaned from a lifetime of political experience, and talent for inspiring people to work together have made him an outstanding board chair,” said Richardson. “The Corporation’s trustees and staff have benefited enormously from his leadership and his dedication to the Corporation. While his will be a very difficult act to follow, we are delighted that Janet Robinson has agreed to serve as chair and Kurt Schmoke as vice chair.”
Kean was elected to the Corporation’s board of trustees in 1990 and was appointed chair in 1997. He left the board in 2002 to head the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission), rejoining the board in 2005 as chair, a position he held for two subsequent terms.
During his terms as chair, Kean oversaw the continuation of successful programs that addressed challenges such as reducing the nuclear threat and peacebuilding through Track II diplomacy. While serving with three of the foundation’s presidents — David Hamburg, Vartan Gregorian, and Richardson — he also helped guide the realignment of Corporation strategy in new program areas including higher education and women’s scholarship in Africa, strengthening U.S. democracy, improving access and opportunities in K–12 education, and, most recently, working to reduce political polarization in the United States.
In recent years, Kean has devoted himself to nonprofit leadership and has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including as the current vice chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, as a current trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund, and as past chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.
