Christopher Goett
Santa Fe Community Foundation News:
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Community Foundation, New Mexico’s largest nonprofit funder, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Goett as its new president and CEO, effective July 28. Goett will succeed Sue Coliton, who has served as the organization’s interim president and CEO since September 2020.
“We are delighted that Chris has chosen the Santa Fe Community Foundation for this next chapter of his career,” Search Committee Chair Marcos Zubia said. “We’re grateful for all who made this decision possible, including my colleagues on the Search Committee, the Foundation staff and board, and the hundreds of people who participated in the initial constituent conversations.”
Goett is a value-oriented leader with over 20 years of experience in community-based philanthropy. He currently serves as the executive director of the Wescom Foundation in California, where he has provided leadership, strategy, and management for all functions within the organization since 2019. Prior to that, he served the California Community Foundation as its senior program officer, a role that saw him managing a $3 million annual grant portfolio to address housing insecurity and promote job creation across Los Angeles County.
“It is a tremendous honor to join the Foundation as president and CEO, and to be given the opportunity to build on the achievements of the last 40 years. I am humbled to be in this community – and by extension to be a part of a passionate and dynamic team,” Goett said.
Goett joins the Foundation following a year of record-breaking grantmaking and philanthropic resource expansion. In 2020, the Foundation awarded a robust $17 million, up from $7 million the year prior, and advanced its partnerships both regionally and statewide.
Goett’s proven ability to engage diverse groups of people, execute innovative community initiatives, and drive collaborative change to advance racial and economic equity, improve community health, and combat housing insecurity, make him the ideal candidate to lead the Foundation as it continues to grow and moves to build community resiliency following the pandemic.
“The board and I are confident that Chris is the best person to both uphold the rich history of the Foundation and launch it into a new era as our communities continue to recover from the challenges faced last year,” Board Chair Beth Beloff said. “When I reflect on his values, I know Chris will lead with integrity, transparency, and a commitment to serving the people of northern New Mexico with great care.”
