Under the leadership of Dr. Herminia Palacio, President & CEO, the Guttmacher Institute is pleased to announce a series of changes to the configuration of the organization’s executive management team. These will strategically position Guttmacher to lead and respond to the rapidly changing landscape around sexual and reproductive health and rights domestically and globally.
The Institute has selected Ms. Maibe Ponet as its new Vice President, Communications and Publications as well as internal appointments for two roles within the President’s Office – Mr. Jonathan Wittenberg was appointed as Executive Vice President and Dr. Susheela Singh as the Distinguished Scholar and Vice President for Global Science & Policy Integration.
"After taking the time to listen and learn, as well as to assess internal organizational needs, and in the context of my vision for more adaptively positioning Guttmacher in the rapidly changing external landscape, I concluded a modified executive staff configuration would be better suited to lead the organization in our next chapter. The Institute has so many wonderful achievements and strong attributes to celebrate from its 50 years. I am excited about working to build on these successes, and to mobilize our expertise in innovative and nimble ways, as we prepare for the next 50 years," said Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO at Guttmacher.
Maibe Ponet has been selected as the new Vice President of Communications & Publications. Maibe was selected after a rigorous national search process. She is a seasoned, multifaceted professional with wide-ranging experience in media relations, public affairs, journalism, communications, and marketing, with bilingual fluency in Spanish and English. She joins the Institute from the New York City Mayor’s Office where she held several leadership positions, most recently serving as Deputy Communications Director responsible for strategic communications with a focus on health and human services. She also functioned as top communications advisor to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Prior to that, Ms. Ponet was Chief Communications Officer for the NYC Health Department, Senior Communications Advisor to the NYC Health Commissioner, Deputy Press Secretary to the NYC Mayor, Press Secretary to the NYC Public Advocate, Press Secretary at the Manhattan Borough President's Office, and Deputy Press Secretary at the NYC Department of Education. Her 15+ years of strategic communications expertise includes consultative advice on homelessness, poverty, health, children, housing, and immigration. Ms. Ponet holds a BA in Journalism from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and MS in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School. She will join the Guttmacher Institute effective November 1, 2019.
Susheela Singh, PhD has been selected to serve in a new role within the President’s Office, as Distinguished Scholar and Vice President for Global Science and Policy Integration. In this new position, Dr. Singh will play a key leadership role in aligning and integrating our global research and policy work. She will also play a leadership role in helping the Institute develop more robust scientific professional development processes as well as help us explore how to become a more active "learning" institution. She will continue to play a key role in developing new ideas and conducting research.
Jonathan Wittenberg has been selected to serve in a new role within the President’s Office, as Executive Vice President. Mr. Wittenberg provided stable leadership and management to the organization as Acting President and CEO during the Institute’s recent leadership transition. In his new role, he will serve as a special advisor to the CEO and will have a key leadership role in identifying and leveraging opportunities to enhance the Institute’s impact. Mr. Wittenberg will continue to oversee Guttmacher’s Development Division and will work closely with donors to ensure the Institute has the resources it needs to advance its mission. He will assume this new role effective November 1, 2019.
Founded in 1968, the Guttmacher Institute is a global leader in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through a unique program of high-quality research, evidence-based advocacy, and strategic communications, the Institute is a catalyst for sound policies and programs in the United States and internationally. Guttmacher produces a wide range of resources on topics that include abortion, contraceptive use, and adolescent SRHR, and publishes two peer-reviewed journals, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health and International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, as well as a public policy journal, Guttmacher Policy Review. In 2018, the Guttmacher Institute received a United Nations Population Award recognizing its achievements on the global stage.