Kyle Peterson
A new executive director is set take over the Walton Family Foundation this fall.
Officials today announced the hiring of Kyle Peterson, a managing partner and board member of the Boston-based nonprofit consulting firm FSG (formerly Foundation Strategy Group).
Peterson will be the third executive director in the foundation’s history, and will replace Buddy Philpot, who led the group for 15 years. Philpot last year announced plans to move into a role with Walton Enterprises.
The philanthropic organization, created by the founders of Walmart, provides grants for environmental conservation causes, programming for K-12 education, and projects designed to improve the quality of life for area residents.
The foundation has helped fund a variety of recent local projects, including an $815,000 grant for construction of the Town Branch and Tsa La Gi trails in south Fayetteville, an award to local theatre company TheatreSquared for architecture and design of a new theatre, and a grant to help construct a new bike park at Lake Fayetteville.
The organization distributed grants totaling nearly $375 million in 2015, according to a news release. This year the foundation announced plans to make grants of more than $2 billion through 2020.
