Business
La June Montgomery Tabron named president and CEO of Kellogg Foundation
(PRWire) – Battle Creek, Michigan – The Board of Trustees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced earlier this week it has selected La June Montgomery Tabron (pictured), to be the foundation’s next president and CEO, effective January 1, 2014.
Throughout her 26-year journey from controller to her current role of executive vice president of operations and treasurer, she has provided strong and decisive leadership demonstrating an understanding of all aspects of the foundation and its legacy. Tabron will become the 12th leader of the 83-year old foundation, replacing Sterling Speirn, who announced he is stepping down on December 31 after heading the foundation for nearly 8 years.
“After an extensive search that included outstanding candidates from both the United States and abroad, Ms. Tabron emerged as our new leader because of her strengths in so many areas of the foundation, and her deep and unwavering commitment to the foundation’s mission, vision and values,” said Rod Gillum, chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation board. “As our executive vice president, Ms. Tabron has collaborated with the leadership team to develop and implement W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s programming based on a deep understanding of grantees’ local knowledge and needs of their community. She has shown that she knows how to strike a balance between the board, staff and grantees, all while holding our high standard for impact.”
“I am pleased to have this opportunity to serve and to lead this wonderful foundation to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children,” said Tabron. “Growing up in a family of ten children in inner-city Detroit, I know first-hand the day-to-day challenges faced by the families we seek to help. In so many ways, my own journey illustrates the power and impact of what is possible with the right conditions.”
Tabron began her career at the foundation as a financial controller. Her drive and dedication to the mission of the foundation led to numerous promotions, allowing her to expand her responsibilities to all of internal operations including programming strategy and execution. Her leadership in the place-based areas of Mississippi and New Orleans has resulted in the launch of a strategic focus on the educational achievements of Young Males of Color.
“Our founder, Will Keith Kellogg, was dedicated to improving life outcomes for vulnerable children and communities while displaying dignity and humility,” continued Tabron. “His words and deeds emphasized the importance of putting people first. That remains central as we continue to implement our integrated strategic framework of funding, leveraging and elevating work that leads to healthy and well-educated children and economically secure families. And we will continue to focus on achieving racial equity through racial healing, and using civic and community engagement as our primary mechanisms for effecting sustainable change.”
Tabron earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She is a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant. Her career began as an auditor for Plante & Moran PLLC.
