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New Staff Members Join Northwest Area Foundation

Northwest Area Foundation Announces New Staff Members
ST. PAUL, Minn.  (March 4, 2010) - The Northwest Area Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of new staff members in the Programs and Finance and Administration departments. Scott Kirby is the new manager of investments.  Leah Doerr joined the Foundation as an associate program officer.

Scott Kirby will be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Foundation’s investment strategy, working directly with its consultants and money managers and providing expertise in research and portfolio management.  During his twenty-year career in the financial markets, Kirby specialized in fixed income investments.  He previously served as vice president and lead portfolio manager of structured products at Ameriprise Financial/RiverSource Investments, where he was responsible for $20 billion in fixed income investments.   Kirby has Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

“We are very happy to have someone with Scott’s experience, particularly at a time when the markets are so volatile and when fiscal responsibilities have increased dramatically,” said Millie Acamovic, vice president of finance and administration and Chief Financial Officer of Northwest Area Foundation. 

Leah Doerr will be responsible for providing support for grants applications and administration.  Doerr previously worked as a project associate with Fieldstone Alliance implementing the Kellogg Action Lab, a project that strengthened the operations of nonprofit organizations that were grantees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  Doerr has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

“Scott and Leah bring important skills and perspective to a staff highly committed to reducing poverty and building prosperity within our eight-state region.  We look forward to the energies and experience they’ll bring to our work,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation. 

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son Louis W. Hill established the Foundation.

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