Surdna Foundation Elects New Board Member and Investment Committee Chair
Gary Hall Joins Board; Ommeed Sathe Named Investment Committee Chair
NEW YORK (November 13, 2025) — The Surdna Foundation announced today the election of Gary Hall as its newest board member and the appointment of Ommeed Sathe as chair of the board’s investment committee. These appointments reflect Surdna’s continued commitment to building financial expertise that supports the foundation’s mission of fostering just and sustainable communities.
“We welcome Gary Hall as our newest community board member,” said Caitlin Boger-Hawkins, chairperson of Surdna’s board of directors. “He brings a long track record of making communities more just, prosperous, and sustainable.”
Gary Hall is a partner and co-president of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC, the nation’s largest minority-owned investment bank. His distinguished 35-year career spans investment banking, private equity, law, and government service, including a White House Fellowship under President Clinton. Gary has extensive experience in infrastructure investment and public finance, and serves on numerous boards.
“I am honored to join the Surdna Foundation’s board of directors and contribute to its vital work advancing social justice and economic opportunity,” said Gary Hall. “Surdna’s commitment to racial equity and sustainable communities aligns deeply with my career-long focus on creating access to capital and building financial systems that serve all Americans. I look forward to working alongside my fellow board members to strengthen the foundation’s impact in communities across the country.”
The board also appointed Ommeed Sathe, who joined Surdna’s Board in November 2022, to serve as chair of the investment committee. Sathe is managing director of impact investing & sustainability at Liberty Mutual Investments. Previously, he served as head of impact and responsible investing at Prudential, where he managed a portfolio exceeding $1 billion invested across alternative asset classes. He brings deep expertise in impact investing, having successfully grown portfolios while delivering exemplary financial and social returns.
“I’m excited to take on this new leadership role as investment committee chair,” said Ommeed Sathe. “Surdna has long been a pioneer in aligning its investments with its mission. I look forward to working with the committee and our investment partners to continue advancing strategies that generate strong financial returns and meaningful social impact, particularly in underserved communities.”
“We were struck by Gary Hall’s deep commitment to social justice and significant experience in investment banking and finance infrastructure,” said Don Chen, president of the Surdna Foundation. “Combined with Ommeed Sathe’s proven track record in impact investing, these appointments position us to strengthen our impact and help make racial justice a reality in communities across the United States.”
In keeping with the board’s term limits, Tracy Palandjian, co-founder and CEO of Social Finance, stepped down after 12 years of distinguished service to the foundation. During her Surdna board tenure, Tracy served as investment committee chair and helped guide the foundation’s inaugural impact investing portfolio. “Tracy’s mark on Surdna has been indelible and all of us are grateful for her many contributions to the foundation and impact investing field,” Don Chen, president of the Surdna Foundation.
About the Surdna Foundation
The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States — communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. For over five generations, the foundation has been governed largely by descendants of John E. Andrus and has developed a tradition of innovative service for those in need of help or opportunity. Learn more: https://surdna.org/
Board Leadership
Board Chairperson Caitlin Boger-Hawkins, a fifth-generation Andrus family member, joined Surdna’s Board of Directors in 2015, served as its Vice Chairperson for three years, and was appointed Chair in 2023. She has 25 years of experience as a community college administrator and currently serves as Senior Director of Institutional Research at Connecticut State Community College.
Board Vice Chairperson Shari Wilson, a fifth-generation Andrus family member, joined Surdna’s Board in 2019 and was appointed Vice Chair in 2023. She consults on public health and environmental issues affecting life in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and previously worked in public service for local, state, and federal government in the public health and environmental field.
Board Secretary/Treasurer Peter Voorhees, a fifth-generation Andrus family member, joined Surdna’s board in 2015 and has served as Secretary/Treasurer since 2016. He is a partner with the international law firm Simmons & Simmons LLP, where he practices corporate finance law.
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Cahill
ecahill@surdna.org
917-501-1187