Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
MPR News Staff

R.T. Rybak named CEO and president of The Minneapolis Foundation

Former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak
Former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak was named CEO and president of The Minneapolis Foundation.
Tim Post | MPR News file

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

The Minneapolis Foundation announced Monday it has hired former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to lead the 100-year-old institution.

He'll be the foundation's seventh top executive, succeeding Sandra Vargas who is retiring.

Rybak's begins his new job on July 1. After he left the mayor's office, he served as executive director of Generation Next.

The Minneapolis Foundation said in a statement it had conducted a nationwide search for a new CEO, but in Rybak has found a leader with deep roots in the city, having served as mayor for 12 years and on boards including the Northside Achievement Zone, which seeks to boost school performance by students in north Minneapolis.

Foundation Board Chair Norm Rickeman said in the statement that despite Minnesota's philanthropic track record, "the disparities that exist in our community are unacceptable. We can and must do better."

"I am hopeful that the selection of R.T. will allow us to build off the progress we are making, and that it will lead to finding real solutions to the gaps that exist in our community," said Board Vice Chair Nekima Levy-Pounds.

Levy-Pounds, who also is president of the Minneapolis NAACP, has been critical of the city of Minneapolis after police fatally shot 24-year-old Jamar Clark last fall.

Rybak said in a statement it's a "tremendous honor to be joining a true institution that has spent a century doing great things for my hometown," while adding that the foundation must to do more to address poverty and inequity.