The Skillman Foundation in Detroit Names Angelique Power President and CEO

Angelique Power will become the new president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation in Detroit after previously serving as president at the Field Foundation in Chicago.
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Angelique Power has been hired as the new president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation in Detroit. // Courtesy of the Skillman Foundation
Angelique Power has been hired as the new president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation in Detroit. // Courtesy of the Skillman Foundation

Angelique Power will become the new president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation in Detroit after previously serving as president at the Field Foundation in Chicago.

The Skillman Foundation states Power is equipped to lead the organization to empower the voice of Detroit’s youth and what they need to become the best authors of the future.

“Selecting Angelique Power was a unanimous decision by the search committee and board. She has a storied track record of building across constituencies locally, regionally, and nationally to achieve massive, community-led change. Her experience and skills will build on The Skillman Foundation’s 60 years of impact, furthering racial equity and helping Detroit children be the authors of their own future,” says Suzanne Shank, president and CEO of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC. and vice-chair for The Skillman Foundation. Shank led the search committee.

Power’s passion for racial injustice and childcare derives from the influence of her childhood. She grew up in the Southside of Chicago where his white Jewish mother raised her along with her African American father, who rose through the ranks at the Chicago Police Force to become a Sergeant. Her childhood influenced Power’s creative and strategic mindset regarding racial justice issues.

“As we turn the page on the past year, it’s vital that the young people at the heart of so many movements are supported and empowered to catalyze and sustain change,” says Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. “Angelique Power is recognized nationally as a uniquely talented CEO with an impeccable record of transformative leadership in philanthropy. She will elevate and extend The Skillman Foundation’s inspired legacy of championing Detroit’s young and emerging leaders to meet this moment.”

At the Field Foundation, through partnerships locally and nationally, Powers doubled the foundations grantmaking and staff size. In reaching those results, she re-innovated the foundation, implemented socially responsible and racially equitable values to the organization itself, created new funding paradigms, and even had the foundation’s impact measurement re-thought.

Other organizations that have been led or created by Power include Enrich Chicago and Just Action, both of which she co-founded; the Julian Grace Foundation; and an interactive map project that focuses on a plan for the recovery of public post-COVID-19.

Power will take office at The Skillman Foundation on Sept. 13th, and will replace the previous president and CEO, Tonya Allen, who recently stepped down.

“The Skillman Foundation has a rich history of supporting Detroit children in holistic ways. It amplifies the voices of Detroit youth and ensures they are able to dream and design their destiny. I could not be more proud to join the team on this mission,” says Power.