Kellogg Foundation Names New President, CEO

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BATTLE CREEK — The Board of Trustees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation have named La June Montgomery Tabron to be the foundation’s next president and CEO. Tabron will become the 12th leader of the 83-year old foundation, replacing Sterling Speirn, who announced he is stepping down on Dec. 31 after heading the foundation for nearly eight years. Tabron began her career at the foundation as a financial controller.

“After an extensive search that included outstanding candidates from both the United States and abroad, La June emerged as our new leader because of her strengths in so many areas of the foundation, and her deep and unwavering commitment to the foundation’s mission, vision and values,” said Rod Gillum, chair of the board.

“Our founder, Will Keith Kellogg, was dedicated to improving life outcomes for vulnerable children and communities while displaying dignity and humility,” said Tabron. “His words and deeds emphasized the importance of putting people first. That remains central as we continue to implement our integrated strategic framework of funding, leveraging and elevating work that leads to healthy and well-educated children and economically secure families. And we will continue to focus on achieving racial equity through racial healing, and using civic and community engagement as our primary mechanisms for effecting sustainable change.”

Tabron earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. She is a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant. Her career began as an auditor for Plante & Moran PLLC. She also serves as president of the board of the Western Michigan University Foundation and is a board member of the Michigan-based Bronson Healthcare Group, in addition to numerous other community and professional organizations.