Kennedy Presidential Library Director to Take Leadership Position at Public Welfare Foundation

Boston, MA – Deborah Leff, Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum since 2001, announced today that she will be leaving the Kennedy Library in September to become President of the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C. 

“I will really miss the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum,” said Leff.  “It's such a special part of Boston.  And the legacy of President Kennedy reminds us of what is best about this country, inspiring us to do what we can to improve conditions for all and to move us toward justice.  It's such an honor to have been here."

“Deborah Leff has helped turn the Kennedy Library into a bustling center of presidential history and public discussion,” said Kennedy Library Foundation CEO John Shattuck.  “From the opening of important document collections and Museum exhibitions to the creation of exciting new educational programs, from the sponsorship of public forums and conferences that attract overflow Boston audiences to the launching of a far-reaching website and digital archive that can reach around the world, Deborah has played a major role in making President Kennedy’s Library the great institution it is today.  It’s been a privilege to work closely with her in forging the public-private partnership between the federal government and the Kennedy Library Foundation that has made this all possible.”  

Prior to assuming the Library directorship, Ms. Leff held a variety of leadership positions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. From 1999 – May, 2001, she was President and CEO of America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. In that capacity, she oversaw a network of more than 200 food banks and food rescue organizations in every state in the union, distributing more than 2 billion pounds of food annually and reaching one in every 10 Americans. She was a key national spokesperson on hunger, poverty and welfare reform.

From 1992 – 1999, Ms. Leff was President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, a private, policy-oriented foundation with assets of $800 million. She was responsible for the strategic programmatic focus of the foundation, which is known for its innovative approaches in funding for environmental improvement, gun violence reduction, campaign finance reform, and welfare reform.