Washington Area Women's Foundation

Four National Leaders Join Foundation's Board

Washington Area Women’s Foundation announces the appointment of four new members to its board of directors:

  • Audrey Bracey Deegan, managing director of OMG Center for Collaborative Learning
  • Alex Orfinger, publisher of the Washington Business Journal
  • Julie Rogers, president and CEO of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation; and
  • Sonal Shah, former deputy assistant to the President and director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.

The four new directors bring decades of experience in the highest levels of government, business and philanthropy.

Together with the existing 15-member board, they will oversee the Foundation’s mission to mobilize the community to ensure that economically vulnerable women and girls in the Washington region have the resources they need to thrive.

“The diverse talents that these directors bring will be a tremendous asset to our organization and will add a different perspective to our deeply dedicated board,” said Rachel Kronowitz, chair of the board of The Women’s Foundation.

“We are excited to be joined by national leaders who believe in the promise and value of every woman and girl in the Washington area,” said Nicky Goren, president of The Women’s Foundation.  “There are more than 177,000 women and girls living in poverty in our community and the experience and expertise of these new board members will enhance our ability to support programs that benefit women, girls and our entire region.”

The new board members:

Audrey Bracey Deegan is the managing director of OMG Center for Collaborative Learning.  At OMG, she is responsible for directing the growing portfolio of strategy development initiatives and heads the Washington, D.C. office.  Prior to joining OMG, Bracey Deegan held leadership positions at Plan International USA, Deloitte, JPMorgan, McKinsey, Textron, Hudson Chesapeake and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.  She has worked collaboratively with leaders in global relief, arts education, volunteerism, community engagement and international development.

She currently sits on the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Board of Visitors and the MSFS Program’s advisory board.  She has also been a board member of several national and global organizations that protect and advocate for women and girls.

Bracey Deegan is an honors graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in international politics and a joint JD/master’s in Foreign Service from Georgetown University Law Center.

Alex P. Orfinger is the publisher of Washington Business Journal.  The weekly journal and its accompanying website washingtonbusinessjournal.com remain the primary sources of local business information in greater Washington.

Orfinger is active in the local business community and has a long history of service to community boards.  He currently serves on the boards of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the United Way of the National Capital Region.  He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including Washingtonian of the Year byWashingtonian magazine, Business Person of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Greater Washington’s Regional Leadership Award in recognition of his efforts to bring the region together.

Julie L. Rogers is president and CEO of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation.  The Foundation is nationally recognized for its programs that strengthen the leadership and management of its grantees and for a deep commitment to strengthening philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

A leader in national and regional philanthropy, Rogers works to find innovative and collaborative ways to support The Meyer Foundation’s grantees and meet community needs.  She founded the Washington AIDS Partnership and was the founding chair of Washington Grantmakers.  Among others, she currently serves on the board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and is a member of the Federal City Council and its Executive Committee and the Washington Women’s Forum.

Before joining the Meyer Foundation in 1986, Rogers served as staff director of the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Human Services and taught in the Montgomery County, Maryland public school system.  She earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree in teaching from George Washington University.

Sonal Shah recently stepped down from her position as deputy assistant to the President and director of the White House Office on Social Innovation and Civic Participation.  She also served on President Obama’s Transition team overseeing the Technology, Innovation, Government Reform working group.

Before joining the White House, Shah led Google’s global development initiatives for its philanthropy initiative, Google.org.  Prior to Google, Shah served as vice president at Goldman Sachs, Inc., where she developed and implemented the firm’s environmental strategy.  At the same time, she co-founded a nonprofit, Indicorps, which offers fellowships for Indian-Americans to work on development projects in India.

Shah received her MA in economics from Duke University and a BA in economics from the University of Chicago.  She is an Aspen Crown Fellow and a Next Generation Fellow.