The Carter Center Board of Trustees Elects John Moores as Next Chairman of the Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deanna Congileo
Office of Public Information
dcongil@emory.edu

ATLANTA….As part of a planned transition for the governance of The Carter Center, President and Mrs. Carter announced at a regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting yesterday that they would relinquish their titles as chair and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees. The trustees accepted their decision and elected John Moores, a trustee of the Center and San Diego businessman, owner of The San Diego Padres and recent chairman of the California Board of Regents, as chairman of the Board.

President Carter said, "Continuing a transition process for the long-term governance of The Carter Center that began in 1994 with the creation of an external Board of Trustees, Rosalynn and I have decided to relinquish our titles as chair and vice-chair of the Carter Center Board of Trustees. We will remain as trustees on the board and plan to maintain active roles in Carter Center programmatic and fundraising activities, including Rosalynn's work with her mental health program.

"Rosalynn and I see this as part of the ongoing process of preparing The Carter Center for the time when we no longer are active. We are blessed with good health and stamina that allow us to stay engaged in the many facets of the Center. But now is the time for our board to assume a more prominent role in the governance and long-term mission of the Center. As its founders, we know The Carter Center will always be linked to our identity and personalities, but we proudly recognize the Center has expanded its reach beyond what the two of us contribute.

"Rosalynn and I are very pleased that the board has selected one of its own, John Moores, as the next chair of the Board of Trustees. John has been a member of our board since its creation in 1994. We first met John and his wife, Becky, more than a decade ago, when we learned of their philanthropic efforts to assist those suffering from river blindness disease. This unselfish commitment led to their greater involvement in the work of The Carter Center and an unquestioned belief in its mission. We are confident in the Center's future with John as chair.

"Carter Center Executive Director Dr. John Hardman and the program and administrative team contribute greatly to the Center's success. We are gratified by the institution we all have built together and are committed to assuring its effectiveness for generations to come.

"Along with several other developments during the past decade, this change gives us the satisfaction of knowing The Carter Center will be able to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope indefinitely. We have been encouraged by the addition of more than $150 million to the Carter Center's endowment, the assembly of a highly skilled staff of professionals who lead and implement the Center's work, and the reassurance that comes from a 22-year record of improving quality of life and building hope for suffering people around the world.

"We intend to lead election missions, mediate conflict, maintain and expand relationships with heads of state and other leaders in governments and corporate and not-for-profit partners, and to continue fundraising for the Center through our donor and direct mail efforts and special events such as the Ambassador and Legacy Circle activities and the annual Winter Weekend. We will, of course, be available to staff and others for advice and counsel."

"I am excited and humbled as I undertake this challenge," said John Moores.

"The Board is mindful that it is impossible to replace President and Mrs. Carter and the unique roles they have in the world. To my relief, they are not going anywhere and will remain, as long as they desire, very active in all phases of the Carter Center's efforts. The Carters have laid a strong foundation for the future of the Center, and I, and other members of the Board are fully committed to building on this foundation. I accept this honor with a keen understanding of and devotion to the Center's mission to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope for the most needy citizens of our world."

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For the complete roster of the Carter Center's Board of Trustees, click here.