Ford Foundation Announces Heather Gerken as New President

Heather Gerken will become the 11th president of the Ford Foundation in November 2025, succeeding Darren Walker. Gerken is the current dean of Yale Law School and a nationally recognized expert on constitutional law and democracy. As dean of Yale Law School and the Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law, Gerken prioritized addressing economic barriers to the legal profession and increasing access for underrepresented students. In addition to her duties as dean, she founded and leads Yale Law School’s innovative San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project Clinic, which helps students work with city attorneys to litigate cases on behalf of the city. Gerken’s appointment follows an extensive national and international search led by the board of trustees and Russell Reynolds Associates, which began in 2024 when Walker announced that he would step down after more than a decade of leading the Ford Foundation.