SAN FRANCISCO / PRNewswire-USNewswire / — College Futures Foundation—formerly College Access Foundation of California—announced the appointment of Lenny Mendonca, director emeritus of McKinsey & Company, and Willa Seldon, a partner at The Bridgespan Group, to its board of directors.

Mendonca and Seldon will help oversee the foundation’s strategic development and guide investments to improve college access, persistence, and degree attainment rates for low-income California students.

Mendonca founded the U.S. state and local public sector practice of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. He led the firm’s knowledge development and communications efforts for many years, and helped dozens of government, corporate, and nonprofit clients solve difficult challenges.

Currently, Mendonca serves as a senior fellow at the Presidio Institute, chair of Children Now, co-chair of California Forward, and on the boards of The New America Foundation and The California Business for Educational Excellence Foundation. He received his MBA and certificate in public management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his AB in economics from Harvard College.

“California’s future depends on the success of students now in our education system,” said Mendonca. “Ensuring that those students complete a high quality college program at a reasonable cost is among the most important promises we can make, and will require cross-sector solutions. I’m delighted to have joined the College Futures Foundation board to help enable the delivery of that promise.”

“Lenny Mendonca is committed to thoughtful, practical, cross-sector solutions to California’s toughest challenges around educational attainment and economic vitality,” said Julia Lopez, president and CEO of College Futures. “We are lucky to bring his expertise to bear in our work.”

As a partner at The Bridgespan Group, Willa Seldon advises mission-driven organizations on developing effective strategies and improving operating models for greater social impact.

Previously, she served as the CEO of the Glide Foundation and executive director of the Tides Center, an organization that provides infrastructure services to nonprofit groups. Her for-profit experience includes leadership roles with Milepost Ventures, a venture capital firm she co-founded, and AirTouch Communications, a multi-billion dollar wireless communications company. She has been awarded the Most Influential Women in Business award by the San Francisco Business Times. Seldon has an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, a JD from Yale Law School, and an AB from Bryn Mawr College.

“Willa Seldon is a strategic thinker with deep experience in the business world as well as the philanthropic sector,” said Lopez. “We are delighted that she is joining our board at this important stage of our development and look forward to working with her on our evolving strategy to increase bachelor’s degree completion.”

“I am happy to join the College Futures Foundation Board of Directors as the organization takes an exciting leap forward to achieve greater educational outcomes for California’s low-income youth,” said Seldon. “The foundation’s practical, data-driven, highly collaborative approach will lead to a stronger postsecondary system in California and a stronger state.”

 About College Futures Foundation

College Futures Foundation, formerly College Access Foundation of California, operates on the beliefs that a vibrant future for California’s economy and communities requires more bachelor’s degrees, and that every student in California should have the chance to succeed in college. College Futures works to increase opportunities for low-income and underrepresented students by removing barriers to college degrees. Established in 2005, the foundation awards nearly $20 million in grants annually and has an endowment of nearly $500 million. Together with its grantees and partners, College Futures works towards more graduates for a thriving California. Visit www.collegefutures.org.