The Dyson Foundation in Millbrook announced on Thursday that Diana M. Gurieva in June will step down as president of the mid-Hudson Valley charitable organization after 24 years as its day-to-day leader.
Andrea L. Reynolds, president and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, will succeed her as president of the private, grant-making foundation. Dyson Foundation officials said Gurieva will continue to serve as an adviser after the transition.
“I am profoundly grateful to Diana Gurieva for so faithfully representing my family”™s charitable interests over the last 24 years,” said Robert R. Dyson, chairman of the 58-year-old foundation, in the announcement. “Equally important, Diana has served the people of the Hudson Valley just as faithfully. Her tireless efforts have literally helped hundreds of thousands of people. Her legacy is well established and greatly appreciated.”
Reynolds has led the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley since 2005, when it was called the Community Foundation of Dutchess County. The foundation grew to include Ulster and Putnam counties, becoming the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and increased its total assets from $22 million to $51 million. Reynolds manages a six-person staff and oversees more than 530 charitable funds with annual grants of $3.2 million.
Nancy Rossi Brownell, chairperson of the community foundation in Poughkeepsie, in the announcement said Reynolds over the last decade “has taken our philanthropic institution to new heights. We will miss her terribly but understand that this is a fantastic opportunity that she could not pass up. We wish her well and look forward to working with her in the future.”
Reynolds previously worked at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis for 10 years, rising to positions as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the then $250 million organization.
Gurieva joined the Dyson Foundation in 1991 as its first professional staff person and led it through a period of major expansion, overseeing an increase in total assets from $12 million to its current $235 million and growth in its grant-making from $4 million to $18 million annually. Foundation officials said she also managed and implemented several special initiatives that included a community pediatrics training initiative, the Walkway Over the Hudson project, and the creation of Upper Landing Park in the city of Poughkeepsie.
Before joining the Dyson Foundation, Gurieva worked for 20 years in reproductive rights and women’s health, serving a CEO of three of the nation’s largest Planned Parenthood organizations.
