Danville Resident Hired To Lead Livermore Lab Foundation

LIVERMORE, CA — The Livermore Lab Foundation has hired its first employee, it was announced Tuesday. Sally Allen of Danville will serve as executive director for the nonprofit, bringing with her more than 20 years’ experience in the philanthropic, nonprofit and public sectors, according to LLF board of directors' president Dona Crawford.

The LLF works to advance science and multidisciplinary research initiatives at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Working closely with the LLNL, Allen will pursue both public and private grant funding, as well as leverage the ability for individuals and corporations to support educational programs and laboratory initiatives, according to Crawford.

“The board of directors is thrilled to have Sally Allen as the foundation’s first employee and executive director,” Crawford said. “Her knowledge of philanthropy, specifically foundations and program development, will help LLF immensely. We’ve already had three very successful years with programs like Girls Who Code, and our summer internships for college students, as well as the start of two new research partnerships in climate change and ALS. Now, Sally’s expertise will help us expand our research impact even further — as well as help us create programs that inspire the next generation of scientists.”

Prior to joining LLF, Allen served as an independent consultant providing grant writing and business development support to private and nonprofit organizations, including Code Write Draw. She served as a program officer for The James Irvine Foundation, where she managed more than $20 million in grants and program development, according to Crawford.

For nearly seven years, Allen worked for the City and County of San Francisco, as a project manager and analyst. She also served as president and vice president of the Sycamore Valley Elementary School Shark Fund.

Allen has a Master's degree in Education Administration and Policy Analysis and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Stanford University. While at Stanford, she served as a Stanford-in-Government Fellow for the California Department of Education in Sacramento and in the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, DC, according to Crawford.

“The opportunities ahead are tremendous,” Allen said. “I look forward to partnering with the Lab, our community and constituents to advance the research initiatives and programs that can and will change the world.”

By Toni McAllister, Patch Staff