Milestones that Matter

Chris Romano

Doran Leadership Partners congratulates the Bush Foundation and its new Chief Operating Officer!

In early 2021, the Bush Foundation announced significant changes to their grantmaking strategies to spur much-needed transformative change across the region. With that strategic shift, Bush also decided to realign its non-grantmaking functions under a single new leader, the Chief Operating Officer. Doran Leadership Partners was pleased to partner with the Bush Foundation on the design of this critical new role and to lead the national search. The engagement was led by Heidi Westlind and project managed by Jared Quade.

Chris Romano, who started as Bush’s inaugural COO in January 2022, brings decades of mission-oriented leadership experience from Riverview Economic Development Association, Thrivent Financial, Seward Redesign and the Peace Corps. He is known for his inclusive organizational leadership skills and his ability to lead highly complex, transformative work. Chris is a former Bush Fellow, a recognized community leader and active board member.

The Bush Foundation invests in great ideas and the people who power them in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.