Wendy Guillies, who has served as the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation‘s interim CEO and president for the past year, has officially been appointed to the position.

“Over the past several months, we conducted a robust, national search for the next leader of the Foundation.  In the final analysis, it was clear that the best candidate to lead us into the future was already here,” said John Sherman, member of the Board of Trustees and chair of the search committee. “For the past 15 years, Wendy has played a significant role in our success and we are poised to make a greater impact under her leadership in the years ahead.”

A native of Kansas City, Kan., Guillies has served with the foundation for 15 years. She played a key role in developing Kauffman’s 10-year plan, and she’s responsible for the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration. She serves on the boards of Kauffman FastTrac, KCSourceLink and the Greater Kansas City Chamber, where she’s part of the executive committee.

“Given my deep respect for Mr. Kauffman, it is an honor to be named CEO of the Foundation that bears his name,” Guillies said. “While the Foundation has accomplished a great deal, there is much work to be done. I look forward to working with our extraordinary staff, Trustees and leaders in our Kansas City community to fulfill Mr. Kauffman’s legacy and realize his vision of helping individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.”