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New CEO For Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish America will have a leader in the new year.

The Board of Directors selected Richard K. Davis to succeed David Williams as president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 2, 2019. The Phoenix, Ariz.-based national office announced the new appointment in a news release today.

Williams announced in the spring that he would leave the organization after 14 years. He will depart Oct. 31, 2018.

Davis most recently served as executive chairman of U.S. Bancorp, where he previously had been the president and CEO. He also sits on the boards of the National American Red Cross, Mayo Clinic and other well-known companies and nonprofits.

David Clark, chairman of the Board of Directors, said Davis “brings decades of experience leading large teams and organizations and we feel he is  exactly the right person to lead us into the next chapter.”

Davis has served on nonprofit boards for more than 30 years, including Goodwill, United Way, YMCA, the University of Minnesota Foundation and the University of San Diego. He also has held leadership positions on the boards of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Guthrie Theater and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In 2007, he was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service award.

Founded in 1980, Make-A-Wish is among the largest charities in the United States. The national office and its 62 affiliates reported total revenue of $360 million last year, according to consolidated financial statements for 2017. It ranked No. 52 on the 2017 NPT 100, a study of the largest nonprofits in the United States that derive at least 10 percent of revenue from public support. The national office reported revenue of $99 million in 2017.

Make-A-Wish’s announcement did not include details on compensation. As CEO, Williams last year earned $607,894, including base compensation of $448,839, according to the organization’s Form 990. He has been CEO since 2005 after spending 11 years at Habitat for Humanity International, rising to executive vice president and chief operating officer. He started his career as executive director of the Houston Food Bank.