Board of Directors and Advisory Council

Inter-American Foundation

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) is an independent foreign assistance agency of the United States government that provides grants to grassroots organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Created in 1969 as an experimental program, the IAF responds to innovative, participatory and sustainable self-help development projects proposed by the grassroots groups and organizations that support them. It also encourages partnerships among community organizations, businesses and local governments, directed at improving the quality of life for poor people and strengthening democratic practices. To contribute to a better understanding of the development process, the IAF shares its experiences and the lessons it has learned. The Inter-American Foundation is governed by a nine-person board of directors appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Six members are drawn from the private sector and three from the federal government. The board is assisted by an advisory council. A president, appointed by the board, serves as the Inter- American Foundation’s chief executive officer, managing a staff of 47 employees based in Arlington, Virginia.

Congress appropriates funds annually for the Inter-American Foundation. The IAF also has access to the Social Progress Trust Fund administered by the Inter-American Development Bank and consisting of payments on U.S. government loans extended under the Alliance for Progress to various Latin American and Caribbean governments. Since 1972, the IAF has made 4,400 grants for more than $541 million. Together, the IAF and its grantees have created cost-effective models of social and economic development which have often been replicated by government and larger donor agencies to better the conditions of hundreds of thousands of poor families in communities throughout the hemisphere. 

Board of Directors and Advisory Council

Frank Yturria, Chairman
Yturria Ranch Enterprises
Brownsville, Texas

Patricia Hill Williams, Vice Chair
Vice President, External Affairs
State University of New York at Farmingdale
Farmingdale, New York

Kay K. Arnold
Vice President, System Government Affairs
Entergy Corporation
Little Rock, Arkansas

Advisory Council

Rita DiMartino
Vice President, Congressional Relations
AT&T
Washington, D.C.

John C. Duncan
Director
South American Gold & Copper Ltd.
New York, New York

Charles Gargano
Chairman
Empire State Development Corporation
New York, New York

James R. Jones
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Washington, D.C.

Steve Knaebel
President
Cummins S. de R. L. de C. V.
Mexico, D.F., Mexico

Douglas Patiño
President
The Patiño Group
Sacramento, California

Patricia V. Mares Asip
President
Mares Inter-Americas Corporation
Plano, Texas 

Renate Rennie
President
The Tinker Foundation Inc.
New York, New York

Deanna Rodríguez
Vice President, Corporate Contributions
Entergy Services, Inc.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Al Zapanta
President and Chief Executive Officer
U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
Washington, D.C.