After a national search over several months, the Community Foundation has selected Lauren Koontz as its next president and CEO, beginning on Dec. 1.
Koontz currently serves as the president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, where she has worked since 2012. In 2019, she became the organization’s first woman CEO. The Metro YMCA is a $150 million organization with more than 4.000 employees serving more than 240,000 people annually across the region.
“We knew we needed to be super intentional in finding a new CEO,” said Ryan Wilson, a co-founder and CEO of the Gathering Spot who chaired the Community Foundation search. “We took a lot of time with this search. We had to get this right.”
Wilson said the job of running the Community Foundation is complex because of all the different stakeholders.
“Lauren knows how to bring donors, nonprofits, community groups, business and government together around common goals. She is the right leader for this moment,” Wilson said. “Lauren understands how to get things done.”
In an interview, Koontz said she was excited to be joining the Community Foundation during its 75th year anniversary.
Since 1951, the Community Foundation has granted more than $3.6 billion to nonprofits and initiatives across the Atlanta region. It is one of the top 15 community foundations in the United States with about $1.8 billion in assets. It invests more than $235 million a year in community causes.
“It feels like a calling,” Koontz said of her new role. “It feels like a next step in a lifelong career of investing in the Atlanta community.”
Koontz, a Georgia native, moved to Atlanta in 1996, when she spent three years working for a sports marketing firm and getting her MBA.
“I decided after those three years that I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector,” she said. “I had a strong desire to work in a way that would impact community.”
During her nonprofit career, she was involved in fundraising at Emory University and Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. At Coxe Curry & Associates, she played a key role on the team supporting the $400 million Greater Grady Campaign for Grady Health System.
The Community Foundation will give her an opportunity to build upon her experience at the YMCA, also a regional organization doing important work.
“I wouldn’t be the leader I am today without the skills I’ve learned at the Y,” she said, adding she’s come to appreciate the ecosystem of the Atlanta region.
“Every challenge we have in Atlanta is interconnected,” Koontz said. “None of us have the resources to solve problems by ourselves. Sometimes we will lead. Sometimes we will convene. But we will always partner and collaborate.”
Koontz worked closely with the Foundation during the 2025 federal shutdown. The YMCA of Metro Atlanta, as the state’s largest Head Start provider, worked with the Foundation and partners across the region to keep Head Start programs open for more than 6,500 Georgia children.
Today, Koontz is excited to work with a strong board and team as it launches a new strategic planning process in 2027, which she described as a gift.
“I’d love to see an incredibly inclusive process. A strategic plan guides everything,” said Koontz, 52. “To me, this is the culmination of the last 30 years. I can’t imagine a better place to be.”
Julia Houston, chair of the Community Foundation’s board and chief legal officer for Equifax, thanked Virginia Hepner, who has been serving as the foundation’s interim CEO after the departure of Frank Fernandez.
“We are extremely grateful for Virginia for stepping in as an interim leader and providing stability during this transition,” Houston said. “I feel extremely optimistic as we look to the future of the organization.”
Koontz will be the fifth CEO in the Foundation’s 75 years. Alicia Philipp served as its CEO for 43 years until she retired in 2020.
BoardWalk Consulting assisted in the search, which encompassed nearly 225 leaders including program partners, donors and potential candidates.
Nearly half of the people targeted in the search had direct experience in metro Atlanta. The pool included 54 percent who were leaders of color, and a similar majority were women. The search committee reviewed dossiers of 13 individuals, and seven candidates were invited to interviews.
The announcement now will open a vacancy at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, which is launching a national search for Koontz’ successor.
In a statement, the YMCA’s board chair, W. Jeffrey Beckham, called Koontz a transformative leader in the organization’s 168-year history.
“The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is well-positioned for the future,” Beckham said. “Paul Nguyen, executive vice president and chief financial and administrative officer, will serve as interim CEO; and Allison Toller, chief of staff, strategy and impact, will serve as interim president. Both bring deep institutional knowledge and proven leadership to these roles, and the board has full confidence in their ability to guide the organization through this transition.”
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