Following a national search, the Madison Community Foundation said Thursday it has hired Jonathan Lever, executive vice president of the nonprofit John E. Fetzer Institute, to succeed Bob Sorge as president and CEO.
The appointment, effective Feb. 1, 2027, was announced in an email by Anne Lucke, chair of the Madison Community Foundation Board of Governors.
Lever has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector.
In addition to serving as executive vice president of the Fetzer Institute, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he is the organization’s chief operating officer and corporate secretary.
At the Fetzer Institute, Lever managed an $800 million endowment and a $40 million operating and grantmaking budget.
He has held leadership positions at YMCA of the USA and he founded and led the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.
Sorge is retiring after serving as MCF’s president and CEO for the past 14 years.
“The Board of Governors is extraordinarily grateful to Bob for his outstanding leadership in guiding the growth and impact of our community’s foundation,” Lucke said in the email.
“We look forward to having Bob at the helm until February and appreciate his commitment to ensuring a smooth leadership transition to Jonathan.”
