PHOENIX, AZ, October 4, 2019 — The Board of Directors of PetSmart Charities today announced the appointment of Kimberlee Cornett as president, effective January 1, 2020.
An experienced leader in both nonprofit and private-sector organizations, Ms. Cornett most recently served as the director of the social investment practice at the Kresge Foundation, a national foundation based in Troy, Michigan. She oversaw Kresge’s $350 million fund for impact investing. Ms. Cornett will report to J.K. Symancyk, president and CEO of PetSmart and chairman of the PetSmart Charities Board.
“The Board and I are confident that Kimberlee will be an excellent fit for PetSmart Charities,” said J.K. Symancyk, president and CEO of PetSmart. “Kimberlee has extensive expertise in driving organizations to achieve growth and strategic focus and, having served on the Board, she understands the goals of the organization. Under her leadership, PetSmart Charities will have an even greater impact on the people, pets and communities it serves and elevate the company’s commitment to the social mission that is part of our business”
Prior to her role at the Kresge Foundation, Ms. Cornett was vice president of investment management at Enterprise Community Investment where she financed the development of affordable housing using Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Previously she was appointed a White House Fellow by President Clinton and served at the executive level of the Small Business Administration. Ms. Cornett serves on the boards of Habitat for Humanity International and The Conservation Fund, and as a commissioner for the City of Annapolis Housing Authority.
“I’m honored to join the organization and look forward to working with PetSmart Charities’ Board and talented team,” said Ms. Cornett. “For more than 25 years, PetSmart Charities has been instrumental in changing the landscape for pets in need. The opportunity to think creatively about new ways to improve the quality of life for homeless pets, their pet parents and the communities is exciting. Developing strategic partnerships, like the one recently announced with Meals on Wheels, will help us deliver more resources to pets and the people who care for them. I look forward to furthering the organization’s reach and impact.”
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About PetSmart Charities®:
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $400 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 16 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
