National Center for Civil and Human Rights names Jill Savitt CEO
Savitt, a human rights advocate of 20-plus years, succeeds Interim CEO Brian Tolleson who will remain on The Center's board of directors
ATLANTA, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (www.civilandhumanrights.org) Board of Directors announced today it has appointed Jill Savitt as Chief Executive Officer effective March 11, 2019. Savitt, a genocide prevention expert, will resign as Acting Director for the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Interim CEO, Brian Tolleson, will step down but continue serving on The Center's board.
"Jill Savitt has the distinct caliber and experience to lead The Center. Throughout last year, Brian has catapulted our operational and financial health, and Jill begins her tenure at a fantastic moment for us," said Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta and board chair. "A strategic visionary and an incisive communicator with a successful track record of human rights advocacy, Jill has the exceptional qualities to lead us when The Center is poised for a watershed moment."
Savitt said, "I am honored and excited to lead the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to advance our mission to empower people to promote and protect every human's rights. The Center is more vital than ever as a steward of Atlanta's civil rights legacy and as a conduit for education and action. I am eager to continue its efforts to transform the world."
Search Committee
NCCHR undertook a year-long search for a new CEO, interviewing dozens of candidates. Its search committee of Atlanta civic luminaries included: Johnita P. Due, Committee Chair, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Turner Broadcasting; Richard Deane, Partner-in-Charge, Jones Day; Penny McPhee, President and Director, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation; A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress; Michèle Taylor, Community Volunteer; and Brian Tolleson, interim CEO.
Tolleson's Tenure
Tolleson echoed the board's choice. "I'm thrilled with the board's decision and confident that Jill will drive The Center's mission forward."
Tolleson resigns following the launch of four simultaneous exhibits – Fragments, Meaning of Hope: the Best of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, Breaking Barriers: Sports for Change and the display of the Aids Memorial Quilt – plus Coca-Cola and FedEx providing free Center admission during the Super Bowl through February 28.
Global Recognition
Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said: "As a founding partner, we've been so proud to see the organization live up to its potential as a regional hub for civil and human rights education, with exhibits attended by thousands, especially youth. With a CEO like Jill Savitt who has led in the trenches as a curator and advocate, The Center is surely headed for major new impact."
About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is an engaging cultural attraction that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to today's Global Human Rights Struggle. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King's documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights on Twitter @Ctr4CHR and Facebook.
SOURCE National Center for Civil and Human Rights
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