Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) announced that Dr. Kathleen Annette was recently appointed as Program Advisor to the boards of directors for Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Anne Ray Foundation, both of which operate under the umbrella of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.
The newly created Program Advisor role will provide insights into board planning and oversight of program strategies. Kathy will provide support, advice, and perspectives on progress toward the Philanthropies program strategies and the evaluation and learning related to those strategies, as well as offer insight on possible changes or trends in the philanthropic sector.
Kathy brings more than 30 years of experience to the Program Advisor role, most recently as President and CEO of Blandin Foundation, a role from which she retired earlier this year. A lifelong resident of rural Minnesota, she grew up on the Red Lake Indian Reservation and is enrolled with White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She is a graduate of University of Minnesota, where she received both her medical and undergraduate degrees. She is the first Ojibwe woman in her tribe to become a physician.
Prior to joining Blandin Foundation, Kathy served as acting deputy director of field operations of Indian Health Service in Bemidji, where she supervised Area Directors across the United States, including 48 hospitals, 238 health clinics serving 1.9 million American Indian patients, and 15,000 federal employees. For her leadership, she received two Presidential Meritorious Awards as well as the Presidential Distinguished Service Award.
Kathy’s many honors and awards include the American Indian Physician of the Year award, Northwest Minnesota Foundation Quality of Place Award, and the Jake White Crow National Award, presented by the National Indian Health Board. She was inducted into the Northwest Minnesota Women’s Hall of Fame at Bemidji State University in 2006 and into the Academy of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Duluth in 2005 (the first woman so honored).
Before becoming President and CEO of Blandin Foundation in 2011, Kathy served on the Foundation’s board for 12 years (1991-2003).
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kathy Annette to our joint board of directors,” commented Paul Busch, President & CEO at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. “Kathy’s depth of experience will bring new insights and perspectives to our program work, and I know she will be a great addition to MACP.”
