Wendy Wachtell

Biography

Ms. Wachtell is the CEO of the Joseph Drown Foundation, a private foundation that distributes approximately $10 million annually to nonprofits in the Los Angeles area. The primary focus of the Foundation is education, with a particular interest in supporting strong K-12 public schools and college access programs. Other fields of interest include medical research, community, health and social services and arts and humanities. Ms. Wachtell is responsible for all grant evaluation, site visits, recommendations to the Board of Directors and post-grant evaluation. In addition, Ms. Wachtell oversees the investment portfolio of approximately $100 million in assets. Ms. Wachtell supervises the administrative, legal, tax and accounting activities of the Foundation and represents the Foundation at programs, conferences and special events. Ms. Wachtell is a director of the Foundation and chairs the Investment Committee. She has been at the Foundation for 36 years.

In addition, Ms. Wachtell is a director of Emles Trust, an asset manager with transparent, liquid ETFs and mutual funds that provide investors with access to a suite of differentiated investment strategies. Ms. Wachtell also co-manages a family limited partnership that includes marketable securities, investments in private companies, and real estate.

Ms. Wachtell currently serves on a variety of non-profit boards, including Harvard-Westlake School, The Rape Foundation, and the Leadership Council for International Medical Corps. Past board service includes The John Thomas Dye School, The Accelerated School, Southern California Grantmakers, and Los Angeles Urban Funders.

She holds an MA in journalism from USC, where she taught Freshman Writing, and a BA from Wellesley College.