Dorothy McAuliffe, public sector leader, joins Partnership for Public Service board of directors

October 29, 2025

WASHINGTON – The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service today announced that Dorthy McAuliffe has been elected to its board of directors.

“Dorothy’s commitment to building bridges across sectors—from government to the nonprofit and private sectors—is what our democracy needs,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “Her ability to unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals will be invaluable to our board of directors.”

“I’m honored to join the Partnership’s board and help strengthen the institutions that make our democracy work,” said Dorothy McAuliffe. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen how effective public-private partnerships and dedicated public servants can drive meaningful change for Americans, and I’m committed to advancing that mission.”

“Dorothy brings exceptional experience in both diplomacy and domestic policy to our board,” said Tom Bernstein, chairman of the Partnership for Public Service. “Her track record of turning vision into action demonstrates the strategic leadership that will benefit the Partnership and the public servants we support.”

McAuliffe served as the State Department’s Special Representative for Global Partnerships, where she led the agency’s engagement with the private sector and civil society to advance U.S. foreign policy. As the first lady of Virginia, she chaired the No Kid Hungry Virginia campaign in partnership with Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit focused on solving food insecurity. From 2016 to 2017, she served as chair of the National Governors Association Spouses Program, fostering collaboration between governors and first spouses to bring child hunger and food insecurity to the forefront of state education and workforce agendas. Her efforts in removing barriers to national service for youth at the college level resulted in Virginia becoming the first state designated as an Employer of National Service. McAuliffe has extensive experience in nonprofit and for-profit governance sectors, building cross-sector partnerships, and engaging stakeholders, serving on various boards including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, Service Year and FoodCorps.

Other current members of the Partnership for Public Service’s board of directors include: 

• Tom A. Bernstein: President, Chelsea Piers Management, Inc., and Chairman, Partnership for Public Service  
• Karan Bhatia: Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google
• Doug Conant: Founder and CEO, ConantLeadership and Former CEO and President, Campbell Soup Company     
• Nora Gardner: Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company  
• W. Scott Gould: CEO, Mountain Lake Associates, LLC  
• David J. Kappos: Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP  
• Les L. Lyles: Former Chairman of the Board, USAA; former Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force; Chairman of the User Advisory Group, United States National Space Council   
• Tom Nides: Vice Chairman, Strategy and Client Relations, Blackstone
• Sarah O’Hagan: Vice Chair, Johns Hopkins University; Chair Emerita, International Rescue Committee; Founding Chair, The Fuller Project for International Reporting
• Sean O’Keefe: University Professor and Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University 
• Raj Shah: President, The Rockefeller Foundation   
• Max Stier: President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service  
• Dan Tangherlini: Managing Director, Emerson Collective  
• Jim VandeHei: Co-Founder and CEO, Axios  
• George W. Wellde Jr.: Former Vice Chairman, Securities Division, Goldman Sachs & Company 
• Neal S. Wolin: Vice Chairman, Brunswick Group

During the past 24 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees. 

Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.     

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