Heinz Staff Shift Linked to Chief's Son
By Bill Zlatos and Debra Erdley
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
August 10, 2013
Andre Heinz, a son of the late Sen. H. John Heinz, reportedly assumed control of The Heinz Endowments board when his mother became ill in July and engineered the departures of two key employees, hinting that one of the region's most influential foundations is changing course.
“It seems like Andre has stepped into the void” when Endowments Chairwoman Teresa Heinz was hospitalized in Boston as a result of a seizure, one member of the nonprofit community said. “Whether that (role) will be temporary or permanent, no one knows. He's supposedly the one who came in and dictated the personnel changes.”
The source is one of several nonprofit leaders the Tribune-Review interviewed, most of whom requested anonymity.
The Trib tried to reach the 15 Heinz board members, including Andre Heinz; they declined to comment or could not be reached.
Caren Glotfelty, senior director of the environmental program at Heinz, and Douglas L. Root, communications director, left their posts Wednesday after more than a decade. Glotfelty declined to comment, and Root did not respond to requests for an interview.
Endowments President Robert Vagt declined to comment through a spokeswoman.
The future of Heinz Endowments could significantly affect the region. The foundation supports arts and culture, children and families, community and economic development, and environmental programs. With assets of $1.5 billion and grant awards averaging $60 million a year, it ranks second in Western Pennsylvania and among the country's top 50 foundations. It has put money toward everything from renovating Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, Downtown, to the design or construction of green buildings such as the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Aaron Dorfman, executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, said sudden departures of key staffers at foundations indicate serious disagreements within the organization.
“There's always a confidentiality agreement, and no one will ever talk about it,” he said. “Reputational capital is really important to philanthropies, so the purchased silence is worth the cost.”
Family Control
Although he didn't know what happened at Heinz, Dorfman said it would seem early for one of Teresa Heinz's three sons to step in and shake things up.
