Kauffman Foundation’s CEO Pick: DeAngela Burns-Wallace

Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, a Kansas City native and former cabinet member for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, has been named as the next CEO of the Ewing M. Kauffman Foundation.

Burns-Wallace, who has worked in business, public-sector and higher education roles, was the first African American to hold the roles of Chief Information Technology Officer and Secretary of Administration in Kansas. Before that, spent 15 years in higher education, much of it at the region’s two premier state universities: the University of Kansas, where she was Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and the University of Missouri, as Assistant Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management. Before that she served as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Stanford University, and was with the State Department, where she was posted at various times to China, South Africa, and in Washington D.C. 

Ingram’s recognized her as a 50 Missourian You Should Know in 2014, before her move to the other side of the state line, and again in 2020 with its Women Executives-Kansas City honors.

Her depth of experience, the foundation said in announcing her selection, “has made her a sought-after expert, keynote speaker, and national trainer on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion; talent development; organizational behavior; operational effectiveness; strategic management; and authentic leadership.”

Burns-Wallace holds a dual bachelor’s degree in international relations and African American studies from Stanford and a master’s in public affairs from Princeton University; her Ph.D. was in education, from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently holds a faculty appointment at the University of Southern California. 

The complete news release on her selection is available here.

Posted July 18, 2023