The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation yesterday announced the election of Dr. Edward E. Penhoet, the Foundation's Chief Program Officer for Science and Higher Education, as President. He will succeed retiring President Lewis W. Coleman, who has served in that capacity since the Foundation's inception in 2000.
Dr. Penhoet's election as President by the Foundation's Board will be effective on September 1, 2004, and his election to the Foundation's Board of Trustees is effective immediately. Mr. Coleman will continue to serve as a member of the Foundation's Board.
Dr. Gordon Moore, the Foundation's Chairman and co-founder, said "Everyone here at the Foundation is grateful for Lew Coleman's extraordinary leadership. Betty and I started this organization when we knew Lew was available to head it. He has fulfilled our desire to build an organization that creates positive outcomes for future generations. We appreciate his decision to retire, but we are grateful that we will continue to benefit from his creativity and vision as a member of the Board."
Lewis Coleman said, "It has been an honor to help bring Gordon and Betty's vision to life. Our focus on measurable results and identifying high-impact, long-term initiatives has been gratifying, and I thank Gordon, Betty, my fellow Board members, and our outstanding staff colleagues for their support over these vital first years."
For the past two years, Dr. Penhoet has developed and managed the Foundation's grantmaking strategies and initiatives in the fields of scientific research and higher education. He has guided the Foundation's efforts to support pure science, and to synthesize pure and applied sciences for practical and measurable results.
"We are grateful that Ed Penhoet, who has already played an important role within the Foundation, will bring his strengths and experience to this next phase in the Foundation's progress," said Gordon Moore. "He has been deeply engaged in the design and management of the Foundation and in setting its priorities. Certainly his knowledge in pure and applied science and his experience in higher education and the private sector will be of great value to the Foundation in the years to come."
"It is a distinct privilege to assume leadership of this vibrant organization, and I look forward to building on Lew Coleman's solid work," said Ed Penhoet. "The DNA of the Foundation will remain intact. With Gordon and Betty's continued inspiration, and in partnership with our extraordinary grantees, we will continue building on the Foundation's fundamental objectives and values."
Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Penhoet served as Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also a co-founder of Chiron Corporation, where he served as CEO from 1981 to 1998. For 10 years prior to founding Chiron, he was a faculty member of the Biochemistry Department of U.C. Berkeley. He has received numerous awards, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Outstanding Philanthropist award, the first Distinguished Faculty Award in the Life Sciences from the department of Molecular and Cell Biology at U.C. Berkeley and the Northern California Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by Ernst & Young and Inc. Magazine. He earned his A.B. in biology from Stanford University, and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Washington. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego.
Dr. Penhoet is a partner at Alta Partners of San Francisco. He has served as chairman of the California Health Care Institute, of the Chabot Space & Science Center, and of the San Francisco Bay Area Bioscience Center. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Council. He is also a member of the boards of Renovis, Inc., Zymogenetics, Inc., Eyetech Inc., and Chiron Corp. A member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and a member of the American Society of Biological Chemists, Dr. Penhoet has published more than 50 scientific articles and papers. He is married with two grown children and lives with his wife Camille in his hometown of Oakland, California.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation was established in September 2000 to create positive outcomes for future generations. The Foundation funds outcome-based grants and initiatives to achieve significant and measurable results. Grantmaking supports the Foundation's principal areas of interest: global environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay Area.