DENVER, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Gary Community Ventures announced today the appointment of Santhosh Ramdoss as interim president and CEO following the resignation of its former president and CEO, Mike Johnston. Ramdoss has served as Gary Community Ventures’ chief investment officer and will assume his new position effective immediately.
“Mike’s love for the people of Colorado has made him relentless in the pursuit of delivering equitable opportunities with and for the communities we serve at Gary,” said Chris Watney, board chair of Gary Community Ventures. “We will always be grateful for his commitment to realizing Sam and Nancy Gary’s vision of a Colorado where all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and reach their full potential.”
Johnston, who stepped down prior to announcing his candidacy for Mayor of Denver, became president and CEO of Gary in January of 2020. Under Johnston’s leadership, Gary created COVIDCheck Colorado, an emergency response to the pandemic that delivered 1.9 million COVID-19 tests and 300,000 vaccines to Coloradans in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. By leveraging Gary’s Certified B Corp known as Gary Ventures, Johnston helped lead the effort to pass Proposition EE, which provided statewide funding for universal preschool. He also brought together a diverse coalition of more than 260 organizations and leaders to pass Proposition 123, a statewide ballot measure designed to increase affordable housing in Colorado. Johnston, alongside Ramdoss, also helped expand home ownership for Black Coloradans through the creation of the Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth.
“I speak for the entire board when I say we are thrilled to appoint Santhosh as interim president and CEO,” said Watney. “Since joining Gary in July of 2020, Santhosh has brought a level of financial prowess and innovation that has broadened and deepened our impact in the community. There is no one more poised to lead the organization in delivering the results that Colorado’s kids and families deserve.”
Ramdoss currently oversees Gary’s endowment while helping the organization deploy its assets directly in service of its mission. In his role as the chief investment officer, Ramdoss bolstered Gary’s legacy as a pioneering place-based impact investor while also partnering with leading fund managers and companies to advance mission-driven impact. In addition to leading Gary’s broader endowment and impact investments, Ramdoss will also oversee the organization’s philanthropy and policy practices.
Ramdoss has 15 years of experience working at the intersection of finance, markets, and impact. Prior to joining Gary, he led the impact investing strategy and execution at the Skoll Foundation, managing grants and investments that helped support the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. He also worked as the director of investments at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, where he helped lead the foundation’s investments in financial services and workforce readiness, creating a path for marginalized families to access economic security and financial wellbeing.
“It is an honor and privilege to lead Gary Community Ventures into this next phase of community partnership and impact,” said Santhosh Ramdoss, interim president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures. “We have built a remarkable organization under Mike’s leadership, leveraging a range of tools across business, policy and philanthropy to transform the lives of children and families. The talent and dedication of Gary staff, combined with the expertise and experience of our partners and community, continue to prove that we can and will create boundless opportunities for Coloradans to thrive now and in the future.”
By continuing to leverage the combination of business, policy and philanthropic tools together, Ramdoss will lead Gary staff and partners in the creation of new ventures designed to deliver sustainable change and opportunity for generations of Colorado kids and families.
Gary Community Ventures is the legacy of Colorado philanthropists Sam and Nancy Gary, who combined the resources of a foundation and a B Corp to increase opportunity for Colorado kids and families. Together, Gary Philanthropy and Gary Ventures partner with our community to leverage business, policy and philanthropy to break down the biggest barriers to opportunity and co-create breakthrough solutions for those who need it most. As we listen with humility to our community, partners, and each other, we learn together to drive action that guarantees School Readiness, advances Youth Success, and stimulates Family Economic Mobility. Whether we’re growing solutions that already exist, building solutions that don’t yet exist or changing the policy landscape to expand opportunity to those who need it most, we dare to be bold, working urgently with our community and partners to deliver a future where all Colorado kids can grow up healthy and reach their full potential.