Retirement of Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione

By Terry Gamble Boyer 
Chair of the Ploughshares Fund Board of Directors

Today we announce the planned retirement of Ploughshares Fund president and longtime national security expert, Joseph Cirincione.

The Ploughshares Fund board of directors is actively engaged in a search to select the global security foundation's next president, with an appointment scheduled to be announced before Joe's retirement in mid-2020.

Joe's contributions to Ploughshares Fund are immeasurable.

In 2008, he became only the second president of our foundation, following the 2006 passing of our visionary founding president Sally Lilienthal. Joe's storied career spans over four decades as a foreign policy analyst, national security staffer in Congress, and a frequent expert commentator in print and on air. Prior to his tenure as president of Ploughshares Fund, Joe served as director of nuclear policy programs at the Stimson Center, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and as vice president for national security at the Center for American Progress.

"Now is the time for a new generation to lead," Joe told our board and staff on how he came to the decision to retire in mid-2020. "A transition will be a healthy way to revitalize and adapt Ploughshares Fund to the urgencies of the new moment. Building on our accomplishments and working with a stellar group of grantees, a new president can guide the foundation into the next decade and beyond."

Joe charted new ground in the national security field. During his tenure at Ploughshares Fund, more than $66 million and 1,300 grants were awarded to confront the existential threat of nuclear weapons. Joe was instrumental in opening our Washington, DC office and moving our foundation into more direct operational work. He led the strategy of unifying experts and advocates on focused campaigns for specific strategic objectives. Under Joe's leadership, Ploughshares Fund played a major convening role in marshaling support for the 2010 New START treaty and the 2015 landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — also known as the Iran Deal.

A new, 30-minute interview with Joe about his retirement is now available on this week's episode of "Press the Button" podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Joe transformed the foundation. With his charismatic wit, encyclopedic expertise, and passion for our mission, Joe has been a truly visionary leader not just for Ploughshares Fund — but for entire generations of those dedicated to the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Please join us in congratulating Joe as he transitions into retirement in 2020.

Interviews for the position are in progress. For inquiries about the Ploughshares Fund president job opportunity, or to nominate a candidate, e-mail: ploughsharesfund@heidrick.com