Contact: Pherabe Kolb
Managing Director, Communications and Public Affairs
The Aspen Institute
202-736-2906 | pherabe.kolb@aspeninstitute.org
Aspen Institute’s Amy Margerum Berg to Step Down;
Will Lead Ken Burns Foundation After 16-Year Run
Washington, DC, March 15, 2016 — The Aspen Institute announced today that Amy Margerum Berg, Executive Vice President for Development and Operations and Corporate Secretary, will depart the Institute at the end of March to serve as president of The Better Angels Society, a non-profit that supports the work, educational programs and legacy of the documentarian Ken Burns.
“What an incredible run this has been with the Aspen Institute,” said Berg. “I have been privileged to work alongside President and CEO Walter Isaacson, Chairman of the Board Bob Steel, and many other immensely capable leaders to fulfill the Institute’s important mission of promoting values-based leadership and the open exchange of ideas.”
“Amy exemplifies the kind of smart leadership and commitment to service that the Aspen Institute is known for,” said Isaacson. “Her tremendous contributions as a key member of our senior management team, on so many fronts, are sure to leave a lasting imprint. The Institute would not be what it is today without the dedication and acumen of Amy Margerum Berg.”
During her 16-year tenure, Berg served as a key leader and manager of the Institute during a period of intense growth in the size, scope, and reach of the organization. During that period, the Institute grew from a $50M budget with 150 employees to more than $260M and 362 employees.
In addition to managing the Institute’s finances and administration, Amy was also instrumental in growing a robust community outreach program in Aspen, opening the Institute to a multitude of school children and members of the local community. She also oversaw significant upgrades to the Institute’s Aspen Meadows campus, including new construction that enhanced the Institute’s capacity for hosting large-scale public events such as the Aspen Ideas Festival. Those enhancements include the LEED Gold Certified Doerr-Hosier Center, the Greenwald Pavilion, and the renovation of both the Walter Paepcke Memorial Building and Resnick-Malek Health Center.
Berg also played a key role in increasing the depth of philanthropic support through personal stewardship and a major $100M capital campaign that exceeded its intended goals, putting the Institute on strong financial footing.
As Corporate Secretary, she managed the Institute’s important relations with its 65-member Board of Trustees and oversaw the seamless leadership transitions of three successive chairmen.
Berg’s myriad responsibilities at the Institute have been divided among several executives as part of a reorganization of the Institute’s senior leadership structure that reflects the increased complexity and size of its operations. Eric Motley has been elevated to Executive Vice President of Development and Corporate Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Namita Khasat is serving as Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Treasurer. Cristal Logan has been promoted to Vice President, Aspen, and Becky Ward will oversee the Institute’s Aspen Meadows campus facilities.
The Better Angels Society is a not-for-profit organization working to preserve American history and introducing that history to current and future generations by making philanthropic donations to fund and support education, production and preservation of documentaries by Ken Burns and a new generation of filmmakers. For more information, visit http://www.betterangelssociety.org/
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