Initiative for Global Development Names John N. Heathcliff Vice President of Development

Respected Nonprofit Executive to Help Expand IGD's Capacity to Reduce Global Poverty

SEATTLE, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a national search, the Initiative for Global Development (IGD) selected John N. Heathcliff as Vice President of Development.

IGD's President & CEO Jennifer Potter said, "We are extremely pleased to have John as part of the team helping expand IGD's programs to increase enterprise growth in developing countries." Heathcliff will also work closely with IGD's Board of Directors to create and strengthen funding opportunities and strategic partnerships. IGD's Board and Leadership Council includes distinguished business leaders such as Neville Isdell, formerly of Coca-Cola; Robert Mosbacher Jr., formerly of OPIC; and Tim M. Solso, Chairman & CEO, Cummins Inc. Recently IGD announced David Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey and Charles Slaughter, Founder of TravelSmith joined the Board.

"Ending global poverty can be the greatest human achievement of the 21st century.  Governments, corporations, philanthropists and NGOs are looking for ways to leverage their resources to increase impact, scalability and sustainability," Heathcliff said. "If government policies, business investments and philanthropic contributions work together on global economic development, we can have a lasting impact on poverty reduction."

Heathcliff brings more than 20 years of development experience in senior roles with nationally recognized nonprofit organizations and foundations. Most recently he served as chief development officer for Public Counsel, the largest pro bono public interest law firm in the world. Throughout his career, he has worked alongside distinguished leaders from the business, government and nonprofit sectors to create and expand social enterprise initiatives and collaborations.

"IGD's network of business leaders – in the United States and now growing in Africa – seeks to leverage business and government investments to reduce global poverty. John brings a wealth of experience to his role of helping to build relationships to support this work," said Sally Jewell, President & CEO, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) and IGD Board chair.

The Initiative for Global Development is an alliance of business leaders that champions smarter government policies and business initiatives to advance economic opportunity and reduce poverty around the world. IGD supports U.S. development policies that create an environment where private enterprise can thrive and works directly with business leaders in developing countries to increase growth and investment that reduces poverty. For more information, visit www.igdleaders.org

SOURCE Initiative for Global Development