Pedro Ramos to head the Philadelphia Foundation

Pedro A. Ramos, a lawyer and former chief of the School Reform Commission, has been named the next president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation, which awards grants and scholarships to nonprofit organizations.

Ramos, 50, is a partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, and previously chaired the Philadelphia school board in addition to his role at the SRC. He also served in city government as both managing director and city solicitor.

The first Latino to hold the position, Ramos will assume the post in August. Longtime president R. Andrew Swinney retired in June.

In an interview Tuesday, Ramos said his term as managing director and his experience with K-12 education gave him "a breadth and depth of perspective on the city" and its challenges that will inform his foundation work.

As it approaches its 97th birthday, Ramos said, the Philadelphia Foundation is considering how to best continue its work and how its role will change in its second century. It distributes about $20 million to nonprofits annually.

"The way community foundations will continue to differentiate themselves," Ramos said, is through their close relationships with the communities they serve.

Ramos said he expects that foundation leaders will soon assess the organization overall, leading to a strategic planning process with the ultimate goal of increasing its assets and programs.

Feather O. Houstoun, former president of the William Penn Foundation and a current member of the SRC, said Ramos will bring "a long and deep understanding of what the city is about" to the Philadelphia Foundation.

Ramos, appointed by former Gov. Tom Corbett, led the SRC during what Houstoun described as "a time of immense pressure" with budget constraints. But he "always kept his cool," she said, and "wasn't afraid of risk if it had specific payoff."

The community foundation, she added, "requires someone who engenders confidence in people that it will use their money well. Pedro will be an asset."